Vol. IV, No. 6.] The Use of the thae in Ancient India. 297 
[W.S.] 
which is still further supported by the manifest derivation of all 
the European terms for this sign from the Arabic word jhe (sifr), 
which it need hardly be said i is itselfa direct and literal trans- 
lation of the Sanskrit ‘ génya.’ It has the exact intrinsic meaning, 
in fact, of siya, and since, as it has been shown, the new Arabic 
arithmetic was avowedly derived from the Indian, the derivation 
of sifr from stinya is beyond doubt ” (xv, p. 39). 
Enough has been said to show the importance attached to the 
use of the abacus in ancient India. At least the origin of our 
arithmetical notation and the development of the science of arith- 
appear to depend largely upon it. It will also be noted that 
the debt that the Arabs are said to owe to Hindu mathematicians 
is closely connected with the subject. 
ur notation was not of Indian origin, and if the Arabs did 
not derive their arithmetic from the Hindus, then the whole of the 
elaborate arguments given by the writers referred to above fall to 
the ground, Asa matter of fact the debt of the Arabs to the 
possibly the debt is on the other side; also it has been shown that 
the Indian origin of our notation is, at least, not proven (Journ. 
Asiatic Soc. Bengal, 1907, p : 
Surely, if such an saabotatiatit as the abacus were in use in 
ancient India some real evidence of its use would be forthcoming. 
dant some readers of this journal may be able to apgome such 
evidenc 
