Ante_Christum | TriviaQuestions.online

⭐ In the context of calendar dating systems like AD and BC, what is the Latin equivalent for 'BC', though infrequently used in English?

The Latin phrase 'ante Christum natum' directly translates to 'before Christ was born' and serves as the Latin equivalent of the English abbreviation 'BC' in calendar dating.

⭐ Core Definition: Ante Christum

The term ante Christum natum (Latin for 'before Christ [was] born'), usually abbreviated to a. Chr. n., a.Ch.n., a.C.n., A.C.N., or ACN, denotes the years before the birth of Jesus Christ. It is a Latin equivalent to the English "BC" ("before Christ"). The phrase ante Christum natum is also seen shortened to ante Christum ("before Christ"), similarly abbreviated to a. Chr., A. C. or AC. A related phrase, p. Chr. n., p. Ch. n., P.C.M, PCN, or post Christum natum complements a. Ch. n. and is equivalent to Anno Domini (AD).

In English, these phrases are rare and AC, ACN, and ante Christum natum are not in the Chicago Manual of Style (14th edition), the American Heritage Dictionary (3rd edition), or P. Kenneth Seidelmann's Explanatory Supplement to the Astronomical Almanac (1992, University Science Books). In other European languages, such as Italian ("a.c." or "a.C." for avanti Cristo), a vernacular version is the standard term.

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Ante Christum in the context of Anno Domini

The terms anno Domini (AD) and before Christ (BC) are used when designating years in the Gregorian and Julian calendars. The term anno Domini is Medieval Latin and means "in the year of the Lord" but is often presented using "our Lord" instead of "the Lord", taken from the full original phrase "anno Domini nostri Jesu Christi", which translates to "in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ". The form "BC" is specific to English, and equivalent abbreviations are used in other languages: the Latin form, rarely used in English, is ante Christum natum (ACN) or ante Christum (AC).

This calendar era takes as its epoch the traditionally reckoned year of the conception or birth of Jesus. Years AD are counted forward since that epoch and years BC are counted backward from the epoch. There is no year zero in this scheme; thus the year AD 1 immediately follows the year 1 BC. This dating system was devised in 525 by the Eastern Roman monk Dionysius Exiguus but was not widely used until the 9th century. Modern scholars believe that the actual date of birth of Jesus was about 5 BC.

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