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Left to right numbers are actually more natural in European languages than in Arabic, which is written right to left. It's very inconvenient writing numbers in
by pg 17y ago
Left to right numbers are actually more natural in European languages than in Arabic, which is written right to left. It's very inconvenient writing numbers in Arabic, because if you write things in the order you say them (which most people do) you have to write them in the opposite direction to the way you write the words.
Left to right numbers are so inconvenient in Arabic that I expect it's something they copied from Hindu numbers, which were the original source.
- deleted 17y ago[deleted]
- xtho 17y agoYou shouldn't infer from English on all European languages. In some languages you would say "three (and) twenty" instead of "twenty three".
- pg 17y agoIn English you can say "three and twenty" as well, though it's an archaic usage. But is there any language in which you'd say 1,786,942 starting with "two?"
- jacquesm 17y agoIt's said that way, but still written the regular way. English does it as well by the way: thir-teen, four-teen, fif-teen, six-teen etc. After twenty it gets more regular. For a really interesting one look at Frech saying 89: quatre-vingt neuf Four times twenty + 9 English equivalent: four-score and nine.