Why is 20 Called a Score? Digging into Linguistic History - 33rd Square (2025)

For most of us, 20 feels like an arbitrary number. But understanding the linguistic history of "score" reveals why this quantity has special significance. Tracking back to tally marks and vigesimal systems provides insight on counting, language, sports and even human psychology.

Let‘s explore…

From Incisions to Tally Marks: The Origins of "Score"

Score derives from the Old Norse skor, meaning notch or incision. Back in the 13th century, shepherds would carve notches into wood to tally their sheep – one notch for each set of 20 sheep added to the flock. This was an easy way to track numbers using manual scores rather than abstract digits.

You can imagine a medieval shepherd sitting on a hillside, carefully carving notches and muttering "one score, two score, three score…" with each new set of sheep passing by. The physical act of scoring helped embed the association between the mark, the quantity, and the word itself.

By the 1500s, the term "score" referred to tally marks for counting, or the total number recorded. We still use this in phrases like "keeping score" – maintaining a tally. From these practical origins, 20 also became known as a "score". The history of language is full of terms which derive from concrete actions or objects.

The Prominence of 20 in Vigesimal Systems

The tally mark score method relates to the prevalence of base-20 or vigesimal numbering systems. Traces of 20-based counting can be seen across various ancient European cultures:

  • Celtic Gauls and Britons used vigesimal systems along with decimal ones.
  • The Basque language still contains clear vigesimal roots.
  • Remnants exist in modern French, with four-twenty for 80 (quatre-vingts).

Vigesimal conventions also spread through trade to non-Western cultures like the Maya civilization. Why did 20 become such a common factor for counting? Some key reasons:

  • Using fingers and toes provides an easy way to count to 10. Doubling for 20 creates a useful quantity.
  • Shepherds found 20 was a good balance – big enough to effectively tally large flocks, but still easy to manually score using marks.
  • 20 can be divided into halves, quarters and fifths for flexibility.
  • Factors nicely into larger vigesimal numbers like 40, 60, etc.

So 20 emerged as a "magic number" – small enough for convenience, but large enough for practical tallying. Of course, base-10 decimal systems gradually became standardized. But the legacy of 20 as a milestone number persisted.

Four Score and Seven: An Enduring Turn of Phrase

No discussion of "score" is complete without looking at Lincoln‘s famous opening to the Gettysburg Address:

"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation…"

Here, Lincoln uses the archaic meaning of "score" to eloquently say "87 years ago". This points to 1776, the founding year Lincoln described as birthing a new nation.

Using poetic language was characteristic of Lincoln. But why not just say "eighty-seven years"? 87 is a bit cumbersome in speech. "Four score and seven" follows a pleasing rhythm and meter. The alliteration draws emphasis to "score".

The antiquated term also evokes history and a sense of continuity with the past. This resonates with the Great Declaration being described. Lincoln was renowned for eloquence, and this quote reminds us old linguistic meanings often linger through modern usage.

The Milestone Number in Sports Scoring

Beyond direct mentions, the cultural weight of 20 as a notable quantity persists in modern language. One clear example is sports scoring. Across various sports, 20 is seen as a significant milestone:

SportScoring convention related to 20
BasketballGames played to 20 points
TennisWin by 2 with deuce at 40-40
Table tennisStandard games to 11 win by 2
CricketOvers bowled in sets of 6 balls (20 needed to complete innings)
American footballTouchdowns worth 6 points, kicks after worth 1 or 2 points

Reaching 20 points is a memorable benchmark in many games. It signals passing a discrete threshold, while still providing margin for competitive play. The usage in scoring systems echoes 20 as a convenient tally quantity.

We also talk of tied scores, keeping score, reaching a score, and so on. The language of scores and scoring permeates sports discussion even separate from 20 specifically. But the milestone number provides a natural target.

From Scoring Goals to Scoring Dates: Slanguification

Beyond just sports tallies, "to score" has also entered slang as a general term meaning to succeed or achieve some aim. You‘ll hear phrases like:

  • "I scored tickets to the concert!"
  • "I scored an A on the test."
  • "She‘s trying to score a promotion."
  • "He scored a date with the cute barista."

Here the meaning is more about succeeding or making gains generally. But it relates back to 20 being seen as a definitive benchmark or social milestone. Gaining tickets, grades, jobs or dates counts as "scoring" because you‘ve definitively gained something against competition or odds.

This slang usage has then fed back into sports commentary. Announcers will often say a player "scores!" regardless of the actual number of points. The language reinforces 20 as a figurative benchmark.

Why 20 Just Feels Right: Cognitive and Biological Factors

Stepping back, we can also analyze why 20 holds cognitive appeal and feels like a fitting tally quantity:

  • Factor of 10 – As powers of 10, 20 aligns with our decimal number system. This brings intuitive convenience.
  • Hands and feet – We have 10 fingers and 10 toes, making counting to 20 an organic process.
  • Visual processing – Our brains can instantly recognize and process arrangements of up to about 20 objects.
  • Salience – 20 stands out as a discrete quantity, but not too overwhelming in size.
  • Memorability – The roundness and repetition (20, 22, 24…) aid memory and patterning.

In other words, 20 hits a sweet spot in terms of instant visual recognition and information processing limits. It feels like a "full set" cognitively. This may help explain its favor as a tally limit and the appeal of 20-based scoring systems. The cognitive harmony of 20 numbers helps account for its linguistic sticking power.

The Enduring Legacy of Twenty

In summary, understanding "score" provides insight into the early development of counting systems. The convenience of tallying in 20s established it as a standard intermediate quantity between small digits and large round numbers.

This set a foundation for 20 to become a widely recognized milestone across language, mathematics, and culture. While base-10 eventually prevailed, the legacy of 20 persists in sports scoring, slang, linguistic echoes, and even cognitive processing tendencies.

So the next time you see a basketball game won 20-18, consider how this seemingly arbitrary number has an intriguing history. Our language carries echoes of the past, and notions of scoring reflect early counting conventions. Twenty still feels significant, even if most of us don‘t tally sheep! The peculiar appeal of this "score" lives on.

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Why is 20 Called a Score? Digging into Linguistic History - 33rd Square (2025)
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