[Wikipedia-l] Re: [Wikitech-l] Hyperlink convention

Mon Oct 18 20:45:02 UTC 2004

Jimmy (Jimbo) Wales wrote:

>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1921_in_Germany#Reparations
>
>I just wanted to point out that this example, which I think was
>universally agreed to be A Very Bad Thing(tm), still says "a plan was
>formulated by which Germany was to pay 226 milliard gold marks in
>forty-two fixed annuities".
>
>To my knowledge, virtually no speaker of English will have the
>slightest idea of what this might mean.  First, "milliard" which is
>apparently in declining use everywhere.  Second "gold marks".  A "gold
>mark" is worth approximately what?  I have no clue.
>  
>
It seems that the writer may not be a native speaker of English.  I just 
checked with the treaty, and at least the English version did not use 
the word "milliard"; the numbers were written in full. 

"Gold marks" and sometimes "Marks gold" as in "To be issued forthwith, 
20,000,000,000 Marks gold bearer bonds, payable not later than May l, 
1921" was used in the treaty.  That suggests that the term should stand, 
but perhaps with some explanation.  What it was worth in 1921 or how it 
was understood then is more relevant than what, if anything, the term 
means now.

On the face of it "annuities" is also used wrongly.  That term already 
relates to a series of payments.  What may have been intended is "an 
annuity of 42 payments,". but I have not further researched the issue.

Ec