# Majority Opposed To Teaching Arabic Numerals **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 14, 2019, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975 "2019-05-14T22:38:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2019, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/81 "2019-05-16T22:14:13Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > [Life in the Age of Trump](https://triblive.com/news/roman-numerals-anyone-poll-suggests-bias-against-arabic-numerals/): That would be funny if it was worded right. Numbers [written in Arabic would be confusing.](https://www.quora.com/Do-Arabic-numerals-actually-have-an-Arabic-origin) If you wanted to point out that people don’t know the history of math that’s fine but I seriously doubt they were any wiser in non-Trump years. But you did manage to blame Trump so… bless your heart? ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2019, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/82 "2019-05-17T00:56:48Z")
It to laugh, but it exposes ignorance only, not prejudice per se. But I would like to see the result of a similar poll asking about Hindi numerals. ---
**Author:** ![Grestarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grestarian/32/3227_2.png) [@Grestarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grestarian)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2019, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/83 "2019-05-17T00:59:09Z")
FWIW: I would also vote against any modern American school curriculum including that Egyptian (Phoenician) Ox-House pseudo-graphical system# of writing. Our kids have better things\* to do! –G! #Then again, I can read Japanese Kana – and even some Kanji 😃 \*Like stringing colored beads… ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2019, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/84 "2019-05-17T02:34:20Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > I got taught that they were called Arabic numerals, but that was decades ago. I know it, but then I read a book about the history of zero. > I suspect that most people were taught it but forgot it, and I bet the pollsters were expecting that most people did not remember what Arabic numerals were. My point was to refute JAQ’s assertion that knowing that we use Arabic numbers is the same level of knowledge as knowing that dihydrogen monoxide is water. It’s not. In other news, Arabic numerals vs Roman numerals was a Jeopardy answer today! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2019, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/85 "2019-05-17T19:55:26Z")
> [@Wrenching\_Spanners](#): > > Just curious, how many of you are aware that in some Arabic countries, they do use a different set of Arabic numerals. > > [Eastern Arabic numerals - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Arabic_numerals) > > A while back, I saw an Egyptian market trader using Eastern Arabic numerals on a scratchpad, so I can confirm (well, one data point) that they’re actually in use. Until I read this it didn’t really occur to me the irony of an Arabic country using what appear to be non-Arabic numbers. Iranian paper money: > **[Iran Chamber Society: Iranian Banknotes and Coins](https://www.iranchamber.com/currency/iranian_banknotes_coins.php)** > > Iranian Historical & Cultural Information Center Third image down. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2019, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/86 "2019-05-17T20:27:00Z")
I knew our number system is credited to the ancient arab civilization. I haven’t heard the term Arabic numerals before. 9 words in math from arab culture > **[9 words that show how much of English math is actually Arabic](https://stepfeed.com/9-words-that-show-how-much-of-english-math-is-actually-arabic-2979)** > > During the Islamic Golden Age, immense scientific progress was achieved by Muslim scientists and scholars in the Arab World. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2019, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/87 "2019-05-18T04:08:43Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > Until I read this it didn’t really occur to me the irony of an Arabic country using what appear to be non-Arabic numbers. > Iranian paper money: > [Iran Chamber Society: Iranian Banknotes and Coins](http://www.iranchamber.com/currency/iranian_banknotes_coins.php) > Third image down. Uh… Iran is not an Arabic country. It’s Persian. My Persian friend would kick your butt for that. (He’s not Muslim either; he’s Zoroastrian…) ---
**Author:** ![postpic200](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@postpic200](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postpic200)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2019, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/88 "2019-05-18T13:33:01Z")
When you have a poorly designed question, you’re going to get really bad data. You could have a bunch of people who actual know Eastern Arabic numerals like this: ١.٢.٣.٤.٥.٦.٧.٨.٩ Zero is represented by a dot. So if that’s the case then what does your data show? I wonder what the data would have shown if they asked about the Hindu-Arabic numerals, or Western Arabic numbers? Really the data doesn’t show anything, without a bunch of follow up questions asking the same thing in different ways it’s a meaningless result. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/89 "2019-05-20T03:47:37Z")
