Language
Country/Area
No result found
From a thousand to a billion: Do you know why ‘billion’ means different things in different countries?
In the use of numbers, humans have developed various naming systems from ancient times to the present. Among these systems, the "short number system" and the "long number system" are the two that have the widest impact. These two number naming systems are identical for small numbers, but have fundamental differences in their definition of large numbers. Especially with regard to the meaning of the name One Billion, users of different cultures and languages have given it completely different interpretations.
In the short number system, a billion means one billion, or 1,000,000,000, but in the long number system, a billion means one trillion, or 1,000,000,000,000.
Comparison between short number system and long number system
The short number system is the most common in many English-speaking and Arabic-speaking countries, while the long number system is widely used in continental Europe and French, German and Spanish-speaking countries. The biggest difference between the two is the definition of a larger number. Of course, for numbers less than a billion, the nomenclature is the same for both systems, but once you get into higher values, things change.
For example, a billion in the short number system is 1,000,000,000, and a billion in the long system is 1,000,000,000,000.
Cultural influence and naming system
In addition to the short number system and the long number system, there are many regions that use different number naming systems. For example, in the Indian numerical system, the definitions of "crore" and "billion" are completely different from the previous two. Some cultures in East Asia, such as Chinese, Japanese and Korean, have their own unique ways of naming very large numbers, further adding to the complexity of global communication.
Methods to reduce confusion
To reduce confusion caused by large numbers in legal documents or scientific documents, many experts advocate using scientific calculations or engineering calculations to express these numbers. For example, 1,000,000,000,000 can be represented by 1 x 10^12. This approach not only avoids misunderstandings about terminology, but also facilitates communication among global users.
In addition, the International System of Units (SI) also recommends the use of measurement prefixes, such as giga for 10^9 and tera for 10^12, to clearly express the size of the number.
The evolution of history
The distinction between short and long numbers is not a recent change; in fact, the phenomenon goes back centuries. These number systems began to take shape as early as the 1200s. The earliest terms for short number system and long number system are said to have been first proposed by French mathematician Geneviève Guitel in 1975. The short number system quickly became popular in the United States and became the country's main number system. Similarly, the long number system has a long history of use in the UK. It was not until 1974 that the short number system was officially adopted, making the situation more complicated.
Current usage
Today, English-speaking countries and most Arabic-speaking countries mainly use the short number system, while countries in continental Europe generally use the long number system. For example, many Spanish-speaking countries will translate "billion" as billón, while in German-speaking countries, Billion is used. What's even more interesting is that some countries may use both systems in their internal languages, which makes it difficult for the overseas population to communicate digitally.
For example, the word "billion" that may be used in British historical documents may refer to two different values, which requires readers to make inferences based on the context.
Therefore, when we discuss big numbers in international communication or academic research, should we pay more attention to these different cultural backgrounds and number naming rules to avoid misunderstandings and confusion?
