2010... the start or the end of a decade??

[Dandi]

I don''t know if it''s just here in Australia, but all I heard on NYE ws ''Welcome to the new decade!!''

Huh? Isn''t 2010 the end of the decade? Not the start of a new one? So many people jumped the gun at midnight Dec 31st, 1999, to welcome the ''New Millenium''. The new millenium didn''t start until a year later! Is it everywhere else or just here?! Decades start with a 1, not a zero. There was never a year 0 on the very first calendar year! It hurts my brain

Perhaps the nicknames given to the decades, ie. the Noughties, or the Eighties, to appease the pop culture, has caused confusion? Someone give me some Prozac.

 

[lyra]

It''s a new decade. Last decade was the 10 year span 2000-2009.

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

agreed, we start with 0 and count up to 9...new decade!

 

[JulieN]

new decade.

for example, 10 is the first number in the "tens."

i did not know that about the millenium!

 

[kenny]

Along the the same lines . . .
I know when 12:00 noon is.
I know when 12:00 midnight is.

By definition 12:00 is that instant you transition from PM to AM or from AM to PM.

So . . .
When it 12:00 AM?
When is 12:00 PM?

Is 12:00 AM midnight, or noon?
And is the answer rational, or just a convention that has been widely agreed with?

(Actually, neither of those instants of time fit the definition of AM or PM.)

 

[JulieN]

12 AM is midnight.

 

[princesss]

Date: 1/1/2010 10:45:18 PM
Author: kenny
Along the the same lines . . .

I know when 12:00 noon is.

I know when 12:00 midnight is.


By definition 12:00 is that instant you transition from PM to AM or from AM to PM.


So . . .

When it 12:00 AM?

When is 12:00 PM?


Is 12:00 AM midnight, or noon?

And is the answer rational, or just a convention that has been widely agreed with?


(Actually, neither of those instants of time fit the definition of AM or PM.)

And that right there is a great argument for switching to the 24 hour clock. It's hard to figure out when 12:00 AM or 12:00 PM is, but 0:00 and 12:00 are very easy to distinguish!

 

[Maria D]

Date: 1/1/2010 9:59:36 PM
Author:DandiAndi
I don''t know if it''s just here in Australia, but all I heard on NYE ws ''Welcome to the new decade!!''


Huh? Isn''t 2010 the end of the decade? Not the start of a new one? So many people jumped the gun at midnight Dec 31st, 1999, to welcome the ''New Millenium''. The new millenium didn''t start until a year later! Is it everywhere else or just here?! Decades start with a 1, not a zero. There was never a year 0 on the very first calendar year! It hurts my brain

Perhaps the nicknames given to the decades, ie. the Noughties, or the Eighties, to appease the pop culture, has caused confusion? Someone give me some Prozac.

By definition, a decade is a period of ten years. We do tend to name decades in the way you describe -- although I''ve never heard the ''00s described as Noughties or anything else for that matter. (But now that I''ve learned it from you I will use it! ) It only makes sense that the ''80s, for example, would be from 1980 to 1989. So then it only makes sense that 1990 starts another named decade: the ''90s. It follows that the first year of the next decade named in this fashion starts a "new" decade.

It''s not the same thing as naming centuries with ordinal numbers. When we say 20th century, we mean the 20th period of 100 years starting from 1 A.D. Since there was no 0 A.D. (the Romans hadn''t learned about zero from the Arabics until well after they started numbering years), 1 A.D. to 100 A.D. was the first century and each subsequent one ended on the last day of a year divisible by 100 -- with the 20th century ending on Dec 31 2000. We also talk about centuries without ordinals, as in "the 1700''s." Everyone understand this to be from 1700 to 1799. If we say the 18th century that would be 1701 to 1800.

We don''t name decades with ordinal numbers. If you want to call the one we are in the 210th decade, then fine I''ll agree with you that the 210th decade ends on *next* New Year''s Eve. That doesn''t change the fact that the Noughties are done -- bring on the Twenty-Teens!

