How come Arabic language is written left to right (like Hebrew) but Arabs write numbers right to left (same as European languages)?

David Dreaming Bear, Horsethief Canyon, California USA

• It could be said that we actually write numbers from right to left. Take the number 134 for example. You right the hundreds first(1) followed by the tens(3) followed by the units (4). Surely it would make more sense to follow our left to right rule and write the units first followed by the tens etc - 431.

  Tom,

• Surely you mean Arabic is written right to left (like Hebrew)? However I have no idea why this is.

  Tom, Bristol England

• Ignoring the errors in the question (Arabic is written from RIGHT to LEFT, not vice versa), the confusion here comes from the questioner assuming that numbers 'go' in a particular direction. We are used to thinking of them in terms of hundreds, tens and then ones simply because the rest of our writing goes from left to right. There is no reason not to think of them 'going' from right to left starting with the units. Indeed, this is the order that an Arab mathematician would write them in. Remember that our numeral system is borrowed virtually wholesale from the Arabs (hence the term 'Arabic' numerals, to contrast with the cumbersome Roman system). So the question would make more sense if it were to ask why WE write numbers in a different direction to the rest of our writing, rather than the Arabs, who invented them. But it's best to think of a number as not going in any direction at all.

  Nick Hare, London Europe

• All these answers ignore the fact that the numerals originated in India, not Arabia. The Indians right from right to left, so there numbers go from right to left. The Arabs adopted the numbers after they'd established their writing system. So now they write their letters from left to right, and their numbers from right to left.

  Barnaby, Edinburgh UK

• Actually, it is correct that the Arabic numeric system was invented in India and later adopted by Arabs that passed the system to Europeans who unknowingly coined it "Arabic". Incidentally, numbers written in Arabic are not ideal and when trying to type a telephone number in the middle of Arabic text, the application plays havoc and it is almost impossible to type it in the correct order. One has to type the phone number then the area code... not very intuitive and rather clumsy. There is no solution, whether writing western Arabic numerals or current Eastern Arabic numerals, the same problem in typing order exists.

  Lewis Naim, Lincoln UK

• I know the reason why Arabs write numerals from Left to right. Because this convention was borrowed from ancient India where Sanskrit & Brahmi characters were written from Left to right i.e.: all the texts and numerals are from left to right. In arabic this creates a confusion as one reads Arabic (and also Urdu, which I understand) text from right and in between when it comes to reading numerals one swithes the direction of reading. Well, I do not know why Arabic, or for that matter Hebrew or Persian, are written from Right to left.

  Mayur Gori, Mumbai India

• The question is still open as "Why". Every one is writing their theory summarized question. The answer we need is for "Why they have two different directions for words and numbers?"

  Khuzaima, San Jose USA