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    Since AD stands for Latin initals, does BC stand for Latin also? Why would one be in Latin and the other in English?

    Question #53773. Asked by Buck540. (Jan 06 05 5:40 PM)


    tjoebigham

    		B.C. is for "Before Christ", "A.D." is for Anno Domini, Latin for "In the Year of Our Lord". I think the latter was in use long before the former, when Latin was man's primary language, so that's why one's in Latin and the other in English.

    Jan 06 05, 5:45 PM
    Baloo55th

    		When the AD system was introduced, people were only interested in dates after Christ. Only much later when history became more organised and acceptable as a subject of study did the need arise for earlier dates. By then, in England at least, Latin was out.

    Jan 06 05, 7:09 PM
    auccl799

    		Originally the Latin was "a.C.n.", an abbreviation of "Ante Christum Natum", which is Latin for "before the birth of Christ". However, this changed at some point to BC. Now we all have to be politically correct anyway and say CE for common era.

    http://www.smh.com.au/news/Big-Questions/Why-do-we-use-the-Latin-AD-but-the-English-BC/2005/05/06/1115092670955.html

    May 12 07, 11:36 PM
    Arpeggionist

    		For the record, the Hebrew terms for BCE and CE translate to "before the Christian count" and "by the Christian count".

    May 13 07, 1:32 AM

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