Background and Cultural Numbers
A digit is a single symbol 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. These symbols express the value of numbers.
Numbers are about quantity. They are used in counting and showing order. They are also used for making mathematical calculations and used for identification.
Numerals are symbols, like digits, or groups of symbols or digits referring to a number.
Historical examples of numerals
Visit a web page for Historical Examples of Numerals
List of numeral systems – Wikipedia accessed and available online March 24, 2025.
Modern Digit Examples
| Symbol | Used with scripts | Numerals | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | many | Hindu-Arabic numerals |
| 𑁦 | 𑁧 | 𑁨 | 𑁩 | 𑁪 | 𑁫 | 𑁬 | 𑁭 | 𑁮 | 𑁯 | Brahmi | Brahmi numerals |
| ० | १ | २ | ३ | ४ | ५ | ६ | ७ | ८ | ९ | Devanagari | Devanagari numerals |
| ০ | ১ | ২ | ৩ | ৪ | ৫ | ৬ | ৭ | ৮ | ৯ | Bengali–Assamese | Bengali numerals |
| ੦ | ੧ | ੨ | ੩ | ੪ | ੫ | ੬ | ੭ | ੮ | ੯ | Gurmukhi | Gurmukhi numerals |
| ૦ | ૧ | ૨ | ૩ | ૪ | ૫ | ૬ | ૭ | ૮ | ૯ | Gujarati | Gujarati numerals |
| ୦ | ୧ | ୨ | ୩ | ୪ | ୫ | ୬ | ୭ | ୮ | ୯ | Odia | Odia numerals |
| ᱐ | ᱑ | ᱒ | ᱓ | ᱔ | ᱕ | ᱖ | ᱗ | ᱘ | ᱙ | Santali | Santali numerals |
| ௦ | ௧ | ௨ | ௩ | ௪ | ௫ | ௬ | ௭ | ௮ | ௯ | Tamil | Tamil numerals |
| ౦ | ౧ | ౨ | ౩ | ౪ | ౫ | ౬ | ౭ | ౮ | ౯ | Telugu | Telugu script § Numerals |
| ೦ | ೧ | ೨ | ೩ | ೪ | ೫ | ೬ | ೭ | ೮ | ೯ | Kannada | Kannada script § Numerals |
| ൦ | ൧ | ൨ | ൩ | ൪ | ൫ | ൬ | ൭ | ൮ | ൯ | Malayalam | Malayalam numerals |
| ෦ | ෧ | ෨ | ෩ | ෪ | ෫ | ෬ | ෭ | ෮ | ෯ | Sinhala | Sinhala numerals |
| ၀ | ၁ | ၂ | ၃ | ၄ | ၅ | ၆ | ၇ | ၈ | ၉ | Burmese | Burmese numerals |
| ༠ | ༡ | ༢ | ༣ | ༤ | ༥ | ༦ | ༧ | ༨ | ༩ | Tibetan | Tibetan numerals |
| ᠐ | ᠑ | ᠒ | ᠓ | ᠔ | ᠕ | ᠖ | ᠗ | ᠘ | ᠙ | Mongolian | Mongolian numerals |
| ០ | ១ | ២ | ៣ | ៤ | ៥ | ៦ | ៧ | ៨ | ៩ | Khmer | Khmer numerals |
| ๐ | ๑ | ๒ | ๓ | ๔ | ๕ | ๖ | ๗ | ๘ | ๙ | Thai | Thai numerals |
| ໐ | ໑ | ໒ | ໓ | ໔ | ໕ | ໖ | ໗ | ໘ | ໙ | Lao | Lao script § Numerals |
| ꧐ | ꧑ | ꧒ | ꧓ | ꧔ | ꧕ | ꧖ | ꧗ | ꧘ | ꧙ | Javanese | Javanese numerals |
| ٠ | ١ | ٢ | ٣ | ٤ | ٥ | ٦ | ٧ | ٨ | ٩ | Arabic | Eastern Arabic numerals |
| ۰ | ۱ | ۲ | ۳ | ۴ | ۵ | ۶ | ۷ | ۸ | ۹ | Persian / Dari / Pashto | |
| ۰ | ۱ | ۲ | ۳ | ۴ | ۵ | ۶ | ۷ | ۸ | ۹ | Urdu / Shahmukhi | |
| – | ፩ | ፪ | ፫ | ፬ | ፭ | ፮ | ፯ | ፰ | ፱ | Ethio-Semitic | Ge’ez numerals |
| 〇 | 一 | 二 | 三 | 四 | 五 | 六 | 七 | 八 | 九 | East Asia | Chinese numerals |
Do you see the numerals from your culture in the list above?
Video
Watch this 5:07 Ted-Ed A brief history of numerical systems – Alessandra King January 19, 2017.
Chart: Wikipedia. 2024. Arabic Numerals. Available and accessed at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_numerals#:~:text=The%20ten%20Arabic%20numerals%200,systems%20such%20as%20Roman%20numerals. 19 January 2024.
and List of numeral systems – Wikipedia accessed and available 1 January 2025.
