Definition of numeral

The term "numeral" refers to a symbol or word that represents a particular number in a number system. The origin of this word can be traced back to the Latin word "numeralis", which translates literally to "pertaining to number". During the Middle Ages, the term "numeral" was used to refer specifically to the digits used in a counting system, such as the Arabic numerals that we still use today. However, it came to be more broadly applied to any symbol or word used to represent a number, including the Latin numerals (I, V, X, L, C, D, M) that were used before the Arabic numerals became prevalent in Europe. The English word "numeral" is believed to have originated from the Old French word "nombre", which itself came from the Latin "numerus". The word "nombre" was used widely in medieval French, and many English mathematical terms from this time still have Latin or French origins. So, to summarize, the word "numeral" derives from the Latin word "numeralis", and its modern meaning can be traced back to the medieval use of the term to refer to specific symbols or words used to represent numbers.