Using the Human Calculator in language revitalization projects?

[Howard Gutowitz]

Eatoni has just released our “Human Calculator” iOS app in 162 languages, including quite a few that may be of interest to readers of this list. 


I’m hoping that this app can find some use in language revitalization/immersive language studies. The idea being that even in math class, one can practice the language, and think about how the language represents numbers and what that might mean more generally for the world view inherent in the language. Would love some feedback on this idea. 

A selected list of languages most likely to be of interest to this group is attached below, with links to the regional app stores where they can be found. The full list is in the attached press kit. If you’re interested in having us do a version in a language you care about which is not yet supported, let’s talk about that.

In brief: The Human Calculator displays numbers using a combination of digits and words, as in everyday speech, giving it expressive power. It’s where mathematics meets language. It’s a calculator for the rest of us—students or non-scientists who haven’t used scientific notation since high school. It thinks about numbers like you do—only better.

More in the attached pdf.

Sample screenshots, in English, and Inuktitut:









Breton (Brezhoneg) France
Chakma (𑄍𑄇𑄴𑄟𑄦) India
Cham Cambodia Vietnam
Cherokee (ᏣᎳᎩ) United States
Corsican (Corsu) France
Garifuna (Garifuna) Belize Guatemala Honduras Nicaragua
Greenlandic (Kalaallisut) Denmark
Hawaiian (Hawai‘i) United States
Inuktitut (ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ) Canada
Irish (Gaeilge) Ireland
Kayah-Li Thailand
Lanna (ᨣᩴᩤᨾᩮᩥᩬᨦ) Lao People's Democratic Republic Thailand
Lepcha (ᰛᰩᰵ་ᰛᰧᰶᰵ)) India Nepal
Lesser Antillean Creole (Kwéyòl) Dominica Grenada Guyana Saint Lucia
Low German (Platduits) Germany Netherlands
Manx (Gaelg) United Kingdom
Maori (te reo Maori) New Zealand
Mapudungun (Mapuche) Chile
Navajo (Diné Bizaad) United States
Occitan (Occitan) Argentina France Italy Spain
Ojibwe (Ojibwe) Canada United States
Romansh (Rumantsch) Italy Switzerland
Sami (Sámegiella) Finland Norway Sweden
Sardinian (Sardu) Italy
Saurashtra (ꢱꣃꢬꢵꢰ꣄ꢜ꣄ꢬꢵ) India
Scots (Lallans) Ireland United Kingdom
Scottish (Gàidhlig) United Kingdom
Swabian (Schwäbisch) Germany
Tai Lue (ᦑᦺᦟᦹᧉ) China Lao People's Democratic Republic
Upper Sorbian (Hornjoserbšćina) Germany
Vai (ꕙꔤ) Liberia
Welsh (Cymraeg) United Kingdom
West Frisian (Frysk) Netherlands
Yiddish (ייִדיש) Israel Ukraine United States
Yiddish-Roman (Yiddish) Argentina United States



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