Each I is a finger, V is the thumb and index. X is crossing your index and middle finger.
I’ve always thought of them pretty much as fancy tally marks. The V and X aren’t even that different from how we do a strike-through every 5.
Roman numerals could be based on what your hand looks like when you count.
Submitted 11 months ago by Trex202@lemmy.world to showerthoughts@lemmy.world
Comments
RampantParanoia2365@lemmy.world 11 months ago
SnortsGarlicPowder@lemmy.zip 11 months ago
X is just 2 V stuck together. Same for C being 2 L stuck together.
bingbong@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 months ago
X is just 2 V stuck together. Same for C being 2 L stuck together.
SnortsGarlicPowder@lemmy.zip 11 months ago
[deleted]bingbong@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 months ago
X is just 2 V stuck together. Same for C being 2 L stuck together.
SnortsGarlicPowder@lemmy.zip 11 months ago
[deleted]bingbong@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 months ago
X is just 2 V stuck together. Same for C being 2 L stuck together.
stoy@lemmy.zip 11 months ago
Did you forget about L/C/M?
If I want to write my birth year, 1987, in roman numerals, I would need to write it like this:
MCMLXXXVII
To clarify:
1000+(-100+1000)+50+10+10+10+5+1+1
tkk13909@sopuli.xyz 11 months ago
L: Hand in an L shape C: Hand in a C shape M: index, middle, and ring fingers pointed down
Trex202@lemmy.world 11 months ago
They didn’t have the year 1987 a thousand years ago.
stoy@lemmy.zip 11 months ago
You do understand that the number 1987 could also represent the amount of inventory someone had?
Or have a lot of other uses?
null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 months ago
Maybe, but it’s not the most likely explanation IMO.
Why not just count with the number of fingers (and thumbs) shown the same way everyone has done since forever?
They use straight lines because if you’re marking anything which isn’t paper with anything which isn’t a pencil curved lines are a bitch. Straight lines could be a stylised representation of a finger, but they could also just be straight lines. Like @Endmaker@ani.social said, if all the lines are the same length then you can make marks with axes, but the same applies when using a flattened reed to make impressions like with cuneiform.
I’m not sure if the romans were doing it but other base 12 societies pointed at the knuckles of their fingers with their thumb to count. It feels intuitive and natural. You could transact with someone who didn’t share your language and who had never seen that system of counting before.
You might be right, but it seems unlikely to me.
njm1314@lemmy.world 11 months ago
When you count to 100 you make C shapes with your hand?
Endmaker@ani.social 11 months ago
One of my undergrad professors said that they look as such because I, V and X can be easily marked using axes.
And009@lemmynsfw.com 11 months ago
LovableSidekick@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Or clay-incising tools. Or pieces of charcoal. Or chisels.
Trex202@lemmy.world 11 months ago
That makes sense
MrScottyTay@sh.itjust.works 11 months ago
Pretty interesting idea, can only do up to XII on one hand though
Trex202@lemmy.world 11 months ago
They counted Base 12
spankmonkey@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Base XII?
MrScottyTay@sh.itjust.works 11 months ago
Wow okay, that’s a pretty convincing coincidence then
madame_gaymes@programming.dev 11 months ago
Huh, it actually does kinda work. Could theoretically count 0 - 12 using one hand.
The only downside is that 4 (IV) / 6 (VI) and 9 (IX) / 11 (XI) look identical and are based on which direction you’re viewing from
Trex202@lemmy.world 11 months ago
You could turn your hand around to get the single finger on the correct side
stoly@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Masters in classics here. They literally are, even the number 4. Look at a watch with Roman numerals and notice that the 4 is “IIII”.
I = 1 finger … V = open hand … X = two open hands next to each other
Trex202@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Thank you!