Michael Moore wrote in news:Ho96D2.Do5@campus-news-
reading.utoronto.ca:

I see that I have much to learn.



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