Where and When Did the Symbols "+" and "–" Originate?

Re:Where and When Did the Symbols "+" and "–" Originate? by recuter on Wednesday March 13, 2013 @08:37AM (#5367982)

I have an uncomfortable memory of my 1st grade teacher showing this to us and me refusing to go along with what I insisted was an irrational superstition. I didn't understand the context or what her old age meant.

Similarly, I was shocked as a kid when I visited the US and saw apartment buildings skip the 13th floor numbering.

People are weird.

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Re:Where and When Did the Symbols "+" and "–" Originate? by ghc on Wednesday March 13, 2013 @08:50AM (#5368009)

Similarly, in Japan one pronunciation of 4 is also the word for death, so it's frequently omitted.

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Re:Where and When Did the Symbols "+" and "–" Originate? by rucker on Wednesday March 13, 2013 @10:07AM (#5368411)

This is also true in China (at least in Mandarin-speaking regions, I don't know about Cantonese or other dialects).

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Re:Where and When Did the Symbols "+" and "–" Originate? by hcolomb on Wednesday March 13, 2013 @03:13PM (#5370463)

Also in Korea because of the Sino-Korean word for 4.

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Re:Where and When Did the Symbols "+" and "–" Originate? by oftenwrong on Wednesday March 13, 2013 @03:39PM (#5370623)

The Japanese pronunciation in question is the Chinese-derived pronunciation for both 四 and 死.

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