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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread roman numerals, not a word post #87121 11/16/02 05:33 PM Joined: Apr 2002 Posts: 475 manchester uk D dodyskin OP addict OP dodyskin addict D Joined: Apr 2002 Posts: 475 manchester uk MCMXXXIXMCMXLV. Can anyone translate this into a number for me? It is part of an inscription on the cenotaph in London. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: roman numerals, not a word post #87122 11/16/02 05:50 PM Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 7,210 Vermont Buffalo Shrdlu Carpal Tunnel Buffalo Shrdlu Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 7,210 Vermont 1939(-)1945 I'm assuming the hyphen didn't get used for this? a cenotaph for WWII? is there only one cenotaph in London? so it is The Cenotaph? formerly known as etaoin... Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: roman numerals, not a word post #87123 11/16/02 05:59 PM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 W wwh Carpal Tunnel wwh Carpal Tunnel W Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 Dear Dody: you gave me a headache, or rather, the problem did. I don't see any way to make sense out of that, unless some special rules were employed. Here is a URL to the rules: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/6946/romannumerals.html PS. Dear etaoin: Nice work. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: roman numerals, not a word post #87124 11/16/02 06:52 PM Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 7,210 Vermont Buffalo Shrdlu Carpal Tunnel Buffalo Shrdlu Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 7,210 Vermont Bill: thanks! I always loved Roman numerals... and thanks for a great link, I didn't know about some of those higher numbers. formerly known as etaoin... Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: roman numerals, and spaces #87125 11/17/02 02:50 PM Joined: Nov 2000 Posts: 3,439 New England, USA W wow Carpal Tunnel wow Carpal Tunnel W Joined: Nov 2000 Posts: 3,439 New England, USA In school I was told that there were no spaces between words in Latin text, which is one reason translating it is so long a process. Perusing a few facsimiles of early documents, "no spaces" appears to be accurate. Who invented placing a small space between words? And why isn't that person canonized, at least, or worshiped or ever even mentioned? Thanks for the link, wwh, it'll be a big help doing crosswords. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Who invented placing a small space between words #87126 11/18/02 12:35 AM Joined: Jul 2000 Posts: 3,467 Marion NC TEd Remington Carpal Tunnel TEd Remington Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jul 2000 Posts: 3,467 Marion NC Bill: The reason no one has been given credit is because no one knows who this person was. Early printing presses had provisions for spaces between words thanks to Maynard and Noel Spaes, who worked for Johannes Gutenburg. Maynard insisted that a wide space between words was appropriate because then there wasn't any doubt that there actually was a space. Noel believed that a small space was preferable because in the long run it ended up using less paper, which was a very valuable commodity. So in typographical circles there has been considerable debate over the centuries about the merits of the M. Spaes argument versus the N. Spaes argument. TEd, who can italic like it is, though some consider him a pica for making such a bad pun. Actually, we've been through this series of puns this past twelvemonth, so I won't go any further. TEd Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Who invented placing a small space between words #87127 11/18/02 12:45 AM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 W wwh Carpal Tunnel wwh Carpal Tunnel W Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 There's no spes for you, TEd. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Who invented placing a small space between words #87128 11/18/02 03:52 PM Joined: Apr 2002 Posts: 475 manchester uk D dodyskin OP addict OP dodyskin addict D Joined: Apr 2002 Posts: 475 manchester uk The Cenotaph indeed Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. 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