LL-L: "Y2K" LOWLANDS-L, 14.DEC.1999 (01) [E]
Lowlands-L Administrator
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Tue Dec 14 15:39:08 UTC 1999
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L O W L A N D S - L * 14.DEC.1999 (01) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: Jorge Potter [jorgepot at caribe.net]
Subject: LL-L: "Y2K" LOWLANDS-L, 13.DEC.1999 (03) [E]
Dear Lowlanders,
This discussion of Y2K:
> From: Edwin Michael Alexander [edsells at idirect.com]
> Subject: LL-L: "Y2K" LOWLANDS-L, 13.DEC.1999 (02) [E]
>
> At 08:37 AM 12/13/99 -0800, Ian wrote:
>>My understanding of it was always that the first year of our era was known
>>as "Annus Domini" / "The Year of Our Lord". Then the second year was known
>>as the "Second Year of Our Lord" and so on, which explains why there is no
>>year zero. It also explains how next year is the "2000th Year of Our Lord",
>>which would indicate the third millennium does not properly start until
>>2001. It also gives a lie to the German "n. Chr.", because the counting is
>>not actually "after Christ" but rather "of Christ".
>
> Well, you're right - except that it doesn't explain why there is no year
> zero. The word "zero" itself (moving slowly back to the subject of
> language) comes from the Arabic word <sifr>, and came along with the
> adoptation of the system (originally from India). The fact that the only
> numeral system in use in the 6th century in the West was the Roman Numeral
> System is quite sufficient to explain the "no year zero" puzzle. Perhaps
> someone like Floor could correct me, but I think the Roman system is what
> we would call "natural numbers" nowadays.
is not ancient history. The part of the world dominated by Rome was imbued
with a zeroless arithmetic. The Mayans who met the first Spaniards computed
with a zero, but they were so demolished that their descendants still figure
doing what I call "computing both ends." A horse-hack driver of typical
Mayan features says he'll take us wherever, at so much an hour. So when we
used his services from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm, he tried to charge us for three
hours!
It was that way in Puerto Rico when I arrived in 1946, but now kids think in
terms of math and computers. But we do say, "Nos vemos en 8 días." (We'll
get together a week from today.) Or "en quince días" (in two weeks)
Many workers are paid "por quincena" or "quincenalmente" (fortnightly)
So, Rome is far from dead.
Jorge Potter
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