[Symbiote]

> The forward (english) counting is the standard, but the backward (german) is quite commonly used informally as well (it also has a certain poetic quality).

English also had the backward numbers, but they are only used poetically nowadays. [1] is a nursery rhyme. [2] says English switched in the 16th century. (Except 13-19, which are still backwards.)

English also used to count in twenties ("three score and five" = 65), like modern Danish ("femogtres") which is clearer if written in slightly old Danish "femogtresindstyve", "fem og tre-sinds-tyve" → "five and three-times-twenty".

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sing_a_Song_of_Sixpence

[2] https://german.stackexchange.com/questions/5009/what-is-the-...