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Handoutabjad 1

1. The document introduces the abjad numeral system used in Arabic and other languages, where letters of the alphabet represent numbers. It provides exercises to practice converting between abjad and normal numerals. 2. The exercises guide the reader through an example 17th century astrolabe, having them identify and transcribe abjad numerals on different components into normal numerals. 3. In addition to practicing abjad numerals, the exercises expose the reader to historical astronomical instruments and techniques used by Islamic scientists.

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54 views2 pages

Handoutabjad 1

1. The document introduces the abjad numeral system used in Arabic and other languages, where letters of the alphabet represent numbers. It provides exercises to practice converting between abjad and normal numerals. 2. The exercises guide the reader through an example 17th century astrolabe, having them identify and transcribe abjad numerals on different components into normal numerals. 3. In addition to practicing abjad numerals, the exercises expose the reader to historical astronomical instruments and techniques used by Islamic scientists.

Uploaded by

madasws
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Handout for the Workshop Abjad-numerals.

Mathematics Depart-
ment, Utrecht University.

1. The principle in the normal alphabet. We give the letters of the


alphabet a numerical value as follows:

a=1 b=2 j=3 d=4 h=5 w=6 z=7 H=8 t=9


i=10 k=20 `=30 m=40 n=50 s = 60 e = 70 f = 80 c = 90
q = 100 r = 200 x = 300

To write 11 in abjad, we first write the letter for 10 and then the letter
for 1, thus: ia, but not ai; ”123” will be qkj, not jkq or kjq etc. There is
no letter corresponding to zero, so “202” = rb.
Exercise 1: Translate the abjad-numbers: nw, `d, fa, xmh, xit, qH,
rc, e.
Exercise 2: Write in abjad: 24, 258, 307, 130.

2. The Arabic alphabet. The same principle was used for Arabic
letters. Note that every Arabic letter has at most four shapes: a shape when
it is isolated, and three shapes in the beginning, middle or end of a word.
We put
1 = alif, 2 = ba, 3 = jim, 4 = dal, 5 = ha, 6 = waw, 7 = zay, 8 = h.a (sharp
h), 9 = t.a,
10 = ya, 20 = kaf, 30 = lam, 40 = mim, 50 = nun, 60 = sin, 70= ayn, 80 =
fa, 90 = s.ad, 100 = qaf, 200 = ra, 300 = shin, etc.

The system is often called “abjad”; this artificial word is a way to me-
morize ”1, 2, 3, 4 (alif + ba + jim + dal)

1. Table of the numbers 1-91 in abjad


(0) 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
name i= ya k= kaf `=lam m= mim n=nun s=sin e=ayn f=fa c= s.ad
(+0) ø ¼ È Ð à € ¨ ¬ 
+1 a=alif @' AK A» B AÓ AK Aƒ A« A¯ A“
+2 b=ba H IK I» IË IÓ IK Iƒ I« I¯

+3 j= jim k m' m» mÌ m× m' m … j« m¯
+4 d=dal X YK Y» YË YÓ YK Yƒ Y« Y¯
+5 h=ha è éK é» éË éÓ éK éƒ é« é¯
+6 w=waw ð ñK ñ» ñË ñÓ ñK ñƒ ñ« ñ¯
+7 z=zay P QK Q» QË QÓ QK Qå… Q« Q¯

+8 H=h.a h l' l» lÌ l× l' l… i« l¯
+9 t= t.a   ¡ ¡» ¡Ë ¡Ó ¡ ¡ƒ ¡« ¡¯

1

Hundreds: qaf= † =100, ra=P=200, shin= €=300. We first write the hun-
dreds, then the teens, then the units. Example: 123=qkj = jº¯.

Exercise 3: In the table on this page, locate the shapes of the following
letters, when they are isolated:
1 = alif, 2 = ba, 3 = jim, 4 = dal, 5 = ha, 6 = waw, 7 = zay, 8 = h.a,
9 = t.a, 10 = ya, 20 = kaf, 30 = lam, 40 = mim, 50 = nun, 60 = sin,
70= ayn, 80 = fa, 90 = s.ad.
Exercise 4: Now look at the numbers “11” and “12” in the table. Try
to find the beginning shape of ya and the end shapes of alif and ba. (If you
know Arabic, do you find a difference with normal Arabic?)
Exercise 5: Same questions for the other numbers - what are the initial
forms of kaf, lam, mim, nun, sin, ayn, fa, s.ad? What are the final shapes of
jim, dal, ha, waw, zay, h.a, t.a?
Exercise 6: Your first exercise in writing Arabic: As you see, the places
for the numbers “92” through ”99” are empty in the table. Use your pencil
to write these numbers in the table in the abjad system!

We have provided you with coloured copies of the front side (1), a plate
(2), the star map (3) and the back side (4) of a brass astrolabe made in
17th-century Pakistan.
Exercise 7: On page 1, try to read all the abjad numbers in the circle on
the outside of the instrument. Work clockwise and begin at the little vertical
line near the top of the instrument. Use your pencil to write the numbers in
their usual form on the paper, next to the abjad numbers.
Exercise 8: try to read as many abjad numbers as possible on page

2. Only four words are not nmbers: left †Qå„ÖÏ @= East; middle QªË@ = the
geographical latitude, éKA«Aƒ, which means number of hours between sunrise
and sunset on the longest day (June 21) at this geographical latitude (the
number is hours and minutes); right side H . QªÖ Ï @=West. Again, try to write
the numbers in pencil on the paper.
Exercise 9: try to read as many abjad numbers as possible on page 4,
the back of the astrolabe and write all the numbers which you have found in
pencil. There are many Arabic words which are not numbers.
Exercise 10: can you find abjad numbers on page 3, the star map? (this
is tricky)
Continuation of the workshop: Astronomers in the Islamic scientific
tradition also wrote the values of trigonometrical functions in abjad, using
the sexagesimal number system. If you want to know more about this and
want to practice, ask one of the assistants, or visit the webpage
https://www.jphogendijk.nl/talks/sinus.html

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