Roman numerals
Revision as of 01:52, 31 October 2006 by I_like_pie (talk | contribs)
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1 - I (unus)
5 - V (quinque)
10 - X (decem)
50 - L
100 - C (centum)
500 - D
1000 - M (mille)
Numbers are written as combinations of letters. Letters are written from biggest to smallest value. Instead of writing IIII for 4, IV is used. To "subtract," a smaller-value letter is placed before a larger-value letter. This done to make numbers smaller (e.g. IX instead of VIIII).
History
The ancient Romans developed a numeration system 3000 years ago. This system, now known as Roman numerals, lasted several centuries as the main numeration system. Today, Roman numerals are still used, but not as much as they were 3000 years ago.
Examples
513 - DXIII
99 - IC
2006 - MMVI
