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From: iad@cogsci.ed.ac.uk (Ivan A Derzhanski)
Subject: Re: Why AD Latin, BC English?
Message-ID: <Cwq9BM.FxJ@cogsci.ed.ac.uk>
Organization: Centre for Cognitive Science, Edinburgh, UK
References: <mccombtmCwLEI5.MA6@netcom.com> <bpcCwM32w.2Jo@netcom.com> <36596p$85s@news.u.washington.edu>
Date: Mon, 26 Sep 1994 08:09:21 GMT
Lines: 19

In article <36596p$85s@news.u.washington.edu> wolfi@cs.tu-berlin.de (Wolfgang Schwanke) writes:
>Usual German is "v.Chr." and "n.Chr"., before/after Christ.
>
>About being no longer politically correct ... I see the "v.u.Z." "n.u.Z."
>and similar abbreviations in other languages a peculiar way of denying
>the obvious fact that our time scale has its origin in Christian beliefs.

It is not a way of denying it, merely unwillingness to emphasise it
without good reason.  Regardless of the origin of the currently used
time scale, for someone who doesn't care for the fictional character
referred to by the name _Christ_ (originally a common noun, meaning
`messenger from a supernatural power') our time scale is just our
time scale, nothing more.

-- 
`Pilate, tryin tae be clever, said, "So! -- whit is truth?"'  (The G-- G--)
Ivan A Derzhanski (iad@cogsci.ed.ac.uk, iad@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu)
* Centre for Cognitive Science,  2 Buccleuch Place,   Edinburgh EH8 9LW,  UK
* Cowan House E113, Pollock Halls, 18 Holyrood Pk Rd, Edinburgh EH16 5BD, UK
