mdbtxt1
mdbtxt2
Proceed to Safety

Rudolf Ondrejka, Renaming the Numbers, 1968    

Following is the article Renaming the Numbers from pages 89-92 of Word Ways: The Journal of Recreational Linguistics, published in 1968.

The article presents a system for extending the "Chuquet" number-names, comparable to but less authoritative than the now accepted standard system by Conway and Wechsler. You may enjoy looking for similarities and differences, for which purpose this full list of individual "zillions" will be useful.

This article refers to:

W. D. Henkle, Names of the Periods in Numeration, 1860.

Dmitri A. Borgmann, Naming the Numbers, 1968.


(page 89)

Renaming the Numbers

In our first issue, we presented the existing names for very large numbers, pointed out the many inconsistencies and imperfections in those names, and suggested that readers attempt to devise an improved system of number names.

Mr. Rudolf Ondrejka of Linwood, New Jersey has submitted his version of an improved nomenclature to us, and we are publishing it here for consideration by other readers. Mr. Ondrejka's revision meets only some of the objections to the existing set of number names, but it is a debatable question whether the remaining objections can or ought to be overcome.

To begin with, Mr. Ondrejka has reasoned that the number names for the first 20 periods, from the THOUSAND to the VIGINTILLION, are so well established, appearing in most of the major dictionaries of the English language, that it would not be expedient to try replacing them with a more logical series of names. We must accept them, he argues, building on top of them as best we can.

Secondly, Mr. Ondrejka decided to confine himself to prefixes of Latin origin, based on the Latin cardinals and ordinals up to the 1000th period. Beyond that point, he introduced prefixes based on the Latin multiplicative adverbials, used with or without the ordinals as combining forms. All of the prefixes are based on the number names given in the 1892 Edition of Cassells' Latin Dictionary (revised by J. R. V. Marchant and J. F. Charles) and in the 1957 Edition of the Collins Latin Gem Dictionary by D. A. Kidd.

Thirdly, Mr. Ondrejka has extended the scheme of number names all the way to the one billionth period, instead of stopping at the one millionth period, as did Professor Henkle. He has also listed the number names by periods, giving the number of zeroes for each number name in both the American-French and in the British-German systems of notation.

The result has been to change 23 of the number names originally proposed by Professor Henkle, expanding Henkle's list a thousandfold.

Mr. Ondrejka's "Numeration Table" follows, for your critical inspection. The table is so presented that any number name not specifically listed in it can easily be deduced. The names toward the end of the list are awkwardly long, but then, we are dealing here wilh huge numbers. Mr. Ondrejka believes


(page 90)

that it will be difficult to produce any ambiguous names or inconsistencies in his list.

Comments from readers are invited.

The last number on the list — the milli-millimillillion — is an enormous one, by all reasonable standards. Yet, we must remember that it is almost infinitesimal when compared to other finite numbers that have been named: the GOOGOLPLEX, and SKEWES' NUMBER, and the MEGA, and the MEGISTON, and the MOSER. But those incredibly larger numbers are another story.

Powers of 10
PeriodName (U.S.) (Brit.)
1 million 6 6
2 billion 9 12
3 trillion 12 18
4 quadrillion 15 24
5 quintillion 18 30
6 sextillion 21 36
7 septillion 24 42
8 octillion 27 48
9 nonillion 30 54
10 decillion 33 60
11 undecillion 36 66
12 duodecillion 39 72
13 tredecillion 42 78
14 quattuordecillion 45 84
15 quindecillion 48 90
16 sexdecillion 51 96
17 septendecillion 54 102
18 octodecillion 57 108
19 novemdecillion 60 114
20 vigintillion 63 120
21 primo-vigintillion 66 126
22 secundo-vigintillion 69 132
23 tertio-vigintillion 72 138
24 quarto-vigintillion 75 144
25 quinto-vigintillion 78 150
26 sexto-vigintillion 81 156
27 septimo-vigintillion 84 162
28 octavo-vigintillion 87 168
29 nono-vigintillion 90 174
30 trigintillion 93 180
40 quadragintillion 123 240
50 quinquagintillion 153 300
60 sexagintillion 183 360
70 septuagintillion 213 420
80 octogintillion 243 480
90 nonagintillion 273 540
100 centillion 303 600
101 primo-centillion 306 606


(page 91)

