Trex202@lemmy.world to Showerthoughts@lemmy.world · 3 days agoRoman numerals could be based on what your hand looks like when you count.message-squaremessage-square30fedilinkarrow-up172arrow-down112file-text
arrow-up160arrow-down1message-squareRoman numerals could be based on what your hand looks like when you count.Trex202@lemmy.world to Showerthoughts@lemmy.world · 3 days agomessage-square30fedilinkfile-text
minus-squareRhaedas@fedia.iolinkfedilinkarrow-up22arrow-down1·3 days agoIV and IX don’t make sense when it could be done more intuitively by IIII and VIIII.
minus-squareGuyFawkes@sh.itjust.workslinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up15·3 days agoFewer axe marks. IIII = 4 IV = 3 IX = 3 VIIII = 6
minus-squareRhaedas@fedia.iolinkfedilinkarrow-up13·3 days agoSure, but OP is talking about fingers as representation, not markings. Your point is exactly why they did it in writing.
minus-squareTrex202@lemmy.worldOPlinkfedilinkarrow-up6arrow-down1·3 days agoIf thumb and index make V, then there’s only 3 fingers left.
minus-squareRhaedas@fedia.iolinkfedilinkarrow-up7·3 days agoI see what you’re saying, using one hand for the entire sequence. XI is still a pain. The real problem is that there is no mention of doing this in any Roman text. A bit of an omission, or was it a state secret?
minus-squaresomeguy3@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up3·edit-23 days agoI read that’s how it was done for math, the exception being things like headlines.
IV and IX don’t make sense when it could be done more intuitively by IIII and VIIII.
Fewer axe marks.
IIII = 4 IV = 3
IX = 3 VIIII = 6
Sure, but OP is talking about fingers as representation, not markings. Your point is exactly why they did it in writing.
If thumb and index make V, then there’s only 3 fingers left.
I see what you’re saying, using one hand for the entire sequence. XI is still a pain. The real problem is that there is no mention of doing this in any Roman text. A bit of an omission, or was it a state secret?
I read that’s how it was done for math, the exception being things like headlines.