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.


Period
1	million
2	billion
3	trillion
4	quadrillion
5	quintillion
6	sextillion
7	septillion
8	octillion
9	nonillion
10	decillion
11	undecillion
12	duodecillion
13	tredecillion
14	quattuordecillion
15	quindecillion
16	sexdecillion
17	septendecillion
18	octodecillion
19	novemdecillion
20	vigintillion
21	primo-vigintillion
22	secundo-vigintillion
23	tertio-vigintillion
24	quarto-vigintillion
25	quinto-vigintillion
26	sexto-vigintillion
27	septimo-vigintillion
28	octavo-vigintillion
29	nono-vigintillion
30	trigintillion
40	quadragintillion
50	quinquagintillion
60	sexagintillion
70	septuagintillion
80	octogintillion
90	nonagintillion
100	centillion
101	primo-centillion

border=0 cellpadding=3 cellspacing=0 hspace="30px"> Powers of 10 class="i">Name (U.S.) (Brit.) 6 6 9 12 12 18 15 24 18 30 21 36 24 42 27 48 30 54 33 60 36 66 39 72 42 78 45 84 48 90 51 96 54 102 57 108 60 114 63 120 66 126 69 132 72 138 75 144 78 150 81 156 84 162 87 168 90 174 93 180 123 240 153 300 183 360 213 420 243 480 273 540 303 600 306 606

(page 91)

			Powers of 10
Period	Name	(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
Period	Name	(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
Period	Name	(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

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

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