- From: Asmus Freytag <asmusf@ix.netcom.com>
- Date: Thu, 01 May 2008 09:38:07 -0700
- To: Jeremy Carroll <jjc@hpl.hp.com>
- CC: Simon Montagu <smontagu@smontagu.org>, Frank Ellermann <hmdmhdfmhdjmzdtjmzdtzktdkztdjz@gmail.com>, www-international@w3.org
> > > 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 > > > > > >
Received on Thursday, 1 May 2008 16:38:50 UTC