[ltp] Re: [OT] Celsius vs centigrade

[Marcin Trybus]

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Marius Gedminas wrotee:

> I was taught at school that "laipsniai Celsijaus" (degrees Celsium in
> Lithuanian) was translated to "degrees centigrade" in English.  Now
> Wikipedia tells me "centigrade" is deprecated since 1948, because of th=
e
> confusion with the angle measure used in Spanish and French, that I
> didn't know anything about.

The angle measurement you mention (grad) is just as stupid, as the pi
number equal to 3.2, that was about to be used in the American state of
Indiana 111 years ago. Just another thing that was introduced to help by
a person without broader perspective. I doubt it though, that you've
never heard about it, as it still is available on any scientific
calculator alongside degrees and radian.

Technically, the weight lies somewhere else. Centigrade refers to the
traditional Celsius scale between ice thawing temperature and water's
boiling temperature divided in 100 degrees, thus it's name. Since the SI
changed the definition of temperature to be more technical, the scale's
original defining span is no longer equal to 100 degC. If you like being
anal, centigrade is a not the right way of saying the temperature unit
in English language. Otherwise, don't bother. Luckily in Polish we don't
have this ambiguity as well as in Lithuanian. Less things to remember.

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