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Why do we call our numbering system "Arabic" when Arabs don't use the Arabic numbers themselves?

Question #116769. Asked by star_gazer.

Related Trivia Topics: Sci / Tech  
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BaronBatty star
Answer has 11 votes
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BaronBatty star
21 year member
102 replies avatar

Answer has 11 votes.

Currently voted the best answer.
As befitting their history, the digits (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9) are more appropriately known as Hindu or Hindu-Arabic numerals. The reason that they are more commonly known as "Arabic numerals" in Europe and the Americas is that they were introduced to Europe in the tenth century from Arabs of North Africa, who were then using the digits from Libya to Morocco.[4] Europeans did not know about the numerals' roots in ancient India, so they named them "Arabic numerals".[5] Arabs, on the other hand, call the system "Hindu numerals",[6][7] referring to their origin in India. This is not to be confused with what the Arabs call the "Hindi numerals", namely the Eastern Arabic numerals (٠.١.٢.٣.٤.٥.٦.٧.٨.٩) used in the Middle East, or any of the numerals currently used in Indian languages (e.g. Devanagari: ०.१.२.३.४.५.६.७.८.९).

link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_numerals

Aug 16 2010, 3:58 AM
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