Jim McCracken asked in USMA 20373 >THIS ELICITED NO RESPONSES, SO I'LL ASK AGAIN! > >This is not specifically metric, but I have received an inquiry that I will >throw out for all the USMA Listserv subscribers. > >It is not widely known (and may no longer be factual) but in the UK, some >Commonwealth countries, and some other European countries a billion >represents (or did represent) a million million. In the United States, >Germany and numerous other European countries a billion is a thousand million. > >Does anyone know if this definition difference still exists or has become >obsolete, and if there is still this discrepancy whether there are >directives or regulations that address, recognize, or limit the difference. > >Thanks, > >Jim McCracken
The word billion is a contraction of "bi-million". The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, 1970, says "Billion, 1690,..the second power of a million.....In Great Britain: A million millions". Le Petit Robert dictionary of 1969, (I trasnslate from the French): BILLION.(15220; from bi- and million). 1) obsolete Milliard (sense of the English billion). 2) modern Million of millions (10^12). Muret-Sanders German-English Dictionary, 1908 ; "Billion ( Marco Polo 1300) (= 1 000 000 X 1 000 000) billion". Lingua Italiana, Niccollo Tommas�o, 1904; (my translation) Bilione, a million of millions. The Bantam New College Spanish Dictionary, 1971: "bill�n (U.S.A.) trillion; (Brit) billion". Joseph B.Reid 17 Glebe Road West Toronto M5P 1C8 Tel. 416 486-6071
