Why do we call our numerals 'Arabic' when they don't look anything like Arabian numbers

asks Jayne b-t:
A. It's true that the numerals used in Europe, America and much of the world are called Arabic numerals, but that's not where they come from originally.

�

According to tradition, the numerals were invented at the beginning of the 6th century by the Indian astronomer Aryabhata. Indian scholars were taken to Baghdad in 771 to teach the use of the new numerals.

�

A 9th century manuscript on arithmetic was brought from the Arabic countries to Europe where it was translated into Latin. Europeans started to use the numbers widely after 1202, when Leonardo of Pisa explained and detailed their use in his Book of the Abacus.

�

Q. What do they call the numbers in Arabic countries
A. In Arabic countries, they are called al-arq�m al-hind�ya, which translates as 'the Indian numerals'.

�

Q. What was so special about these numbers from India that everyone wanted to use them
A. The numerals made up the first fully positional numeral system, in which the number 1 could stand for 'one', 'a hundred' or 'a thousand', depending on its position in the number. Aryabhata is said to have been inspired by the sand abacus, which was designed to multiply numbers by making marks in a grid drawn on sand. It is the position of the marks that is significant.

�

Q. Why do the European and Arabic numbers look different if they both come from the same place
A. The numerals used in Arabic countries have changed slightly since they were brought from India. The numerals we use now evolved quite a lot for the first few centuries - especially the numbers 4, 5, 6 and 7 - until around 1445, when printing presses were first set up. The selection William Caxton used for the first printed books helped to stabilise their form.

�

Q. Do Arabic countries write their numbers from left to right as we do

A. Yes, even though words are written from right to left.

�

Do you have a question for How It Works Post it here

�

By Sheena Miller

