The Number Zero

Day 119 of My Italian Learning Journal*

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This post is about "nothing." Actually, it's about zero. Even as a young boy I liked to figure out what Roman numerals represented. When I went to the movies I would watch for the Roman numerals in the opening credits, waiting to capture the date of the film's production. It was not until much later as an adult when I learned that the Roman numeral system did not have a "zero" and that was one of the reasons the Roman numeral system gave way to the Arabic number system. I think Roman numerals on the face of a man's wristwatch is very cool looking. The first people to use a numbering system were the Sumerians, 4,000 to 5,000 years ago. In the Americas, the Mayans developed zero as a placeholder around A.D. 350, and they also developed a calendar that was exact. And now, the practice Italian script.

Ascolta Questo:

• Il sistema numerico è estremamente antico.
  The numerical system is extremely ancient.

• I Sumeri hanno creato un sistema numerico circa 4.000 anni fa.
  The Sumerians created a numerical system around 4,000 years ago.

• L'antico sistema di numeri romani non aveva lo zero.
  The ancient Roman numerical system did not have the zero.

• Oggi il sistema numerico più diffuso è quello che utilizza la numerazione indo-arabica.
  Today the most widespread numerical system is the one that uses the Indo-Arabic numeration.

[ Grazie a mikael-sixsix ]

Alla prossima!

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*Note: This is my personal journal of daily practice in learning Italian. I welcome Italian grammar corrections. Grazie.