That's right, numbers are Arabic. I don't mean that in a sweeping generalization like Arabic people have some sort of monopoly on systems of counting, but that the characters we use for numbers (1,2,3, etc.) originate from Arabic. At some point along the way Arabic speakers had an exchange with Europeans in which the number system we are familiar with today was introduced. Nowadays the numeric system used by native Arabic speakers is the Hindu numeric system.
In my last post, I focused a lot about how I can see the effects from America in everyday life here, but obviously the reverse is true. Whether it's numbers, or musical instruments, cultural exchange has not been a one way street. This constant blending and trading of ideas undoubtedly effects the world around us. Just try and imagine America without numbers, or without violins.
The strange thing is often times the effects of the Arab world are talked about as past occurrences. I have a vague memory of reading about the inventions and impacts of the Ottoman Empire in my seventh grade Social Studies class. Even this faint memory is simply of what has happened in the past, and not the power of what is being exchanged now.
With increasing interdependence on the world, it is impossible to live isolated. Whether through regular diplomatic ties, tourism, periods of oil dependence, or various other reasons, ideas have gentlely drifted between America and the Middle East through a sort of osmosis. Often times these are things we don't recognize on a daily basis. The creation of new ways to extract resources, the exploration of desalination as a means to more fresh water, or new hijab fashion trends. There are countless unseen ways my way of life in America was influenced by forces unseen, and one of the things I'm excited about is heading back with a heightened awareness of how people halfway around the globe have enriched my life.
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