Powers of 10
PeriodName (U.S.) (Brit.)
110 decimo-centillion 333 660
111 undecimo-centillion 336 666
112 duodecimo-centillion 339 672
113 tertiodecimo-centillion 342 67B
114 quartodecimo-centillion 345 684
115 quintodecimo-centillion 348 690
116 sextodecimo-centillion 351 696
117 septimodecimo-centillion 354 702
118 octavodecimo-centillion 357 708
119 nonodecimo-centillion 360 714
120 vigesimo-centillion 363 720
121 primo-vigesimo-centillion 366 726
130 trigesimo-centillion 393 780
140 quadragesimo-centillion 423 840
150 quinquagesimo-centillion 453 900
160 sexagesimo-centillion 483 960
170 septuagesimo-centillion 513 1,020
180 octogesimo-centillion 543 1,080
190 nonagesimo-centillion 573 1,140
200 ducentillion 603 1,200
300 trecentillion 903 1,800
400 quadringentillion 1,203 2,400
500 quingentillion 1,503 3,000
600 sexcentillion 1,803 3,600
700 septingentillion 2,103 4,200
800 octingentillion 2,403 4,800
900 nongentillion 2,703 5,400
1,000 millillion 3,003 6,000
1,001 primo-millillion 3,006 6,006
1,010 decimo-millillion 3,033 6,060
1,100 centesimo-millillion 3,303 6,600
1,101 primo-centesimo-millillion 3,306 6,606
1,110 decimo-centesimo-millillion 3,333 6,660
1,200 ducentesimo-millillion 3,603 7,200
1,300 trecentesimo-millillion 3,903 7,800
1,400 quadringentesimo-millillion 4,203 8,400
1,500 quingentesimo-millillion 4,503 9,000
1,600 sexcentesimo-millillion 4,803 9,600
1,700 septingentesimo-millillion 5,103 10,200
1,800 octingentesimo-millillion 5,403 10,800
1,900 nongentesimo-millillion 5,703 11,400
2,000 bi-millillion 6,003 12,000
3,000 tri-millillion 9,003 18,000
4,000 quadri-millillion 12,003 24,000
5,000 quinqui-millillion 15,003 30,000
6,000 sexi-millillion 18,003 36,000
7,000 septi-millillion 21,003 42,000
8,000 octi-millillion 24,003 48,000
9,000 novi-millillion 27,003 54,000


(page 92)

Powers of 10
PeriodName (U.S.) (Brit.)
10,000 deci-millillion 30,003 60,000
11.000 undeci-millillion 33,003 66,000
12,000 duodeci-millillion 36,003 72,000
13,000 tredeci-millillion 39,003 78,000
14,000 quattuordeci-millillion 42,003 84,000
15,000 quindeci-millillion 45,003 90,000
16,000 sexdeci-millillion 48,003 96,000
17,000 septideci-millillion 51,003 102,000
18,000 octideci-millillion 54,003 108,000
19,000 novideci-millillion 57,003 114,000
20,000 vici-millillion 60,003 120,000
21,000 semeli-vici-millillion 63,003 126,000
22,000 bi-vici-millillion 66,003 132,000
23,000 tri-vici-millillion 69,003 138,000
24,000 quadri-vici-millillion 72.003 144,000
25.000 quinqui-vici-millillion 75,003 150,000
26,000 sexi-vici-millillion 78,003 156,000
27.000 septi-vici-millillion 81.003 162,000
28,000 octi-vici-millillion 84.003 168,000
29,000 novi-vici-millillion 87,003 174,000
30.000 trici-millillion 90.003 180,000
40,000 quadragi-millillion 120,003 240,000
50,000 quinquagi-millillion 150,003 300,000
60,000 sexagi-millillion 180,003 360,000
70,000 septuagi-millillion 210,003 420,000
80,000 octogi-millillion 240,003 480,000
90,000 nonagi-millillion 270,003 540.000
100,000 centi-millillion 300,003 600.000
100,001 primo-centi-millillion 300,006 600,006
100,010 decimo-centi-millillion 300,033 600,060
100,100 centesimo-centi-millillion 300,303 600,600
101,000 semeli-centi-millillion 303,003 606,000
102,000 bi-centi-millillion 306,003 612,000
103.000 tri-centi-millillion 309,003 618,000
104,000 quadri-centi-millillion 312,003 624,000
105,000 quinqui-centi-millillion 315,003 630,000
106,000 sexi-centi-millillion 318.003 636,000
107,000 septi-centi-millillion 321,003 642,000
108,000 octi-centi-millillion 321,003 648,000
109,000 novi-centi-millillion 327,003 654,000
110.000 deci-centi-millillion 330,003 660,000
120,000 vici-centi-millillion 360.003 720,000
130,000 trici-centi-millillion 390,003 780,000
140,000 quadragi-centi-millillion 420,003 840,000
150,000 quinquagi-centi-millillion 450.003 900,000
160,000 sexagi-centi-millillion 480,003 960,000
170,000 septuagi-centi-millillion 510,003 1,020,000
180,000 octogi-centi-millillion 540,003 1,080,000
190,000 nonagi-centi-millillion 570.003 1,140,000


