Saturday, January 6, 2018

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.


2 comments:

  1. Hello Ted

    same corrections on the sentences:

    Il sistema di numerazione è estremamente antico*.
    * In this case "Old" is better translate as "antico" (ancient)

    I Sumeri hanno creato* un sistema numerico circa 4.000 anni fa.
    *"I Sumeri" are third person plural, so the verb must be conjugate for the third person plural = I sumeri hanno creato / or I Sumeri crearono..

    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.)
    In this way is more fluent in Italian.

    Have a nice day
    Mik

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the comments and corrections, Mik. I have made the updates on the post. ~Ted

      Delete

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