Numerals

My understanding of Arabic script is very limited.  Well it’s worse than very limited.  The only word I can recognize is telephone, but I do know the numerals 0 to 9.  They are actually quite easy to recognize.

One (1) looks like a          ١

Two (2) looks like a backwards 7 with two points on top ٢

Three (3) looks the same as two but has three points on top       ٣

Four (4) looks like the letter E       ٤

Five (5) looks like a slightly pinched zero     ٥

Six (6) looks like 7             ٦

Seven (7) looks like a V  ٧

Eight (8) looks like an inverted V       ٨

Nine (9) looks the same        ٩

Zero is represented by a dot     ٠

Of course the similarities are no coincidence.  No; the Arabs didn’t copy the numerals from the west.  It was the reverse.  Until the clever Arabs invented these symbols we were using the Roman I V X and M.  And it made mathematics a rather complicated business.

Arab script is written right to left in contrast to our left to right.  However, the exception is numbers which are written left to right.  So 2014 is written ٢٠١٤ not ٤١٠٢.