Talk:Suzhou numerals

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We should explain the origin of the name Suzhou better

The name of the Chinese city of Suzhou is linked in the bold title in the lede. Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Lead section says not to do that: "Do not place a link within the bolded title". In this case the article drops in the name of the city, but nowhere does it explain why the numeral system and the city share the same name. The reader might infer from this that the numerals were named after the city, perhaps because the system was invented there - but we don't actually say that, and we don't supply an explanation or reference for why the numbers have that name. Ideally the lede would read something like:

The Suzhou numerals or huama is a numeral system used in China before the introduction of Arabic numerals. The system was common throughout China, and is named after the eastern city of Suzhou where it was invented.

But I can't change it thus, because we don't have a reference about its name or much about its origin.

In addition, we should also explain the origin of the misnomer Hangzhou - we simply say it's a misnomer in the Unicode standard, but don't say whether they invented it themselves or whether it's been used, presumably in western descriptions, before. -- Finlay McWalterჷTalk 14:41, 7 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]