[Wikipedia-l] Re: CE / BCE (was: RFC on a few feature requests)

[Ray Saintonge]

Vicki Rosenzweig wrote:

> Many Jewish scholars prefer CE/BCE. I'd argue strongly for using
> those terms (rather than AD/BC) if dates need to be identified in 
> articles
> on subjects like Jewish history or the Talmud.
>
> Oh, and an idle question: "A.D." is Latin, so makes as much sense in
> a French context as an English one (in both cases, validated by custom
> and familiarity), but what's the French equivalent of "B.C."?

I'm one who would leave it at the option of the writer, although some 
consistency within any individual article is desirable.  In practical 
terms only the BC/BCE is used extensively.  A year without any indicator 
is presumed to be AD/CE.  

If a person wants to use AD it is important to remember that it belongs 
in front of the year, and not after.  The phrase "anno domini" means "in 
the year of our Lord", "anno" being in the ablative case.  Thus we are 
in AD 2002 not 2002 AD.

The French for BC is "avant Jésus-Christ" which is abreviated "av. 
J.-C." and AD is "après Jésus-Christ" or "ap. J.-C.".  Frankly, I find 
the French usages make for awkward typing.

Eclecticology