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Number Words and Number Symbols: A Cultural History of Numbers Paperback – October 27, 2011

by Karl Menninger (Author)

7 customer reviews

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'The historian of mathematics will find much to interest him here . . . while the casual reader is likely to be intrigued by the author's superior narrative ability." — Library Journal
This book is not only a fascinating introduction to the concept of number and to numbers themselves, hut a multifaceted linguistic and historical analysis of how numbers have developed and evolved in many different cultures. Drawing on evidence from history, literature, philosophy and ethnology, noted German scholar Karl Menninger. recounts the development of numbers both as they are spoken (and written as words) and as symbolic abstract numerals that can he readily manipulated and combined.
Despite the immense erudition the author brings to the topic, he maintains a light tone throughout, presenting much of the information in anecdotal form. Moreover, almost 300 illustrations (photographs and drawings) and many comparative language tables serve to enhance the text. The author begins with a lucid treatment of number sequence and number language, including the formation of number words in both Indo-European and non-IndoEuropean languages, hidden number words and the evolution of the number sequence. He then turns to written numerals and computations: finger counting, folk symbols for numbers, alphabetical numerals, the "German" Roman numerals, the abacus and more. The final section concerns the development of our modem decimal system, with its place notation and zero, based on the Indian number system, and its introduction to the West through the work of the Italian mathematician Fibonacci. The author concludes with a review of spoken numbers and number symbols in China and Japan.
"The book is especially good on early counting and calculating devices: primitive tally sticks, the knotted cords of ancient Peru, the elaborate finger symbols once used for numbers, counting boards with movable counters, and of course the abacus." — Martin Gardner, Book World

Number Words and Number Symbols: A Cultural History of Numbers

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Product Details

Paperback: 510 pages
Publisher: Dover Publications; Reprint edition (November 24, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0486270963
ISBN-13: 978-0486270968
Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.5 x 1.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #959,300 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #118 in Books > Science & Math > Mathematics > Number Systems
- #775 in Books > Science & Math > Mathematics > History

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28 of 30 people found the following review helpful

A bit stilted and dense, but fascinating nevertheless

By Jvstin VINE VOICE on December 21, 1999

Format: Paperback

Number Words and Number Symbols is a translation of a work originally in German, and it shows. While the discussions of the origins of various cultures and languages' symbols and words for numbers is almost encylopedic in its completion, it can be very stilted reading at times.
If you don't mind sometimes long and verbose reading, then this is certainly one of the best works on the subject out there. I would quibble that Menninger gives the East less coverage than the West, but his comparisons of number words across Indo-European languages is simply fascinating. Also, too are his theories about how the displacement of one language by another in a region can often lead to weird anomalies in number counting.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Elucidates the Forgotten History behind Mathematical Numbers

By Magickal Merlin on August 22, 2007

Format: Paperback Verified Purchase

This book is great for anyone interested in the human history of our counting numbers.Every aspect of global cultural numbers is covered in this awesome book.From the dawn of the human race to the brillant Renaissanse mathematicans and Asian use of spoken nuncupative numbers,this book explains every meaning behind the development of number language systems.There are excellent foreign phrases and words about numbers explained here.We're the only animated being on the planet that records,measures and quantifies units.This is the best tome on why and how all the ancient cultures developed their own unique number symbols and how they evolved,merged or became extinct.If you're a modern numerator who always wondered about the historical meanings and progress of numbers,this book has a jillion examples.

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A no frills, no fluffy bunny explanation of number theory

By Julie Ann Dawson VINE VOICE on June 3, 2005

Format: Paperback

If you have a serious interest the theories and cultural symbolism of numbers, this is a solid and still accurate resource. Though originally published in 1969, this book is a well-researched and clear overview of the ideas and concepts behind numerology and number symbolism. Unlike most stuff published today, this books isn't some "solve all your problems with numbers!" collection of nonsense, but an insightful outlook on the origins of number symbolism.

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Numbers

By charles on May 31, 2014

Format: Paperback Verified Purchase

This is one of the most detailed books i have ever come across that has put the history of numbers together in so much detail. My great admiration for a job well done.

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