Fist Counting and the Long Hundred

Ever wondered, why the Germanic peoples counted first to 12, but then to 120 instead of 144?

The answer is part of the technicalities of number signaling by the holding up of hands.

| | | | | : five fingers on one hand,
ITTI : a fist.

Alright then.

1-12. | one, | | two, | | | three, | | | | four, | | | | | five, ITTI six,
|  ITTI seven, | |  ITTI eight, | | |  ITTI nine, | | | |  ITTI ten,
| | | | |  ITTI eleven, ITTI  ITTI twelve.

13-23. First ITTI  ITTI and then a number from 1-11.

24-131. First the number of dozens:

| |  followed by ITTI  ITTI two dozen,
| | |  followed by ITTI  ITTI three dozen,
| | | |  followed by ITTI  ITTI four dozen,
| | | | |  followed by ITTI  ITTI five dozen,
| | | | |  |  followed by ITTI  ITTI six dozen,
| | | | |  | |  followed by ITTI  ITTI seven dozen,
| | | | |  | | |  followed by ITTI  ITTI eight dozen,
| | | | |  | | | |  followed by ITTI  ITTI nine dozen,
| | | | |  | | | | |  followed by ITTI  ITTI ten dozen

and then, if needed, a number from 1-11.

Question. Why count the dozens without making a fist?

Answer. Because this way the hand gestures change on both hands going from the first to the second gesture, meaning that a count of the dozens, which is the most important count, won't likely be mistaken for anything else in case the view is obscured.

Actually, there's a 5/9 chance that the first digit will be recognised as such even without seeing the other digits and likewise a 6/11 chance for the last digit. In case of the second digit that chance is of course 1, which makes the second digit a digit indicator.