NUMERALS (Lat. numeralis, relating to number, front nittarruR, number). A system of figures or symbols to represent numbers: more particularly the 'Hindu or Arabic system, which employs the characters 0, 1. 2. 9, of which all, or sometimes the last nine, are called 'digits.' Thus we speak of writing the numeral for 'five' meaning '5.' The word, however, is applied to other systems, as in speaking ot the Roman nu merals or the Greek numerals. Our common nu merals come from old Sanskrit alphabetic forms. They appear in the tenth century in the form: r j being attributed to Bodthins (q.v.), but are prob ably due to some later writer. In substantially this form, they are found in the time of Gerbert (see SYLVESTER 11. ) , written upon counters for use upon one kind of the abacus (q.v.), and bear ing the name 'apices.' This form is essentially that of the (Mbar or Gubar (dust) numerals, pos sibly so called because they were written on the sanded board used in the Orient. These numerals appear among the Western Arabs of that period in the following form written from right to left: ° 2 6 These numerals changed slowly from the time of their introduction into Europe, notably by Oerbert and Leonardo of Pisa (see Film xAcct), until they had assumed, at the close of the fifteenth century, a form approximately like those known to us. Printed arithmetics then
began to appear, and they acted as an obstacle to further changes. These numerals. inherited from the Arabs, have commonly been designated as Archie, although in their origin they might more properly be called Hindu. Since, however, they were not particularly usable until the introduc tion of the zero made possible a place value, and since the zero was introduced, so far as we know, by Arab writers. the credit may well be given to the latter. The common numerals are well adapted to the decimal system, having exactly ten symbols. The Boman numerals, on the con trary, while used with a decimal system of counting, were not well adapted to it, and al lowed for no simple place value. See NOTATION; NUMERATION.