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I know that originally some shots in the original trilogy contained English words which were then replaced with Aurebesh in the updated revisions. (Someone can provide a reference, please).

Yet the view through Luke's binoculars on Hoth contains Arabic numerals (i.e. the style used on Earth in nearly all cultures (either primarily or secondarily) today). enter image description here

So I noticed this because Poe's view through the binoculars on Jakku also contain Arabic numerals in a similar position (sorry, I don't have an image).

So what's the explanation for the mixed position? Why replace Latin characters with Aurebesh, but not replace Arabic numerals? And is there any comment regarding the decision in The Force Awakens to stick with this choice?

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  • Is there no tag for writing or script (in the writing sense) etc? I can't find it?
    – ThePopMachine
    Commented Feb 3, 2016 at 0:13
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    We've covered this a hundred times, they don't, we just see them that way, because translation.
    – Ryan
    Commented Feb 3, 2016 at 0:17
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    @ryan: Then why doesn't this apply to normal script? That is the question. We have a magical universal translator that works on spoken words and written numbers, but not written words?!
    – ThePopMachine
    Commented Feb 3, 2016 at 1:51

1 Answer 1

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The Roman alphabet exists in the Star Wars universe as the High Galactic writing system.

Although most early English had been retconned in the films into Aurebesh, inconsistencies nonetheless exist as some were missed out or miscommunications ensured some English continued to get into the story. This is eventually addressed once and for all by calling it High Galactic in-universe, so that it can be identified as a separate writing system and thus a canon basis for existing without breaking the fourth wall.

High Galactic was made Legends for a short period, but it was eventually revived and made canon. Probably one of the few things from Legends that was made Disney canon wholesale.

Even if Arabic numbers aren't part of Aurebesh, ask any representative of Star Wars and it's probable they'll use High Galactic or something similar to explain away their presence in-universe as the logic and rationale for doing so is the same.

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  • This is a nice answer. I find it pretty fitting in light of how Arabic numerals (and the metric system) have taken over cross-culturally on Earth in almost all applications. It's pretty believable and High Galactic and Basic numerals would be the same, and possible shared by most cultures due to commerce. But as it stands now, you just have a bunch of assertions. Can you provide references, especially for the canonicity of High Galactic?
    – ThePopMachine
    Commented Feb 3, 2016 at 15:56
  • @ThePopMachine Sources for canonicity of High Galactic are cited in the Wookiepedia article linked.
    – thegreatjedi
    Commented Feb 4, 2016 at 0:40
  • Yes, I see that after I read the linked page. I guess it doesn't seem clear to me from the way the answer is written that the link contains the justifications. It would be good to make that more explicit and even better to import the really important references.
    – ThePopMachine
    Commented Feb 4, 2016 at 2:25

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