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Who the fuck came up with Roman numerals?

AnonusAnonus
in General
Like, I was reading about Super Bowls on Wikipedia, and it was made apparent in one passage that two of the Minnesota Vikings' losses, in VIII and IX, were consecutive

I can discern a pattern for sure (IV is I less than V, IX is I less than X, the pattern shifts every fifth number) but it's still so odd to see in practice.

Comments

  • FossilmaidenFossilmaiden
    image Wee yea erra chs hymmnos mea.
    The Greeks.
  • Princess AlicePrincess Alice
    You are the end result of a “would you push the button” prompt where the prompt was “you have unlimited godlike powers but you appear to all and sundry to be an impetuous child” – Zero, 2022
    Then there's all sorts of weird variants like how sometimes (both historically and in modern times) people use "IIII" instead of "IV"
  • FossilmaidenFossilmaiden
    image Wee yea erra chs hymmnos mea.
    IIII was the original, then people realised "Hey, this is way too easy to mix up with III". IX used to be VIIII too.
  • TreTre
    image
    petty: choosing not to call Super Bowl 50 by its true name just because nobody wanted to take that L 
  • CalicaCalica
    Sup bitches, witches, Haters, and trolls.
    Tre said:

    petty: choosing not to call Super Bowl 50 by its true name just because nobody wanted to take that L 

    superbowll
  • AnonusAnonus
    I've learned to tolerate drama...except on the boat
    Tre said:

    petty: choosing not to call Super Bowl 50 by its true name just because nobody wanted to take that L 

    didn't carolina take it
  • BeeBee
    Fossilmaiden said:

    IIII was the original, then people realised "Hey, this is way too easy to mix up with III". IX used to be VIIII too.

    Yep, it was just adopted to cut down on visual clutter because most people's eyes start to glaze over after three small, identical glyphs.
  • UltimatumUltimatum
    I did

    As well as the queastion mark
  • vtkvtk
    embrace the confusion
    IIII is still used on clock faces because tradition, and aesthetic balance. One reason for the tradition was it enabled all the numerals I through XII to be cut from two castings of a single mold.
  • AnonusAnonus
    I've learned to tolerate drama...except on the boat
    what about V, VI, VII, and VIII?
  • TatterhoodTatterhood
    Anonus said:

    what about V, VI, VII, and VIII?

    What about them?
  • Princess AlicePrincess Alice
    edited 2019-02-10 01:25:06
    You are the end result of a “would you push the button” prompt where the prompt was “you have unlimited godlike powers but you appear to all and sundry to be an impetuous child” – Zero, 2022
    Anonus said:

    what about V, VI, VII, and VIII?

    What she means is that if you use IIII for 4 instead of IV, your final count comes to 20 I's, 4 V's, and 4 X's. Because there's an even number of each, you can make one mold with 10 I's, 2 V's, and 2 X's and cast that twice.

    If you used IV, you'd have an odd number of I's and an odd number of V's, so that wouldn't work out.
  • glennmagusharveyglennmagusharvey
    Central Avenue said:

    Anonus said:

    what about V, VI, VII, and VIII?

    What she means is that if you use IIII for 4 instead of IV, your final count comes to 20 I's, 4 V's, and 4 X's. Because there's an even number of each, you can make one mold with 10 I's, 2 V's, and 2 X's and cast that twice.

    If you used IV, you'd have an odd number of I's and an odd number of V's, so that wouldn't work out.
    I never knew this and this is really nifty.
  • AlirozAliroz
    ...And even when your hope is gone
    move along, move along, just to make it through
    (2015 self)
    1 has one angle.

    Z has two acute angles

    W has three acute angles, and looks like a sideways E which looks like a sideways 3.

    |_|
       |  has three right angles and one inverse-right angle, for four angles.

    _____
    |
    |____
            \
             \
             /
    _____/  has two right angles and three obtuse angles, for five angles.


    _____
           |
           |
    ____|
    |     |
    |     |
    |___| has six right angles, and looks like a six.

    __________
                  /
                 /
            __/__
              /
             /
            / has OH GOSH DANG IT MY THEORY IS RUINED!
  • glennmagusharveyglennmagusharvey
    put a lower serif on the 7 along with its cross and your theory is back on track

    then watch it get ruined again two numbers later
  • vtkvtk
    embrace the confusion
    VIVIIIIXXIIIII×2

    V I VIII IX XI IIII
    VI VII II X XII III
  • Sredni VashtarSredni Vashtar
    edited 2019-02-14 20:04:22
    “I'm surprised. Those clothes… but, aren't you…?”
    The question mark actually comes from an Egyptian hieroglyph meant to symbolise two curious cats' tails twitching.

    Well, possibly. More likely it's a modification of an 8th century interrogative mark similar to a tilde used by a guy named Alcuin of York.
  • UltimatumUltimatum
    i did
  • Sredni VashtarSredni Vashtar
    “I'm surprised. Those clothes… but, aren't you…?”
    Ultimatum is oooooooolllllllld.
  • Imipolex GImipolex G
    Touch the cow. Do it now.
    old as balls
  • glennmagusharveyglennmagusharvey
    Imipolex G said:

    old as balls

    but roman numerals do not include balls
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