Tallymarks

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Short straight strokes scratched or drawn in rows, typically grouped in fives, to keep a running count of items or days
2. Simple lines made to keep track of a number by counting them off, often bundled into sets of five strokes
3. Upright pencil or chalk lines used as a record of quantities, with every fifth stroke crossing the four before it

Etymology: Medieval England kept many financial records on split wooden sticks. A debt or payment was cut into notches on a stick, which was then split lengthwise so each party kept one half. When the halves were fitted back together, matching notches confirmed the amount. The English word "tally" comes from Anglo-French "taillee," from Old French "taille," meaning a cutting, which goes back to Latin "talea," a rod or stick. The idea of notching came first, and counting by notches followed from it. "Tallymarks" is a compound of "tally" and "mark," the strokes scratched in rows to keep a running count of things such as days, animals, or items. The familiar pattern of four upright strokes crossed by a fifth is a way of grouping the count into fives so it can be read at a glance. The compound is transparent: it means simply the marks made for keeping a tally.