Nine, forty, crescent/cross

[Kat Tancock]

Not sure about the Japanese, but in Mandarin (and probably Cantonese) the
words for "four" and "death" (szi`) are homonyms. Not written the same, of
course. :) This may have crossed over into Japan.

Kat

> I don't know about 40, but I have something about 4 and 9.
> For what it's worth, there apparently is an association in Japan
> between the numbers 4 and 9 and death. My source for this is my
> stepmother, who is Japanese (and lives there, not an immigrant);
> she tells me that no Japanese patient will accept a hospital room
> with 4 or 9 -- unless they are only mildly ill and feel safe --
> because of this belief or superstition.
>
> I've never hand a chance to check on the extent of this or the
> rationale behind it. I vaguely remember it had something to do
> with the sound of the numbers  [four is "shi" and nine "chyu",
> I believe]  and the words for "death."

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