Speaking of a number as requiring so many figures is a rough allusion to common logarithm, and was referred to by Archimedes as the “order of a number”.
Magrad ən maɗin sund ahushəl ajit ən adinən eqal ishəbaj makərən ən maɗin iyan, izar eqal atwətkəl as Archimède sund "təzart ən maɗin".