 

[Maria D]

Date: 1/1/2010 10:45:18 PM
Author: kenny
Along the the same lines . . .

I know when 12:00 noon is.

I know when 12:00 midnight is.


By definition 12:00 is that instant you transition from PM to AM or from AM to PM.


So . . .

When it 12:00 AM?

When is 12:00 PM?


Is 12:00 AM midnight, or noon?

And is the answer rational, or just a convention that has been widely agreed with?


(Actually, neither of those instants of time fit the definition of AM or PM.)

The whole thing is convention, including the terms "noon" and "midnight." When I was a kid it used to always bug me that the TV Guide listings after midnight would be on the previous day. In other words, the horror film starting at 2:00 a.m. Wednesday would be under Tuesday night''s listings. I guess the TV Guide convention was that the day didn''t end until the TV station signed off.

 

[Dandi]

Date: 1/2/2010 12:35:57 AM
Author: Maria D

Date: 1/1/2010 9:59:36 PM
Author:DandiAndi
I don''t know if it''s just here in Australia, but all I heard on NYE ws ''Welcome to the new decade!!''


Huh? Isn''t 2010 the end of the decade? Not the start of a new one? So many people jumped the gun at midnight Dec 31st, 1999, to welcome the ''New Millenium''. The new millenium didn''t start until a year later! Is it everywhere else or just here?! Decades start with a 1, not a zero. There was never a year 0 on the very first calendar year! It hurts my brain

Perhaps the nicknames given to the decades, ie. the Noughties, or the Eighties, to appease the pop culture, has caused confusion? Someone give me some Prozac.

By definition, a decade is a period of ten years. We do tend to name decades in the way you describe -- although I''ve never heard the ''00s described as Noughties or anything else for that matter. (But now that I''ve learned it from you I will use it! ) It only makes sense that the ''80s, for example, would be from 1980 to 1989. So then it only makes sense that 1990 starts another named decade: the ''90s. It follows that the first year of the next decade named in this fashion starts a ''new'' decade.

It''s not the same thing as naming centuries with ordinal numbers. When we say 20th century, we mean the 20th period of 100 years starting from 1 A.D. Since there was no 0 A.D. (the Romans hadn''t learned about zero from the Arabics until well after they started numbering years), 1 A.D. to 100 A.D. was the first century and each subsequent one ended on the last day of a year divisible by 100 -- with the 20th century ending on Dec 31 2000. We also talk about centuries without ordinals, as in ''the 1700''s.'' Everyone understand this to be from 1700 to 1799. If we say the 18th century that would be 1701 to 1800.

We don''t name decades with ordinal numbers. If you want to call the one we are in the 210th decade, then fine I''ll agree with you that the 210th decade ends on *next* New Year''s Eve. That doesn''t change the fact that the Noughties are done -- bring on the Twenty-Teens!

Hehe, I only hear that term last week and I think it''s quite cute!

I''m interested to know when the change was made from 1-10 to 0-9, it must have happened somewhere along the line, seeing as there was never a Year 0 on the Gregorian calendar, only a Year 1!

Which brings me to my next question... who says ''twenty-ten'' and who says ''two thousand and ten''? I''ve been saying ''two thousand and ten'', which is how I''d expressed all the 2000''s, but then, I never said ''one thousand, nine hundred and ninety nine'' for 1999. GAH! Life was easier in 1996

 

[zoebartlett]

Date: 1/2/2010 1:39:37 AM
Author: DandiAndi

Date: 1/2/2010 12:35:57 AM
Author: Maria D

Date: 1/1/2010 9:59:36 PM
Author:DandiAndi
I don't know if it's just here in Australia, but all I heard on NYE ws 'Welcome to the new decade!!'


Huh? Isn't 2010 the end of the decade? Not the start of a new one? So many people jumped the gun at midnight Dec 31st, 1999, to welcome the 'New Millenium'. The new millenium didn't start until a year later! Is it everywhere else or just here?! Decades start with a 1, not a zero. There was never a year 0 on the very first calendar year! It hurts my brain

Perhaps the nicknames given to the decades, ie. the Noughties, or the Eighties, to appease the pop culture, has caused confusion? Someone give me some Prozac.

