The Hindu-Arabic Numerals c6.119

c6.119

While the relation to ancient Bactrian forms has been generally doubted, it is agreed that most of the numerals resemble Brāhmī letters, and we would naturally expect them to be initials.³ But, knowing the ancient pronunciation of most of the number names,⁴ we find this not to be the case. We next fall back upon the hypothesis that they represent the order of letters¹ in the ancient alphabet. From what we know of this order, however, there seems also no basis for this assumption. We have, therefore, to confess that we are not certain that the numerals were alphabetic at all, and if they were alphabetic we have no evidence at present as to the basis of selection. The later forms may possibly have been alphabetical expressions of certain syllables called *akṣaras*, which possessed in Sanskrit fixed numerical values,² but this is equally uncertain with the rest. Bayley also thought³ that some of the forms were Phœnician, as notably the use of a circle for twenty, but the resemblance is in general too remote to be convincing.