Reply To: Reverse page numbering

Off topic for a moment… on the question of “Arabic” vs. “Latin” numbers.

Here in the West, we usually call the digits 1, 2, 3, and so on (normal, western numbers) “Arabic numerals.” So I asked someone who knows some Arabic what they call the numbers ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?. (I have no idea if those numerals will show up in this forum!) The answer was: The numbers used in Arabic-language publications (and on license plates and so on) are not Arabic, but actually Farsi. The numbers that we use in the West are Arabic, but Arabs chose some time ago not to use them because they were Western…?

Wikipedia indicates that these numerals are “Eastern Arabic numerals” and in another post notes that these numerals are similar but not identical to Persian.

Hm. I think the only solution is to switch back to roman numerals for everything…