Suanpan
/ˈswɑːn.pæn/noun
A traditional Chinese abacus consisting of beads arranged on rods in a rectangular frame.
Did you know?The suanpan’s bead arrangement traditionally uses a 2:5 structure, allowing users to represent numbers efficiently in the same device used for commercial reckoning and accounting.
Etymological Timeline
Old Chinese
Old Chinese
算
“To calculate, count, or reckon; the first element of the compound.”
Old Chinese
Old Chinese
盤
“A tray, dish, or flat circular container; the second element of the compound.”
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
算盤
“A calculating tray or counting board.”
11th–13th Century
Chinese
算盤 (suànpán)
“A bead-based counting device used for calculation and commercial accounting.”
20th Century
English
suanpan
“An English loanword for the traditional Chinese abacus.”
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