How can someone be unaware that the term for the numerals used in English today is _Arabic numerals_? I seriously doubt that bit of info was “some obscure tidbit in a lesson long ago”. I heard it plenty of times from grade school all the way until I graduated university and even after. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/90 "2019-05-20T04:15:22Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > It could be the neurological effects of dihydrogen monoxide exposure. Wait, what is dihydrogen monoxide? Oh, duh. ~Max ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/91 "2019-05-20T04:41:50Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > How can someone be unaware that the term for the numerals used in English today is _Arabic numerals_? I seriously doubt that bit of info was “some obscure tidbit in a lesson long ago”. I heard it plenty of times from grade school all the way until I graduated university and even after. I’m sure there are plenty of Americans that are unaware of such. I knew they were Arabic numerals but I can’t recall specifically when I learned that in school, it was mentioned once or twice maybe. I’m a college graduate but I’m sure a lot of college graduates even may not recall that if they were say on a game show or something. I mean what’s the alternative that most people know they are Arabic numerals but want to switch to some other number system because it’s Arabic in origin, that seems pretty far fetched in my opinion. The American school system is not all that great anyway. Have you ever seen some of those polls or tonight show type interviews where they ask Americans geography or basic science questions and they are completely unbelievably ignorant? As an American I’ll admit too that I’m not that well-versed in geography. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/92 "2019-05-20T05:00:29Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > How can someone be unaware that the term for the numerals used in English today is _Arabic numerals_? I seriously doubt that bit of info was “some obscure tidbit in a lesson long ago”. I heard it plenty of times from grade school all the way until I graduated university and even after. Oddly, I haven’t. I know the term. I can’t think of a single time I have heard it in conversation. There’s little reason to refer to it, since it’s the normal number system we use. It makes sense if you’re using it to contrast to another number system but what other number system would we have to contrast it against typically? I mean, Roman numerals, I guess, but then most people just call them “numbers” vs “Roman numerals” not “Arabic numerals” vs “Roman numerals.” I’m not trying to be anti-intellectual here. I just don’t see why the average person would know or remember this. This is not a point of fact, at least in my experience, that is drilled into our brains from grammar school onward. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/93 "2019-05-20T05:17:38Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > How can someone be unaware that the term for the numerals used in English today is _Arabic numerals_? I seriously doubt that bit of info was “some obscure tidbit in a lesson long ago”. I heard it plenty of times from grade school all the way until I graduated university and even after. Graduated from university, eh? You elitist, you. 🙂 Americans don’t know a lot of things more important and less obscure than the term Arabic numbers. I think you are spoiled from hanging around here. Note that people have already nitpicked their true origin. In a country with such a high percentage of people who are creationists, Arabic numbers are the least of our problems. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/94 "2019-05-20T17:38:38Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > How can someone be unaware that the term for the numerals used in English today is _Arabic numerals_? I seriously doubt that bit of info was “some obscure tidbit in a lesson long ago”. I heard it plenty of times from grade school all the way until I graduated university and even after. I learned Arabic vs. Roman numerals in primary school (right around when we learned to read clocks), and then again in secondary school during world history. ~Max ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975/95 "2019-05-20T17:46:06Z")
> [@Max\_S](#): > > I learned Arabic vs. Roman numerals in primary school (right around when we learned to read clocks) You were explicitly taught at that age that they were Arabic numerals? That would be like first or second grade, right? We just called them “numbers.” I mean, I guess I’m somewhat surprised that people were taught the name of the number system that early on. Perhaps that is the norm, but I really don’t think I learned it in primary school; secondary school it’s possible that it was mentioned in world history class or something of that nature. But, once again, something mentioned a couple of times and forgotten about. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/majority-opposed-to-teaching-arabic-numerals/833975.md?page=4)