ARMENIAN NAMES OF NUMBERS, OLDEST UNITS OF MEASUREMENT, ORIGIN OF THE SEXAGESIMAL SYSTEM
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24234/scientific.v2i49.214Keywords:
me, number, sexagesimal system, bread, emmer, mathematics, Armenian Highlands, Armenian language, SumerianAbstract
Studies on the sexagesimal numeral system conducted so far have failed to provide convincing answers as to why this specific system was adopted for calculations. There remains a lack of clarity on why 60 was chosen as the system’s base having no obvious manifestations in nature.
This study proposes a compelling hypothesis regarding the origin of the base-60 system, a hypothesis that could only be unveiled through the lens of the Armenian living language and cultural context. It demonstrates that the sexagesimal system emerged from using emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccum), the first cultivated grain, as the foundational unit of calculation. It shows that the base-60 system was not created merely for everyday mathematical calculations for which base-10 would be more practical but rather served as a humanistic framework. Its purpose was to teach people how to engage in agriculture, cultivate grain, produce bread, and consume it encompassing nearly all the secrets of daily bread-making.
The hypothesis of an Armenian origin for the base-60 system is further supported by analysis of measurement units used during the first half of the 3rd millennium BCE. This analysis reveals fascinating details about ancient culture.
The study also examines the primary numeral terms and measurement units in Armenian, offering interpretations of their etymological logi
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