Roman numerals
Our children are still taught Roman numerals and it’s sometimes difficult to explain why they have to learn them. I was trying to explain why to Frankie the other day. They are not used extensively – clocks, pagination and chapter numbering, major sporting events, publications, films and differentiation in hierarchies like Elizabeth II, Dalai Lama XIV, Pope Gregory XIII. Some clocks use IIII rather than IV.
I went through a phase in my teens of using Roman numerals to define the month in a date. I thought it looked nice but I didn’t use the lower case version which I think looks even better. So, today is 20.11.2023 or 20.XI.2023 or 20.xi.2023.
I suppose the American date form, which always foxes me, would be 11.20.2023 or XI.20.2023 but that just looks weird!
The basic numerals are I = 1, V = 5, X = 10, L = 50, C = 100, D = 500 and M = 1000, so we are in the year MMXXIII. To avoid writing long strings of numerals, subtraction is used. That is, a smaller numeral precedes a larger number to reduce it. So 14 is represented by XIV rather than XIIII and 19 is shown as XIX.
This site and this one give more detailed explanations. The origins of I, V, X, C and M are interesting,
I know how to read them, but have never used them myself for anything other that Henry VIII or such things like that. I've never seen IIII instead of IV. I wonder now if Australian children are taught about the Roman numerals, I think I will teach the twins when they are older.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting and fun to learn them - a little like coding!
DeleteRarely, but I have seen IIII instead of IV. The American date system drives me crazy. One day I will just smash our electronic wall clock with the American date system. I doubt the Roman figures are taught here, and many young people struggle with a normal clock face. Even if someone asks the time and I reply 'twenty two to ten', they can look bamboozled.
ReplyDeleteOur children are still taught to read analogue as well as digital time displays.
DeleteGiven that the Romans were so good at other things it always stumped me why they couldn't have adopted (it did already exist) or come up with their own numbering system that used 0 as a place marker and could be added up in columns, multiplied and divided etc. It's a system doomed to failure as it is incapable of complex math, so cannot be used to describe physical science.
ReplyDeleteYes, zero has been in use for around 4000 years. It's an interesting topic.
DeleteIt's handy to know Roman numerals for the Only Connect quiz on TV.
ReplyDeleteThe American date system always foxes me, ours it as it should be, day, month year.
ReplyDeleteI agree!
DeleteI think they they look great...Very distinctive...!
ReplyDeleteAnd l know ALL my Roman numerals....
So Richard 111 or Charles 111 becomes...
Richard the hundredth eleventh or Charles the
hundredth eleventh...! Is that right...! HeHe! :).
🎄 🦌 🎁 ⛄ 👼 🎄 🦌 🎁 ⛄ 👼 🎄 🦌 ⛄
Some would read them that way, I'm sure:-)
ReplyDeleteNo way to get that in my head at school ! Who did, was Rick ! He took me to a graveyard and explained and I understood. At least the most important ones ! Rosie settled in very well. She became the Princess of the castle and everybody wants to pet her !
ReplyDeleteI hope you're settling in happily and making friends.
ReplyDeleteI like Roman numerals on our old wall clock in the sitting room but prefer the digital readout on the kitchen and bedside clocks.
ReplyDeleteI remember as a child watching the credits roll up at the end of a TV film and trying to quickly work out the date shown in Roman numerals before they disappeared.
We still do that!
ReplyDeleteAs an American I will offer a "wee" defense (meaning why it makes sense to us): if I am asked today's date, I will reply "November 20." Therefore it seems reasonable to write it as I would say it: month first, day of the month second. I do like Roman numerals very much and definitely prefer IV to IIII.
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting, Stephanie.
DeleteI like Roman numerals, too.
I've never seen IV rendered as IIII ...
ReplyDeleteThe American date form, by the way, foxes me too. We've got an American sister company, and as we're both using different date forms, it can be quite confusing sometimes! xxx
I know I've replied to this but Blogger's done something with it . . .
ReplyDeleteI can imagine your confusion - it makes your brain ache, sometimes! x x x
I did not know they still taught them today Janice - I must ask the grandsons if they've heard of them as yet.
ReplyDeleteI struggled really hard with anything mathematical but for some reason, I really enjoyed Roman Numerals & found them easy to get my head around.
Like you, I struggled with maths but perhaps Roman numerals look more like 'reading';-)
DeleteFascinating.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteThe only use I have found for Roman Numerals is to answer crossword clues! But I do like having the knowledge in my brain.
ReplyDeleteWe in Canada have a mishmash of date forms, so 10/11/23 can be October 11 or November 10! I learned month/day/year growing up and still prefer it. A lot of it is what one is used to.
My mother lost her ability to read analog clocks somewhere in the past year. Of course, her sense of time is also failing, so it will soon not even matter anymore. She can get ready by a certain time on her own - just barely - but it requires much checking of her house phone which shows the digital time. I am glad she was used to using it before she lost so much function. It would be impossible for her to learn it now.
You're quite right that we prefer what we're used to.
ReplyDelete