The Fascinating History of Big Numbers

The video explores the fascinating history and etymology of words used for large numbers, such as hundred, thousand, myriad, lakh, crore, million, milliard, and googol. It delves into the origins of these terms, their historical usage, and how they have evolved over time. The video also highlights cultural differences in number naming, particularly in South Asia, and discusses the shift in the meaning of billion in English-speaking countries.

What was the original meaning of the word 'hundred' in old English?

• A count of one hundred and twenty

• A count of ten

• A count of one thousand

• A count of one hundred

In ancient times, what did the term 'long hundred' refer to?

• 120

• 100

• 10

• 1000

What does the word 'myriad' specifically mean in ancient Greek?

• 100

• 1000

• 10,000

• 1,000,000

Which number does the term 'lakh' represent in South Asian countries?

• 10,000

• 100,000

• 1,000,000

• 10,000,000

What is the origin of the word 'crore'?

• Greek

• French

• Latin

• Sanskrit

What was the original meaning of 'billion' in British English before the 1970s?

• A million million

• A thousand million

• A billion billion

• A hundred million

What is the term 'milliard' used to describe in some European languages?

• A million million

• A thousand million

• A million

• A thousand

What is a 'googol'?

• One followed by ten zeros

• One followed by a hundred zeros

• One followed by a thousand zeros

• One followed by a million zeros

Who is credited with inventing the term 'googol'?

• A British scientist

• The nephew of an American mathematician

• An Italian mathematician

• A Greek philosopher

What does 'googolplex' mean?

• One followed by a trillion zeros

• One followed by a billion zeros

• One followed by a million zeros

• One followed by a googol of zeros