Vol. VII, No. 11.] References to Indian Mathematics. 81l 
{N.S.] 
also be noted that the symbols of Boethius were given in his 
geometry and not in his arithmetic, and we may refer to the 
famous ‘geometrical number’ of Plato! and to the Hebrew 
gematria. . 
There is an instructive point about this last. Until quite 
recent!y scholars derived the word from the Greek grammateia 
simply because they could not conceive how the term * geome- 
trical’ could be applied to the system. Here is a recent 
authoritative statement * on the meaning of the term: 
cal value when added. 
The Arabic words hindaz, hindazat, hindasi, etc. mean 
‘a measure,’ ‘geometry,’ ‘architecture.’ According to Whish 4 
the term hindasi was often used by the Arabs to designate 
especially an alphabetic notation. According to the Burhan-i- 
kati (Calcutta 1818) the term ‘‘ Hindisah signifies measure and 
re. It is also applied to the numerals which are here writ- 
ten below the corresponding words :—’’ 
usbo 3 a osu! 
1°49A ve err! 
Surely if it was intended that the word hindisah should be 
connected with the word ‘Indian’ the Hindu and not the 
Arabic forms would have here been given. 
The words handasi, etc. are said to be derived from the 
Persian andaza which means ‘a measure,’ ‘a quantity,’ 
‘proportion.’ This derivation is given in modern dictionaries, 
but it was also given by the great lexicographer Firozabadi 
). 
Another fact worthy of note is that the terms Aindi and 
hindasi were applied to other notations that never were em- 
1 Republic VIII 645-547. 
2 New English Dictionary. 
8 Journal Asiatique, 1835, p. 117. 
4 Journal Asiatique, 1863, p. 490. 
