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Dear wofahulicodoc: that definition was the one given by the Scripps-Howard people My dictionary gives: echinus n., pl. e[chi4ni# 73nj#8 5L < Gr echinos < IE *eDhinos, of snakes < base *eDhi3, snake6 1 SEA URCHIN 2 Archit. a) molding under the abacus of the capital of a Doric column b) any of several similar moldings
And now, what in hell is the "abacus" of the capital? Not a calculating device for sure.
abacus n., pl. ab$a[cus[es 73iz8 or ab$a[ci# 73sj#8 1 a frame with beads or balls that can be slid on wires or in slots, for doing or teaching arithmetic 2 Archit. a slab forming the uppermost part of the capital of a column
Can't fi;gure out why same name used for the two things, They sure don't look alike. Hey, Faldage: please clear this up.
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Then were those things that looked like small blocks in a row so called by analogy to the calculating board? Which would you think came first?
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...the Japanese call it a "soroban." For what it's worth. The one I've seen has Two rows of beads above the bar. I think most versions have only one. For what is probably more information than anyone wants, try http://www.hellgate.k12.mt.us/bldg1/abacus/page1.htmfor starters. EDIT: Then again, maybe not. But for instructions on how to use the gizmo, by whichever name, try http://www.ee.ryerson.ca:8080/~elf/abacus/leeabacus/POST-EDIT EDIT: Do we know the origin of "gizmo" ?
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The floor plan for the Japanese abacus (soroban) is one bead above, four beads below. The floor plan for the Chinese abacus (ch'uan pan) is two beads above, five below. The user's manual I had for my soroban said that the fifth bead was "of practical use but abstract convenience." I always suspected that line of having a bit of a typo in it or possibly just a bad translation (the opening line was "Soroban Japanese calculator are very much simply constructed"). The Chinese abacus is normally built on a larger scale than the Japanese.
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In the days of four-bangers, I remember reading that skilled abacus operators could compete rather succesfully with uses of electronic calculators. I'm glad I didn't have to learn abacus. I never even got really skilled with slipstick.
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The floor plan for the Japanese abacus (soroban) is one bead above, four beads below. The floor plan for the Chinese abacus (ch'uan pan) is two beads above, five below.
Um. Well then. I always assumed NEVER ASSUME ANYTHING !! that "abacus" was Chinese word, and that the Japanese "translation" was "soroban." 'Taint so, I see.
Now if the Chinese abacus is a ch'uan pan, and the Japanese abacus is a soroban, then where did the word "abacus," meaning a calculating machine, come from in the first place? Latin, after all?
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Yes, I saw that, it's just that the association of board = calculation-device doesn't come across as clearly as calculi(stones) = calculation-device does.
Must be some kind of figure/ground issue.
(edit 1/19/03: the "figure" is the stones the "ground" is the board they're on)
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the association of board = calculation-device
AHD seems to suggest that the calculation board and the general meaning came into Latin together and the specific meaning of the slab at the top of an architectural column was a derived meaning from the general meaning. They put it back through the Greek abax meaning slab, mathematical table, drawing board covered with dust and originally from the Hebrew 'abhaq, dust.
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