ad / bc

[JohnRenard]

I have noticed that recently even some respected historians have begun quoting dates with 'AD' after the year (for example, 560 AD). The rule has always been that because AD stands for Anno Domini ("in the year of the Lord"), it should come before the year - AD 560. Has there been a change in this rule? Or are these people placing AD in the wrong place out of ignorance? I repeat, some of them are "professional" historians. ('BC', meaning 'before Christ', properly comes after the year - 560 BC).

[dotjhawkes]

Is it possible that there is a trans-Atlantic difference and that through modern media, the shift in the way it is said has been gradually altering away from the traditional way round?

[kempie]

I blame Judge Dredd and cite his regular appearances in the sci-fi comic 2000 AD from AD 1977 onwards.

http://www.2000adonline.com/

I am surprised that everyone has not yet been shoehorned into using the equivalent but 'sensitive', i.e. PC, dating system of CE (Common Era) and BCE (Before Common Era).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Era

[henneth]

That's because it'll never happen, not even in the year 3000AD.

[lady_p_gold]

What an interesting question! I shall be looking out now.

[Stu in USA]

Have you also noticed that since the 11th of Sept, the date is now sometimes written and said the American way, ie "Sept 11"

[henneth]

Just to put a spanner in the works, Stu, or should I say wrench!! Although in the U.S. dates are written back to front compared with the rest of the world, they still say 'the Fourth of July' rather than July 4th or 7/4. I'm sure the 12th of never is a phrase used in the U.S. and elsewhere as well, rather than never/12th. Despite all this I'm still struggling to write the date correctly on a U.S. cheque, sorry, I mean check!!!

[Stu in USA]

Maybe there was a still a strong English influence when Americans first celebrated the "fourth of July" but then why did they switch the date around?

[mike b]

day-month-year, ie smallest to largest, would appear to be the more logical order, but I read somewhere that the American usage was influenced by the way newspapers print the date at the top of the page...