Pronounciation of Dates

Tyson Ralph O'Brien   Friday, June 11, 2004, 04:41 GMT
Hello, everyone. In regards to the English Language, I started wondering how we should or will probably pronounce years in the next decades. As you know, in the current year 2004, we pronounce it two-thousand-four. The occasional person would say twenty-oh-four, but rarely. You would think we'd say twenty-oh-for for 2004, as we do for 1904 nineteen-oh-four. I think it's because of the shadow of the way we said 2000 (we couldn't say twenty hundred), and the "two thousand___" method continues. But how will we pronounce dates after 2009? Will we say two thousand ten or twenty ten for 2010?. If we say twoo thousand ten, certainly by the year 2101, we won't be able to say "two thousand one hundred and one", we'd have to revert to "twenty one oh one". What is your opinions on how we should pronounce our dates from 2010 onward? It's a weird question but i'm curious nonetheless. I'd pronounce it twenty-ten (2010). What do you all think?
patsd   Friday, June 11, 2004, 05:16 GMT
<<But how will we pronounce dates after 2009? Will we say two thousand ten or twenty ten for 2010?>>

I think its pretty obvious we will say twenty-ten, twenty-twenty and so on.
Tyson   Friday, June 11, 2004, 05:33 GMT
Yeah, but maybe because we will pronounce 2009 as two thousand nine, some will continue with "two thousand ten" in 2010 and "two thousand ninety nine" right to 2099.
Jim   Friday, June 11, 2004, 06:03 GMT
Here's my guess. We'll keep going with the "two thousand (and) four" style until two thousand and nine (I always put the "and" in there). There'll be those who keep going with this after twenty-ten but it'll become less and less common.
Damian   Friday, June 11, 2004, 07:25 GMT
Right from the start I have said "twenty hundred" for 2000; we are now in "twenty-o-four". I will get a telegram from the King/Queen (if we are still a monarchy) in "twenty eighty two" (if I live that long). That system seems logical to me, but as I live in the UK a lot of things seem illogical. :-)