Re: Digression: little/big endian numbers LTR/RTL

>
>
> It seems to me that arabic numbers were always RTL with least 
> significant digit first; when imported into western Europe these 
> gradually became LTR with most significant digit first (because of the 
> LTR writing system). This resulted in changes such that the phrase 
> "four and twenty" is now archaic, because of the least significant 
> digit first construction.
Hmm. I thought that roman numerals, which are not place value, were 
written LTR with larger units first. I.e. XXIV not IVXX. Surely, they 
had an influence for centuries in Europe.
> With European colonialism the most significant digit first meme was 
> re-exported from western Europe back into arabic speaking communities, 
> resulting in the apparent LTR numbers within a RTL writing system.
>
> Jeremy
>
>
>
>
>
>