this post was submitted on 04 Feb 2024
450 points (100.0% liked)

196

16416 readers
1698 users here now

Be sure to follow the rule before you head out.

Rule: You must post before you leave.

^other^ ^rules^

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 
top 32 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] aesc@lemmy.sdf.org 71 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (2 children)

Yes, ha ha, but Arabic Numerals, with a capital N, refers to ٠ ١ ٢ ٣ ٤ ٥ ٦ ٧ ٨ ٩ that’s 9 through 0 read left-to-right because Arabic is written right-to-left. While you can see how the West adopted numerals based on Arabic ones eight hundred years ago (thanks to Fibonacci), we only call them Arabic numerals, with a lowercase n, to distinguish them from the Roman numerals we were historically using. Today they aren’t really Arabic anymore, and I don’t know why you’d learn Arabic Numerals unless you were learning to read and write Arabic.

[–] creation7758@lemmy.ml 30 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Just some random guy who is not particularly educated about the subject here.

I think that's how the Arabs of today depict Arabic numerals. Both are Arabic numerals and there are many other scripts, for instance many variations of brahmic scripts that depict the Arabic numerals using various notations.

So both are Arabic numerals using different notations and adapted to be used alongside their own writing system.

[–] creation7758@lemmy.ml 30 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Also, just to add, while it is known as Arabic numerals, it originated from India, so it's often also known as the Hindu-Arabic numerals. It's mostly known as Arabic numerals to the west because they came to know the numerology of the system via the Arabs. What makes the numerals is not the symbols, but other characteristics of the system such as the positional notation and the decimal base

[–] lugal@lemmy.ml 6 points 9 months ago (1 children)

The Arabs adopted the numbers from India and refere to them as Indian Numbers. I think the system is therefore sometimes called Indo-Arabic Numbers.

So rather than brahmic using an adaptation of Arabic Numbers, it's the other way around.

[–] kokopelli@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago

I’ve seen it called Arabic Indic as well

[–] bort@feddit.de 6 points 9 months ago

we only call them Arabic numerals, with a lowercase n,

[x] doubt

[–] thesprongler@lemmy.world 53 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (3 children)

Yes XXIX

No LVII

No opinion XIV

[–] JackLSauce@lemmy.world 9 points 9 months ago
[–] InFerNo@lemmy.ml 3 points 9 months ago

Superbowl numbers

[–] phorq@lemmy.ml 1 points 9 months ago

Thank you for the translation, I was really struggling with those weird symbols they were using.

[–] lugal@sopuli.xyz 51 points 9 months ago (1 children)

What's next? Latin alphabet? Imperial measurements? Once you let one it, the others will follow!

[–] DSTGU@sopuli.xyz 34 points 9 months ago (2 children)

I feel like that is an example of the slippery slope fallacy. Latin alphabet I can understand, but no normal country would voluntairly choose imperial measurements system

[–] msage@programming.dev 8 points 9 months ago

FREEDOM UNITS!1!

[–] lugal@sopuli.xyz 7 points 9 months ago

True. Especially after fighting a war of independence against the imperium

[–] HanzAndHisFlammenwerfer@eviltoast.org 18 points 9 months ago (1 children)
[–] bleistift2@feddit.de 6 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (2 children)

I guess you could reproduce that survey in any western country. I can’t think of many people who know “our” [Edit: numerals] are called “Arabic”.

[–] manucode@feddit.de 6 points 9 months ago (1 children)

In Völklingen, Germany, this Nazi didn't understand why the audience was laughing as he promised to end the use of Arabic house numbers once elected mayor.

[–] PipedLinkBot@feddit.rocks 1 points 9 months ago

Here is an alternative Piped link(s):

this Nazi

Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.

I'm open-source; check me out at GitHub.

[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world 5 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Speaking as a Dane, I literally can't think of anyone I know personally who's older than 10 and DOESN'T know..

[–] bleistift2@feddit.de 2 points 9 months ago

Scandinavia doesn’t count. You’re the educational masters. 🤓

[–] Prandom_returns@lemm.ee 6 points 9 months ago

This is how Brexit happened.

[–] ivanafterall@kbin.social 5 points 9 months ago

Let's leave the Arabic numerals to the Arabians.

[–] Aussiemandeus@aussie.zone 4 points 9 months ago

I read this as roman numerals and didnt get the joke.

Took my a second go to get it

[–] Nualkris@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago

LVII% of the people can't be wrong!

[–] zarkanian@sh.itjust.works 1 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Now ask them how they feel about dihydrogen monoxide or women's suffrage.

[–] SuddenDownpour@sh.itjust.works 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Should the government spend millions of your tax dollars to ensure every single home has uninterrupted supply of clean dihydrogen monoxide?

[–] Kase@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago

Tbf you could ask that one plainly and I know several people who would answer no :/

[–] chiliedogg@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago

Hydrogen hydroxide is both and acid AND a base, and it's served to students at school!

[–] uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

We should switch to base twelve.

[–] CheesyFox@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

base sixteen is the future

[–] otacon239@feddit.de 1 points 9 months ago