Actually, Werner, factor of 10^3. A real billion is, and always has
been, 10^12. The milliard, which our transatlantic friends consider
non-existent and corruptly call a billion, is 10^9. The confusion has
become grave because many Brits have now been conned by reading US
literature into thinking that it is 10^9, although less so on the
Continent, where the use of milliard is much more current. I guess it
dates back to Webster & Co. who were responsible for many corruptions in
the established meanings (and colourful spellings) of words in the
English language. Strangely, when it comes to units and suchlike, the US
ones, where they have changed, are always smaller than the UK ones (cf
gallon US = ~3.8 l, UK = ~4.5 l, ton US long = 2200 lbs, US short = 2000
lbs, UK = 2240 lbs etc.). Do you think that it was to shortchange the
Brits on exports to the old country?
Logically, the billion is 10^12 as the word was derived from million^2,
hence the bi- prefix. I can see no logic in this prefix for 10^9.
The long and the short of it is to always prefix billion with US if you
mean 10^9. (This should provoke some amusing messages!)
Brian
Werner Engelmaier wrote:
>
> Hi All,
> In a message dated 06/08/2001 18:48:21, [log in to unmask] writes:
> >Orgalime, the group representing European manufacturers of domestic
> appliances
> >and electronic equipment, estimates it could cost around E40bn ($34bn) to
> deal
> >with equipment already on the market plus E7.5bn in annual costs to the
> industry.
> It is not clear that E40bn =$34bn, because an american billion is not the
> same as a European billion. The EU40 = $34 is about right, but unless the
> initial European billion was changes to an american billion, the numbers are
> off bey a factor of 10.
>
> Werner Engelmaier
>
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