Re: Hangzhao numerals

From: Scott Horne (shorne@metaphasetech.com)
Date: Tue Sep 07 1999 - 13:53:47 EDT


They are used in arithmetic, the keeping of accounts, and similar
endeavours. Today they have largely been displaced by the
Hindu-Arabic numerals.

In Putonghua (standard Chinese), they are called _Su1zhou1 ma3zi4_
`Suzhou numerals'.

Scott Horne

Tom Emerson wrote:
>
> Unicode 2.1 contains what it calls the "Hangzhou numerals" in the range
> U+3021 -- U+3029 (with three more added in Unicode 3.0).
>
> I'm wondering if someone could explain what the "Hangzhou numerals" actually
> are/were: what is their origin?
> When/how were/are they used? About all I know is that Hangzhao is the
> capital of Zhejiang province.
>
> I looked in Daniels' and Bright's "The World's Writing Systems" but didn't
> see these characters in the chapters on Chinese or numerals.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> -tree
>
> --
> Tom Emerson Basis Technology Corp.
> Language Hacker http://www.basistech.com
> "Beware the lollipop of mediocrity: lick it once and you suck forever"



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