In ancient Russia , Slavic numbers were used for counting and recording. In this counting system, symbols were used in sequential alphabetical order. In many ways, it is similar to the Greek system of writing digital characters. Slavic numbers are a designation of numbers using letters of ancient alphabets - Cyrillic and Glagolitic.
Titlo - special designation
Many ancient peoples used letters from their alphabets to write numbers. Slavs were no exception. They designated Slavic numbers with letters from the Cyrillic alphabet.
In order to distinguish a letter from a number, a special icon was used - titlo. All Slavic numbers had it above the letter. The symbol is written on top and is a wavy line. As an example, the image of the first three numbers in the Old Slavonic designation is given.
This sign is used in other ancient counting systems. It only slightly changes its shape. Initially, this type of designation came from Cyril and Methodius, since they developed our alphabet on the basis of Greek. Titlo was written both with more rounded edges, and with sharp ones. Both options were considered correct and were used everywhere.
Features of the designation of numbers
The numbers on the letter were marked from left to right. The exception was numbers from "11" to "19". They were written from right to left. Historically, this has been preserved in the names of modern numerals ( one-on-twenty, two-on-twenty , etc., that is, the first is a letter denoting units, the second is dozens). Each letter of the alphabet designated numbers from 1 to 9, from 10 to 90, from 100 to 900.
Not all letters of the Slavic alphabet were used to indicate numbers. So, “F” and “B” were not used for numbering. They simply were not in the Greek alphabet, which was adopted as a model). Also, the countdown began with unity, and not with the usual zero for us.
Sometimes a mixed numeration system was used on coins - from Cyrillic and Arabic letters. Most often, only lowercase letters were used.
When Slavic symbols from the alphabet indicate numbers, some of them change their configuration. For example, the letter "i" in this case is written without a dot with the sign "titlo" and means 10. The number 400 could be written in two ways, depending on the geographical location of the monastery. So, in the old Russian printed chronicles, the use of the letter "ika" is characteristic of this figure, and in the old Ukrainian - "izitsa".
What are Slavic numbers?
Our ancestors, using special notation, wrote dates and necessary numbers in annals, documents, coins, letters. Complex numbers up to 999 are indicated by several letters in a row under the common sign "titlo". For example, 743 in a letter was indicated by the following letters:
- Z (earth) - "7";
- D (good) - "4";
- G (verb) - "3".
All these letters were combined under a common icon.
Slavic numbers that indicated a number greater than 1000 were written with the special sign . He was put in front of the desired letter with a title. If it was necessary to write a numeral more than 10,000, special signs were used:
- "Az" in the circle - 10,000 (darkness);
- "Az" in a circle of dots - 100 000 (legion);
- "Az" in a circle consisting of commas - 1 000 000 (leodre).
A letter with the required numerical value is placed in these circles.
Examples of the use of Slavic numbers
Such a designation could be found in documentation and on ancient coins. The first such numbers can be seen on Peter's silver coins in 1699. With this designation they were minted for 23 years. These coins now belong to rarities and are very much appreciated among collectors.
Symbols were stuffed on gold coins for 6 years, since 1701. Coins from copper with Slavic figures were in use from 1700 to 1721.
In ancient times, the church had a huge impact on politics and the life of society as a whole. Church Slavonic figures were also used to record orders and annals. They were indicated on the letter by the same principle.
Children were also taught at churches. Therefore, the children studied spelling and counting precisely from publications and annals using Church Slavonic letters and numbers. This training was not easy enough, as the designation of large numbers by several letters needed to be simply memorized.
All sovereign decrees were also written using Slavic numbers. The clerks of that time were obliged not only to know by heart the entire alphabet of the Glagolitic and Cyrillic letters, but also the designation of absolutely all numbers and the rules for writing them. Ordinary residents of the state were often unscientific to this, because literacy was the privilege of very few.