> There is currently a special meaning attached to reference dates of the form 
> `0-1-1`, for backward compatibility with COARDS, in section 7.4.  Can we 
> remove this feature from `CF-1.9`?

That troublesome usage of `0-1-1` is already deprecated by the wording of 7.4 
in all CF versions.  [That 
section](https://cfconventions.org/Data/cf-conventions/cf-conventions-1.8/cf-conventions.html#climatological-statistics)
 also limits the special meaning to only the "real-world calendar".  So if we 
can get consensus that dates earlier than year 1 are not valid in the existing 
`standard` and `julian` calendars under CF, I think it will be safe to leave 
the special meaning as deprecated, rather than removing it.

[Section 
7.4](https://cfconventions.org/Data/cf-conventions/cf-conventions-1.8/cf-conventions.html#climatological-statistics)
 also includes the only explicit treatment of the year zero concept in the 
entire document.  `Year 0 may be a valid year in non-real-world calendars ...`  
This supports the possibility of explicit treatment of zero and negative years 
in alternate calendars.

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