Milliard

In French and German usage, one milliard equals .

American usage does not have a number called the milliard, instead using the term billion to denote . British usage, while formerly using "milliard," has in recent years adopted the American convention (Mish 2003, p. 852). This constitutes a fortunate development for standardization of terminology, albeit a somewhat regrettable development from the point of view that the (former) British convention for representing large numbers is simpler and more logical than the American one.

A terrible mathematical joke asks "What American President, with cities in California and Utah named after him, is associated in France and Germany with ?" Answer: Milliard Fillmore (J. vos Post, pers. comm., Apr. 27, 2006).

REFERENCES:

Mish, F. C. (Ed.). Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 2003.