1. Use of separators

2. Names of numbers

3. Vedic numbering systems

4. Usage in different languages

5. References

The Indian numbering system is used in the Indian subcontinent (Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) and in Burma. The terms lakh (100,000 or 1,00,000 in Indian notation) and crore (10,000,000 or 1,00,00,000)^[1] are used in Indian English to express large numbers. For example, in India 150,000 rupees is called 1.5 lakh rupees, written {{INR}}1,50,000; while 30,000,000 (thirty million) rupees is called 3 crore rupees, written {{INR}}3,00,00,000 with commas at the thousand, lakh, and crore levels; and 1,000,000,000 (one billion) rupees is called 100 crore rupees or one arab अरब, written {{INR}}1,00,00,00,000. There are also words for numbers larger than 1 crore, but these are not commonly used and unfamiliar to most speakers. In common parlance, the thousand, lakh, crore terminology repeats for larger numbers: thus 1,000,000,000,000 (one trillion) becomes 1 lakh crore, written as 10,00,00,00,00,000.

The Indian number-word system corresponds to the western system for the first six powers of ten: one, ten, one hundred, one thousand, ten thousand. For higher powers, the names no longer correspond. In the Indian system, the next powers of ten are called one lakh, ten lakh, one crore, ten crore, one hundred crore, and so on: there are the single words lakh = 10⁵ and crore = 10⁷. In the Western system, the next powers of ten are called one hundred thousand, one million, ten million, one hundred million, one billion, and so on: there are the single words million = 10⁶, billion = 10⁹, trillion = 10¹², etc.

The written numbers differ only in the placement of commas, which group the digits into powers of one hundred in the Indian system (except for the first thousand), and into powers of one thousand in the Western system. The Indian and English systems both use the decimal point and the comma digit-separator, while some other countries using the Western number-word system use the decimal comma, and the space or point to separate digits in powers of one thousand.

Use of separators

The Indian numbering system uses separators differently from the international norm. Instead of grouping digits by threes as in the international system, the Indian numbering system groups the rightmost three digits together (until the hundreds place), and thereafter groups by sets of two digits.^[2] One trillion would thus be written as 10,00,00,00,00,000 or one lakh crore (or 10 kharab). This makes the number convenient to read using thousand, lakh, crore terminology. Thus:

This accords with the Indian numbering system, which has units for thousands, hundreds of thousands, tens of millions, etc.

Names of numbers

The table below follows the short scale usage of one billion being one thousand million. In India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, following former British usage, the long scale was used, with one billion equivalent to one million million.

Vedic numbering systems

There are various systems of numeration found in various ancient Vedic literary works of India. The following table gives one such system used in the Valmiki Ramayana.^[4]

Usage in different languages

• In Punjabi, a lakh is called lakkh (Shahmukhi: {{lang|pa|{{nastaliq|لکھ}}}}, Gurmukhi: {{lang|pa|ਲੱਖ}}) and a crore is called karoṛ (Shahmukhi: {{lang|pa|{{Nastaliq|کروڑ}}}}, Gurmukhi: {{lang|pa|ਕਰੋੜ}}).
• In Bengali, a lakh is also called {{lang|bn|লক্ষ}} lokkho (ardha-tatsama), or laakh (tadbhava) and a crore is called {{lang|bn|কোটি}} koti.
• In Gujarati, a lakh is called {{lang|gu|લાખ}} lākh and a crore is called {{lang|gu|કરોડ}} karoḍ. A hundred crore is called {{lang|gu|અબજ}} abaj.
• In Sylheti, a lakh is called {{lang|syl|লাখ}} lakh (lax) and a crore is called {{lang|syl|কোটি}} kuti. A billion is called "arob". And hundred billion is called "kharob".
• In Kannada, a lakh is called {{lang|kn|ಲಕ್ಷ}} lakṣha and a crore is called {{lang|kn|ಕೋಟಿ}} kōṭi.
• In Malayalam, a lakh is called {{Lang|ml|ലക്ഷം}} laksham and a crore is called {{Lang|ml|കോടി}} koti.
• In Marathi, a lakh is called {{Lang|mr|लाख}} lākh and a crore is called {{Lang|mr|कोटी}} koṭi or {{Lang|mr|करोड}} karoḍ, and an {{not a typo|arab}} (10⁹) is called {{Lang|mr|अब्ज}} abja.
• In Nepali, a lakh is called {{Lang|ne|लाख}} lākh and a crore is called {{lang|ne|करोड}} karoḍ.
• In Odia (Oriya), a lakh is called {{lang|or|ଲକ୍ଷ}} lakhya and a crore is called {{lang|or|କୋଟି}} koti.
• In Sinhalese, a lakh is called {{Lang|si|ලක්ෂ}} lakṣa and a crore is called {{Lang|si|කෝටි}} kōṭi.
• In Tamil, a lakh is called {{Lang|ta|நூறாயிரம்}} nooRaayiram as well as {{Lang|ta|இலட்சம்}} 'ilatcham and a crore is called {{Lang|ta|கோடி}} kodi.
• In Telugu, a lakh is called {{Lang|te|లక్ష}} lakṣa and a crore is called {{Lang|te|కోటి}} kōṭi.
• In Urdu, a lakh is called {{lang|ur|{{nq|لاکھ}}}} lākh and a crore is called {{lang|ur|{{nq|کروڑ}}}} karoṛ. A billion is called "arab"{{lang|ur|{{nq|ارب}}}} . And hundred billion/ arab ({{lang|ur|{{nq|ارب}}}}) is called "kharab"( {{lang|ur|{{nq|کھرب}}}}).
• Lakh has entered the Swahili language as "{{lang|sw|laki}}" and is in common use.
• In Burmese, crore is called {{my|ကုဋေ}} {{IPA-my|ɡədè|}}. Lakh is used in Burmese English.

References

• Bonaventure—Iles-de-la-Madeleine
• Bonaverense
• Bonaville Township, McPherson County, Kansas
• Bona Vista
• Bonavista-Burin-Trinity
• Bonavista Group
• Bonavista—Burin—Trinity
• Bonawon
• Bonawon, Siaton, Negros Oriental
• Bonaya Boshe
• Bonay Hady
• Bon Ayr, Kentucky
• Bonay-ye Rashed
• Bona Zuria
• Bon Baba Jan
• Bon Bahia
• Bon Balut
• Bon Band
• Bon Bast
• Bonbeach railway station, Melbourne
• Bon Bid
• Bonbin Surabaya
• Bon-Bon
• Bon Bon Band
• Bon bon chicken