Abacus[]
Noun
Definition[]
- A very old type of calculator, which uses beads on a rod to count. The abacus is one of the oldest types of counting system ever.
Other Information[]
Who invented the abacus?[]
There have been many different variations on abacuses for thousands of years, but the modern day abacus comes from China, in around 1600 AD[1].
The original abacus (Etymology)[]
The original abacus was actually just a board of sand which people could write numbers and calculations on[2]. This shows the importance of Etymology: the word "abacus" only became used in the context of counting frame as recently as the 17th Century.