Meanings of numbers in english culture

Numbers are more than a convenient measure of the physical world. Numbers are not merely quantitative, but also qualitative. Numbers have two distinct characteristics: they are concrete, and associated with quantity; they are also non-concrete (abstract), implying a qualitative expression which changes across cultural and historical contexts. In many traditions, numbers are linked with cosmic principles that give order and structure to the universe, governing the movement of the moon and planets as well as plant, animal, and human life. ―Numbers are seen as universal templates of creation, and therefore as symbols of perfection and of the gods‖ [Fontana, 1994, p. 64].