RE: billions across the world in english
by Freda Lockert <freda(at)rlockert.easynet.co.uk>
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| Date: |
Sat, 1 Jul 2000 01:34:00 +0100 |
| To: |
"Olav Lavell" <olavell(at)xs4all.nl> |
| Cc: |
hwg-basics(at)hwg.org |
| References: |
xs4all |
| |
todo: View
Thread,
Original
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>I hate to add to the confusion, so let's set things straight: in The
>Netherlands as almost anywhere else in the world a thousand million is
>ordinarily called a milliard. A million million is a billion, and a
>thousand billion is a billiard.
>
>thousand 1,000
>million 1,000,000
>milliard 1,000,000,000
>billion 1,000,000,000,000
>billiard 1,000,000,000,000,000
>
>The mistake of calling a billion what is really a milliard is purely an
>American one, and perhaps even British.
>
>Cordially,
>
>Olav.
Olav, you are right, but in the UK, 1,000,000,000 is officially
recognised and used as 1 billion. You'd better not calculate your UK
bank balance any other way! I know the reference books agree with
you, I checked at the public library. Milliard may be used in
esoteric circles, but I've never seen it in general use, or billiard
and trilliard which Michel wrote to me about.
Regards.
Freda
--
'Never give up on what you know in your heart to be right. The world
needs you and your commitment, desperately' - John Denver.
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