# Where does B.C. come from? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 20, 2002, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-b-c-come-from/124705 "2002-08-20T04:23:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tenebras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@Tenebras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenebras)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2002, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-b-c-come-from/124705/1 "2002-08-20T04:23:24Z")
Oh fellow dopers from hither and yon, I have a question for ya’ll… Where does B.C. come from? I checked the OED online, and it tells me that B.C. means Before Christ. Ahh… very logical, says I. But it doesn’t say when this abbreviation came into use. Fie on thee, my OED! So perhaps some of you know from whence this placeholder for the past arose? I would be much obliged. Also, did those old monks who were so fond of counting in the year of the lord just use the old “Earth was created on or around 4000 years before Jesus’ birth” trick and _anno mundi_ their pre-Christian era dates? (Ok, ok… pre-Common era dates?) Inquiring minds would be ever so happy if this information could be provided. Thanks much. Tenebras ---
**Author:** ![Genseric](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Genseric](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Genseric)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2002, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-b-c-come-from/124705/2 "2002-08-20T04:51:40Z")
It introduced in 527 by Dionysuis Exiguus. Actually it was A.C. (Ante Christum: Before Christ), in Latin, B.C. in English. Prior to this systems implementation A.U.C. was used, which is the Roman Year numbering system, which dates from the founding of Rome (ab urbe conditâ–A.U.C) which coincides with 753 B.C. ---
**Author:** ![Genseric](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Genseric](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Genseric)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2002, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-b-c-come-from/124705/3 "2002-08-20T04:59:26Z")
Worst. Paragraph. Ever. Sorry. The information is accurate however, even if the grammar is lacking. Here’s some further info. [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3\_376.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_376.html) [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a940930.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a940930.html) [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03738a.htm](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03738a.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2002, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-b-c-come-from/124705/4 "2002-08-20T05:23:30Z")
B.C. is now generally replaced by BCE (before common era) and AD by CE (common era), at least in scolarly circiles. ---
**Author:** ![Earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/90db22/32.png) [@Earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthling)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2002, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-b-c-come-from/124705/5 "2002-08-20T06:05:42Z")
Actually, Dionysius Exiguus didn’t invent B.C. The system of counting backwards for years before A.D. 1, was first advocated by Dionysius Petavius (yep, another Dionysius) in 1627 as being superior to the others in use then (e.g., the Roman A.U.C. or the Jewish _anno mundi_). The term he wanted to use was, as **Genseric** pointed out, _ante Christum_, probably on the realization that _ante Domini_ would cause confusion when abbreviated. And then, as Cecil mentioned, people just adopted it with and shortened the term with their own languages anyway, showing the poor guy no respect whatsoever. Source: [_Marking Time: The Epic Quest to Invent the Perfect Calendar_](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0471298271/qid=1029821015/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/102-3062281-4265709?s=books&n=507846) by Duncan Steel, p. 114. ---
**Author:** ![Genseric](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Genseric](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Genseric)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2002, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-b-c-come-from/124705/6 "2002-08-20T06:08:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Urban Ranger \* > \*\*… scolarly circiles. \*\* Ok, now you’re just mocking me. 😉 Or, alternatively, what is it with this thread?! This must be the type fast and don’t proofread thread. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Tenebras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@Tenebras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenebras)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2002, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-b-c-come-from/124705/7 "2002-08-20T18:31:53Z")
Great, thanks everybody. I tried to find the words of Unca Cece on this one, but obviously didn’t search hard enough… You guys rock… ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2002, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-b-c-come-from/124705/8 "2002-08-20T21:19:40Z")
> [@](#): > > B.C. is now generally replaced by BCE (before common era) and AD by CE (common era), at least in scolarly circiles I assume _ **scolarly** _ is some new word meaning politically correct…