piggy-back

Soliloquy wrote:

Clock trivia, notice the display on clocks that use Roman numerals.
It goes I, II, III, IIII, IV, V, VI, VII, IX, X, XI, XII. Standard
Roman numerals denote IIII as IV. The Non-Standard application above
is used to keep symmetry in the display, keeping the character use in
units of 4. (4 all Is, 4 with Vs, 4 with Xs) Not all clock with Roman
numerals use this system, but the use is widespread..

Although the IIII may add to symmetry of clock dials, this form of the
number does have historical precedent going back to the early Romans,
Etruscans, and the Hittites -- same for using VIIII for 9 (an 'additive'
system was a constant in early Roman numeration). The IV form (a
'subtractive' system) was probable adopted later. Consider for example
that it was not until the middle of the fifteenth century that the first
documented cases of the use of IX for 9 occur. The first use of the IV
was noted in the Middle Ages (?).

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M2