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Archiver > TMG > 2000-03 > 0952142057


From: "Chris Andrle" <>
Subject: Re: TMG-L: New/Old Style v Gregorian/Julian
Date: Fri, 3 Mar 2000 22:54:17 -0500


> 4-Feb-1659/60 is precise (being pedantic you might want to write Old Style
> after it!)

I find this very interesting but now I'm confused. How does the double year
date make this date precise? What indicates Old Style or New Style? I
thought that double year dates were only used to make dates that fell
between January 1st and March 25th unambiguous in relation to the start of
the year and had nothing to do with Old Style or New Style.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Kent, John G" <>
To: <>
Sent: Friday, March 03, 2000 4:54 AM
Subject: TMG-L: New/Old Style v Gregorian/Julian


> >>>> From the many messages on this thread, there is still confusion about
> Julian/Gregorian and New Style/Old Style. The first relates to the
> calendar: the second to the start of the year. The two are not
> synonymous<<<<<<<
>
> This is just plain wrong - although I say this with trepidation <g>. I am
> afraid that we cannot set ourselves up to decide what words mean, unless
we
> live in Alice's Wonderland. If we wish to be considered as 'scientific' in
> our research we must stick by strict definitions to our terminology. (I
can
> call a robin an eagle if I wish, but needn't expect people to take much
> notice of me). Learned bodies of specialists are the academic way of
> reaching a generally recognised nomenclature - hence that is a robin, and
> this is an eagle! I believe that the R. Historical Society's view should
be
> noted. Here are some other reasons for believing that New Style =
> Gregorian...
>
> SOURCES:
> Encyclopedia Britannica, Webster's Dictionary (USA) and Chamber's & Oxford
> Dictionaries (UK) both equate New Style with Gregorian calendar and Old
> Style with Julian. ie Old/New style have nothing to do with New Year's day
>
> CONTEMPORY RECORD:
> James Clegg's diary (Derbyshire, England) for September 1752:
>
> 2nd At home all afternoon then took a ride out .....
>
> 14th This day the use of the new Stile in numbring the days of the month
> commenceth ...
>
> PRACTICALITY:
> 4-Aug-1660 is an ambiguous date - even if you are told which country the
> date refers to you have still got to find out when that country changed
its
> calendar.
>
> 4-Aug-1660 New Style - is definitive, we don't have to worry where we are.
> It might even be Samuel Pepys writing in his diary, but refering to a date
> in Holland.
>
> 4-Feb-1659/60 is precise (being pedantic you might want to write Old Style
> after it!)
>
> In other words double year numbers define dates precisely as does OS and
NS
> when correctly used.
>
> I rest my case.....
>
> John
> ---------------------------------
> John Kent
> mailto:
>
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