Number symbols are the things we draw to represent certain quantities. The symbols used to represent specific quantities are called numerals. The set of symbols that english speakers are most familliar with are the Arabic Numerals 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. However, there is also the Roman numeral system consisting of the symbols I, V, X, L, C, D and M. The Egyptions had a different set of number symbols as did the Sumerians, the Babylonians and there are still more symbols in use throughout the various tribes in Africa.
Not only are symbols important (the way a number is drawn on paper), but the method of counting is important also when trying to determine a cardinal value (cardinal means a count of how many). Most Indo-European countries (including the U.S.) use a decimal counting system. We all count from one to nine then start over in the next number colum with ten, we just use different words for those values, but they are written the same way. The Romans also used a decimal counting system, but added on symbols for special numbers that we english speakers think of as as fifty, one hundred and one thousand. These numbers are really only multiples of ten, and the latin words for these symbols reflect that.
Take a look at this table of values. You will note that the way in which we draw the symbols in each representation is different.
| Quantity | English | Arabic | Roman |
|---|---|---|---|
| zero | 0 | (none) | |
| | | one | 1 | I |
| || | two | 2 | II |
| ||| | three | 3 | III |
| |||| | four | 4 | IV |
| ||||| | five | 5 | V |
| |||||| | six | 6 | VI |
| ||||||| | seven | 7 | VII |
| |||||||| | eight | 8 | VIII |
| ||||||||| | nine | 9 | IV |
| |||||||||| | ten | 10 | X |
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fifty | 50 | L |
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one hundred | 100 | C |
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five hundred | 500 | D |
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|
one thousand | 1000 | M |
REVIEW
- English speakers use the Arabic Numerals
- Arabic Numerals are not the only number symbols
- There are counting systems that have additional symbols for values beyond ten.
- Other counting systems use the Arabic numerals as well, but may not count the same way as we do in english.