Everyday Grammar - VOA Learning English Large Numbers, Count Nouns in the News - April 25, 2024
Apr 25, 2024
A lively look at the history of million and how million, billion, and trillion were formed. A clear take on short and long scales and the modern numeric definitions used in American English. Discussion of why big numbers grab news attention and how they pair with count nouns like dollars, years, and people in headlines.
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How Large Numbers Are Defined
- Large numbers like million, billion, and trillion are defined by multiplication with one thousand in modern American usage.
- Million = 1,000×1,000; billion = 1,000×1,000,000; trillion = 1,000×1,000,000,000, per Merriam-Webster cited by John Russell.
Etymology Of Million Billion Trillion
- The word million traces to Latin mille and evolved through Italian and Old French into English as 'a thousand thousands.'
- Billion and trillion were formed by combining numeric prefixes by- and try- with million over time.
Use Large Numbers With Count Nouns
- Use large numbers to describe count nouns in news writing, especially dollars, years, and people.
- Examples: 34 trillion dollars for national finance, 90 million years ago in science, 2.2 million people in a study.