By definition, a decade is a period of ten years. We do tend to name decades in the way you describe -- although I've never heard the '00s described as Noughties or anything else for that matter. (But now that I've learned it from you I will use it! ) It only makes sense that the '80s, for example, would be from 1980 to 1989. So then it only makes sense that 1990 starts another named decade: the '90s. It follows that the first year of the next decade named in this fashion starts a 'new' decade.

It's not the same thing as naming centuries with ordinal numbers. When we say 20th century, we mean the 20th period of 100 years starting from 1 A.D. Since there was no 0 A.D. (the Romans hadn't learned about zero from the Arabics until well after they started numbering years), 1 A.D. to 100 A.D. was the first century and each subsequent one ended on the last day of a year divisible by 100 -- with the 20th century ending on Dec 31 2000. We also talk about centuries without ordinals, as in 'the 1700's.' Everyone understand this to be from 1700 to 1799. If we say the 18th century that would be 1701 to 1800.

We don't name decades with ordinal numbers. If you want to call the one we are in the 210th decade, then fine I'll agree with you that the 210th decade ends on *next* New Year's Eve. That doesn't change the fact that the Noughties are done -- bring on the Twenty-Teens!

Hehe, I only hear that term last week and I think it's quite cute!

I'm interested to know when the change was made from 1-10 to 0-9, it must have happened somewhere along the line, seeing as there was never a Year 0 on the Gregorian calendar, only a Year 1!

Which brings me to my next question... who says 'twenty-ten' and who says 'two thousand and ten'? I've been saying 'two thousand and ten', which is how I'd expressed all the 2000's, but then, I never said 'one thousand, nine hundred and ninety nine' for 1999. GAH! Life was easier in 1996

Andi -- my husband and I were just talking about this yesterday. For some reason, it bugs me when I hear 2010 referred to as "twenty ten." I say "two thousand ten." I also had to think twice when my husband asked, "well then why didn't you say "one thousand nine hundred ninety-nine back in 1999?" Huh.

I feel like I suddenly don't know what to call this year!

 

[Gypsy]

I say two thousand and ten. 2010 sounds to... space aged for me. I dunno. Just reminds me of sci-fi.

New decade. THANK GOODNESSS.

OMG. I just realized that in 1999 I had just met my husband.. we'd only been together for 6 months that New Year's Eve. And it's been a DECADE. I mean, I knew it had been ten years (we celebrated the anniversary) but... it just occured to me that we've been togther for a DECADE. That sounds like and eternity. Yes, I know. I'm slow on the uptake. So shoot. me.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

The definition of a decade is just that it be 10 years long, however if you want the decade to align with the millennium, then 2010 is not the start of a new decade. I consider 2010 the last year of this decade.

 

[Tuckins1]

Start. A decade is ten years. It started in 2000, so it ended in 2009.

 

[Scorpioanne]

Date: 1/2/2010 9:05:47 AM
Author: NewEnglandLady
The definition of a decade is just that it be 10 years long, however if you want the decade to align with the millennium, then 2010 is not the start of a new decade. I consider 2010 the last year of this decade.

There was no year zero so I have to agree with NEL, 2010 is the last year of this decade. This is according to my computer geek husband.

 

[Mara]

We also thought it was odd people are calling this a new decade. To us 2010 is the last year of this decade. I heard this debate somewhere else too, maybe on the radio? It seems like some people think it's 2009 and some think it's 2010.

I thought calling this the new decade is an 'effective' marketing gimmick though, esp given emotions around the new year.

 

[Maria D]

from dictionary.com:
decade
1. a period of ten years: the three decades from 1776 to 1806.
2. a period of ten years beginning with a year whose last digit is zero: the decade of the 1980s.
3. a group, set, or series of ten.

Do those of you that think we haven't started the "new" decade yet call this one the 210th decade? The one before that (aka the Nineties) the 200th decade? I'm guessing no.

ETA: this is interesting; astronomers apparently DO use a year zero linky