Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-10-22
Our Numerals.

/
A CORRESPONDENT asks. What is the
origin of our present nine figures, l, 2, 3,
etcg ! am aware they are Arabic, bat
| how came they to assume their present
| form? What gave the figures and 2,
! for instance, their peculiar forms! and
| are alike, with the tops turned differ
ent ways; 6 and are the same, only re-
versed. If you can give your readers any
hight on this somewhat reconcile topic
they would be obliged"
Recent laborious researches have de-
veloped the fact that the numerals now
in use are not of Arabic origin. They
are to be reckoned among the ingenious
inventions of the Brahmins of India, and
date back to some undetermined period
before the Christian era. An obscurity
which scholars have thus far been un-
able to clear up envelops the inquiry as
to the time they first became known to the
Arabs and were introduced into Europe.
1t is supposed by the most learned writ
ers on the subject that the Arabs OBJ
tanned their knowledge of the characters
through the Persians, who were con-
quered by them in 636, and adopted their
reli gion and one of their dialects. The
so-called Arabic figures resemble the
Persic characters, which are those In
popular use throughout India Trust
worthy authorities fix the 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 successors, and
certainly not later than the time of Al
Nahum, and thence were carried to Spain
during the end of the tenth or beginning
of the eleventh century
A knowledge of the so-called Arabic
figures was soon communicated to the
learned men of Europe. The astrono-
mers of France and Germany seem to
have first employed them in the four
teenth century, in composing calendars,
which were sent to the various religious
houses. By this means the characters
were generally dlffused through Europe.
One of the oldest authentic dates in the
Arabic numerals is that of 1875, which
was written by Petrarch in 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 1870,
which occurs in the rentroll of the Dio-
cese of ST. Andrews.
The forms of several of the figures have
undergone considerable change since
their first introduction into Europe. In
the oldest manuscripts the figures a, D
and are most unlike the present charac-
ters The consists of loop with the
ends pointing down; the 5has some like
ness to the figure O.; and the z is simply
an inverted " In the dates used by
Caxton in the year 1880 the has assumed
its present shape, but the 8 and are
still very unlike the same characters OF
to-day There is no reason assigned for
these changes, which appearto have been
gradual, and the result of choice rather
than introduction. Nor have we ever
met with any attempt to attach an es
pecial significance to the forms OF the
numerals. If there be symbolism hid
den in their mold it has yet 10 be I'M
veiled.-Chicago Tribune.