[NTG-context] %18 or 18% : incorrect placement of the percentage sign ?

[Hans Hagen]

Idris Samawi Hamid wrote:
> On Thu, 31 Jan 2008 15:35:35 -0700, Peter Münster <pmlists at free.fr> wrote:
> 
>> On Thu, Jan 31 2008, Steffen Wolfrum wrote:
>>> Any native arabic speaker out there? Is it %18 or 18% ??
>> Hello,
>>
>> I don't know nothing about Arabic script, but wouldn't it be logic to ask
>> for "%81 or 18%" ?
> 
> Hmm, this could be a long discussion...

sure, but interesting (summary should be part of your arab typesetting 
paper)

> In ancient times, Arabic numerals (whence our own) were pronounced as  
> follows (translation):
> 
> 1234 => "4 and 30 and 2 hundred and a thousand"

aha, makes sense

maybe it's also related to the fact that nowadays we see more numbers, 
and have learned to see them 'as a whole' and not as a systematic sequence

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