The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-12-25
Our Numerals,

A correspondent asks, "What is the
origin OF our present niEe figures, l, 2, 8,
etc am aware they are Arabic. but
now came they to assume their present
iorn What gave the figures s and Z,
Ior instance, their peculiar forms {? 8 and
are ailkei with the tops turned differ
ent ways and 8 are the same. only re-
versed. If you can give your readers
any light on this somewhat reeOndita
topic, they would be obliged.n
| Recently laborious researches bava do
velOped the fact that the numerals now
in use are not of Arabic origin. They
are to be reekOned among the ingenious
inventions of the Brahmins of India,
and date back to some undetermined
period before the Christian era. An OBJ
security which scholars have thus far
been unable TO clear up envelOps the in
quiry rs TO the time they first became
known to the Arabs and were introduced
into Europe. 1t is supposed by the NEST
learned writers on the subject that the
Arabs obtained their knowledge of the
characters through the Persians, who
were conquered by them in 636, and
adopted their religion and one of their
dialects. The sO-called Arabic figures
resemble the Persic characters, which
are those in popular use throughout
tiuii. lIuSlNOTlnI AuilOElLlGS llA lUG
period at which the Arabs acquired the
numerals as late as the middle of the
thirteenth century. Others believe the
figures, called GObdr by the Arabs, were
brought to Bagdad during the reign of
Al-MansOr (760) or his immediate sue
cessOrs, and certainly not later than the
time of Al-Mamum, and thence were
carried to Spain during the end of the
tenth or beginning of the eleventh CEN
tury.
a knowledge of the so-called Arabic
figures was soon communicated to the
learned men of Europe. The astrono-
meTs of France and Germany seem to
have first employed them lin the four
teeEth century, in composing calendars,
which were sent to the various religious
houses. BY this means the characters
were generally diffused through Europe.
One of the oldest authentic dates in the
Arabic numerals is that of 1873, which
was written by Petrarch in a copy of ST.
Augustine. The college accounts in the
| English universities were generally kept
| in the Roman numerals until the begin
ming of the sixteenth century. The
Arabic characters were not used in the
parish registers before 1900. The oldest
date met with in Scotland is that of
1880, which occurs in the rent-rOll of the
Diocese of st. Andrews.
The forms of several of the figures
have undergone considerable change
since their first tintTOductiOn into Europe.
In the oldest manuscripts the figures 4,
5 and are most unlike the present char
acters. The consists of a loop with the
ends pointing down the has some
likeness to the figure 9; and the is
simply an inverted V. In the dates
used by CaxtOn in the year l4S0, the
has assumed its present shape, but the
and are still very unlike the same
characters of to-day. There is no reason
assigned for theseehanges, which appear
to have been gradual, and the result of
choice rather than Introduction. Nor
have we ever met with any attempt to
attach an especial significance to the
forms of the numerals. If there be q
symbolism hidden in their mold ii has
yet TO be unveiled Chicago Tribune.