Thinking on Paper: Hindu-Arabic Numerals in European Typography

Abstract

Western typography involves the 26 letters, punctuation marks and numerals as a whole "expanded alphabet." Between the eleventh and sixteenth centuries the Hindu-Arabic numerals entered that alphabet, causing greater numeracy, much like the growth in literacy during that period. Europeans had to overcome ignorance and prejudice toward a "foreign" number system, but also had to adapt the numerals’ visual forms to fit in with their existing alphabet. Westerners were finally able to work out calculations "on paper," which helped Europe move from a primarily oral to modern graphical culture. While the numerals we use today remain residually "foreign" in some ways, their introduction involves a significant part of the history of Western typography.