Re: CLDR Usage of Gregorian Calendar Era Terms: BC and AD -- Can we please have "CE" and "BCE" ?

From: Kenneth Whistler (kenw@sybase.com)
Date: Wed Dec 19 2007 - 14:16:04 CST

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    Mark,

    > The goal for CLDR is to use the most customary, recognizable terms for
    > whatever the language in question. You can file a bug on the CLDR site
    > presenting evidence that CE and BCE are more commonly used and understood
    > than AD and BC.

    I think this frames Ed's point incorrectly. It isn't that there
    is one set of terms, and that the "most customary, recognizable"
    English translation of those terms is "AD" and "BC".

    There really are two *competing* sets of terms for Gregorian
    eras, with different intents, a slight difference in technical
    sense, and vastly different connotations. And both sets of
    terms may have distinct translations (and distinct local patterns
    of usage).

    Rather than try to continue the pointless, endless, and fruitless
    battle over whether CE/BCE should supplant all AD/BC usage in
    English in yet another technical context in CLDR, the more
    neutral and translationally more accurate way forward would
    be to recognize *two* sets of terms needing translation for
    Gregorian eras:

    Term set one: AD/BC
    Term set two: CE/BCE

    It is quite likely that you will find corresponding parallel
    translations in many languages, and the same kind of
    cultural wars regarding which should be used in what contexts.

    Example:

    http://www.religioustolerance.org/ceintro.htm
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Era

    >
    > That does not, of course, prevent a spirited discussion on this list or
    > (perhaps more appropriately, cldr-users@unicode.org).

    Of course.

    --Ken



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