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The numerals used in various languages, living and extinct, show their origins in stroke marks or scores (cuts), like the Chinese , and early forms of some Hindu-Arabic-European numerals.

The numerals used in various languages, living and extinct, show their origins in stroke marks or scores (cuts), like the Chinese 一二三, and early forms of some Hindu-Arabic-European numerals. The following are Kharosthi numerals, the earliest forms known from India. Kharosthi was written from right to left, like the source for its writing, Aramaic.

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Counting Rod Numerals and Mayan numerals (below) show clear indications of counting on fingers up to five, then with a whole hand for five plus fingers of the second hand, as in Roman numerals.

 

Counting Rod Numerals and Mayan numerals (below) show clear indications of counting on fingers up to five, then with a whole hand for five plus fingers of the second hand, as in Roman numerals. Kharosthi numerals indicate counting on four fingers but not the thumb. The Kharosthi numeral for 4 is very similar to X, so 7 in Kharosthi could be written (right-to-left, again) )))X.

i ii iii iiii v vi vii viii viiii

i ii iii iiii v vi vii viii viiii