Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 8, 1994 TAG: 9404080198
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By ROB KYFF THE HARTFORD COURANT
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Gadzillions. Let's start the bidding at a ``thousand,'' which is often abbreviated as ``K'' (short for ``kilo''). Wholier than a ``thou'' is a ``million'' (a thousand thousand) and a ``billion'' (a thousand million).
Until recently, in parts of Europe, a ``billion'' meant a ``million million'' (our ``trillion''), but now all Europeans are thoroughly modern ``millies,'' using ``billion'' the same way our government does. Eeeek!
Beyond ``trillion,'' the ``higher-archy'' is supposed to run ``quadrillion,'' ``quintillion'' (this is starting to add up), ``sextillion,'' ``septillion,'' etc. But for numbers that immense, most of us prefer creative prefixes like ``jillion,'' ``zillion,'' ``skillion'' or ``whomptillion.''
Legion. In the Roman army, a legion consisted of anywhere from MMM to MMMMMM soldiers, based on the appreciative sounds made by Roman maidens when 3,000 to 6,000 Fabio look-alikes marched by.
Today ``legion'' (from the Old French) is not foreign to us; it can be used even as an adjective: ``Fabio's admirers are legion.''
Host. The enemies (``hostes'') of the Roman legions were usually numerous, so in English, ``host'' means ``army'' or ``multitude.'' (Even if you invite a host of enemies to your home, ``host,'' as in ``entertain,'' comes from a different Latin word, ``hospes,'' meaning ``guest.'')
Myriad. In ancient Greece, ``myriad'' meant a very specific number - 10,000. (When ``The lliad'' sold 10,000 copies, for instance, some called it ``The Myriad.'') Over the centuries, however, ``myriad'' became a roamin' numeral, signifying a very large but very indefinite quantity.
But is ``myriad'' an adjective or a noun? Yes. Although ``myriad'' was originally used only as a noun in English, the adjective ``myriad'' was well entrenched by the end of World War I, to say nothing of myriad soldiers.
Now a myriad of people use ``myriad'' in myriad ways, and it can even modify a singular noun to mean ``diverse'' (``the myriad tragedy of war'').
Given ``myriad'''s myriad life, will the rock group ``10,000 Maniacs'' soon change its name to ``Myriad Maniacs''? Will Minnesota's license plate soon read, ``Land of Myriad Lakes''?
I wouldn't count on it.
by CNB