(page 93)

Powers of 10
PeriodName (U.S.) (Brit.)
200,000 ducenti-millillion 600,003 1,200,000
300,000 trecenti-millillion 900,003 1,800,000
400,000 quadringenti-millillion 1,200,003 2,400,000
500,000 quingenti-millillion 1,500,003 3,000,000
600,000 sexcenti-millillion 1,800,003 3,600,000
700,000 seplingenti-millillion 2,100,003 4,200,000
800,000 octingenti-millillion 2,400,003 4,800,000
900,000 nongenti-millillion 2,700,003 5,400,000
1,000,000 milli-millillion 3,000,003 6,000,000
1,000,001 primo-millimillillion 3,000,006 6,000,006
1,000,010 decimo-millimillillion 3,000,033 6,000,060
1,000,100 centesimo-millimillillion 3,000,303 6,000,600
1,001,000 millesimo-millimillillion 3,003,003 6,006,000
1,001,001 primo-millesimo-millimillillion 3,003,006 6,006,006
1,002,000 bimillesimo-millimillillion 3,006,003 6,012,000
1,003,000 trimillesimo-millimillillion 3,009,003 6,018,000
1,010,000 decimillesimo-millimillillion 3,030,003 6,060,000
1,020,000 vicimillesimo-millimillillion 3,060,003 6.120,000
1,021,000 semelivicimillesimo-millimillillion 3,063,003 6,126,000
1,022,000 bivicimillesimo-millimillillion 3,066,003 6,132,000
1,030,000 tricimillesimo-millimillillion 3,090,003 6,180,000
1,100,000 centimillesimo-millimillillion 3,300,003 6,600,000
1,101,000 semelicentimillesimo-millimillillion 3,303,003 6,606,000
1,200,000 ducentimillesimo-millimillillion 3,600,003 7,200,000
1,300,000 trecentimillesimo-millimillillion 3,900,003 7,800,000
2,000,000 bi-millimillillion 6,000,003 12,000,000
3,000,000 tri-millimillillion 9,000,003 18,000,000
10,000,000 deci-millimillillion 30,000,003 60,000,000
20,000,000 vici-millimillillion 60,000,003 120,000,000
30,000,000 trici-millimillillion 90,000,003 180,000,000
100,000,000 centi-millimillillion 300,000,003 600,000,000
101,000,000 semeli-centi-millimillillion 303,000,003 606,000,000
102,000,000 bi-centi-millimillillion 306,000,003 612,000,000
103,000,000 tri-centi-millimillillion 309,000,003 618,000,000
110,000,000 deci-centi-millimillillion 330,000,003 660,000,000
120,000,000 vici-centi-millimillillion 360,000,003 720,000,000
200,000,000 ducenti-millimillillion 600,000,003 1,200,000,000
300,000,000 trecenti-millimillillion 900,000,003 1,800,000,000
400,000,000 quadringenti-millimillillion 1,200,000,003 2,400,000,000
500,000,000 quingenti-millimillillion 1,500,000,003 3,000,000,000
600,000,000 sexcenti-millimillillion 1,800,000,003 3,600,000,000
700,000,000 septingenti-millimillillion 2,100,000,003 4,200,000,000
800,000,000 octingenti-millimillillion 2,400,000,003 4,800,000,000
900,000,000 nongenti-millimillillion 2,700,000,003 5,400,000,000
1,000,000,000 milli-millimillillion 3,000,000,003 6,000,000,000


Source

Butler Univ. Digital Commons


Robert Munafo's home pages on AWS    © 1996-2024 Robert P. Munafo.    about    contact
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Details here.

This page was written in the "embarrassingly readable" markup language RHTF, and was last updated on 2022 Jul 26. s.27