| Definitions | | Common Era |
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proper noun
- the current date era beginning approximately (
- expr:CURRENTYEAR)-1 years ago in the Gregorian calendar; secular equivalent of anno Domini and the Christian Era.
Etymology: Originated in Latin as Vulgaris írae (vulgaris from vulgus: "the common people", ie. those who are not royalty) at least as early as 1617, long before vulgar came to mean "crudely indecent".<ref>cite web, url=http://books.google.com/books?id=nBQGGgAACAAJ&rview=1, title=Earliest-found use of "vulgaris aerae" (Latin for Common Era) (1617), quote=New Ephemerids for the Celestiall Motions, for the Yeeres of the Vulgar Era 1617-1636, accessdate=2007-12-14 cite book, title=Ephemerides novae motuum coelestium, ab anno vulgaris aerae MDCXVII-XXXVI..., quote=Part 3 has title: Tomi L Ephemeridvm Ioannis Kepleri pars tertia, complexa annos í M.DC.XXIX. in M.DC.XXXVI. In quibus & tabb. Rudolphi jam perfectis, et socií operí clariss. viri dn. Iacobi Bartschii ... Impressa Sagani Silesiorvm, in typographeio Ducali, svmptibvs avthoris, anno M.DC.XXX., author=w:Johannes Kepler, Johannes Kepler, Jakob Bartsch, publisher=Johannes Plancus, year=1617</ref>A 1701 book edited by John LeClerc? includes "Before Christ according to the Vulgar íra, 6", and is, so far, the earliest-found usage of Vulgar Era in English.<ref>cite web, url=http://books.google.com/books?id=jakGAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA5-IA4&dq=22vulgar+era22&ei=cydiR4HkBoOotgPT2PTwBg, title=Earliest so-far-found use of vulgar era in English (1701), accessdate=2007-12-14 cite book, title=The Harmony of the Evangelists, editor=John LeClerc?, authorlink=John LeClerc?, location=London, publisher=Sam Buckley, digitized=2007-02-21, pages=p 5, date=1701, quote=Before Christ according to the Vulgar AEra, 6</ref>A 1716 book in English by Dean w:Humphrey Prideaux, Humphrey Prideaux says, "before the beginning of the vulgar íra, by which we now compute the years from his incarnation."<ref>cite web, url=http://books.google.com/books?id=1DQHAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA5&vq=vulgar&dq=, title= Prideaux use of "Vulgar Era" (1716), date=1799 reprint, digitized=2007-08-30, quote2=reckoning it backward from the vulgar era of Christ's incarnation, accessdate=2007-12-14, digitized=2007-03-26 cite book, title=The Old and New Testament Connected in the History of the Jews and Neighbouring Nations, author=Humphrey Prideaux, D.D., authorlink=w:Humphrey Prideaux, publisher=D. Schaw & Co., location=Edinburgh, original=from Oxford University Press, quote=This happened in the seventh year after the building of Rome, and in the second year of the eighth Olympiad, which was the seven hundred forty-seventh year before Christ, i. e. before the beginning of the vulgar íra, by which we now compute the years from his incarnation., pages=p 1 Vol 1, year=1716, reprint=1799 (1716 edition not online, 1749 online is Vol 2)</ref><ref>Merriam Webster Online accepts the date of 1716, but does not give the source. (cite web, url=http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/vulgarera, title=Merriam Webster Online entry for Vulgar Era, accessdate=2007-12-12)</ref>The phrase "common era" was used as an English synonym for "vulgar era" at least as early as 1770, in a translation of a book originally written in German.<ref>(cite book , last=Hooper , first=William , coauthors=Bielfeld, Jacob Friedrich , title=The Elements of Universal Eurdition (v. 2) , year=1770 , publisher=G. Scott, printer, for J Robson, bookseller in New-Bond Street, and B. Law in Ave-Mary Lane, location=London, pages=p 105, url=http://books.google.com/books?id=gBETAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA105&dq=22Common+Era22+date:1-1800&as_brr=0&ei=aMzpRqzoMoz06gK06NFh, accessdate=2007-09-13)</ref>The 1797 edition of the w:Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica uses the terms vulgar era and common era synonymously.<ref>cite web, url=http://books.google.com/books?id=W3xMAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA228&dq=22vulgar+era22&ei=LjBiR-b5L4XasQP2j9yFBw, title="vulgar era" in 1797 EB, quote=St Peter died in the 66th year of the vulgar era, pages=p 228 v.14 pt.1 P (Peter), date=1797, accessdate=2007-12-14 <br/> cite web, url=http://books.google.com/books?id=W3xMAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA50&dq=22common+era22&ei=9jBiR4nEBpHwsgPfrYztBg, title="common era" in 1797 EB, pages=p 50 v.14 pt.1 P (Paul), quote=This happened in the 33rd year of the common era, fome time after our Saviour's death., date=1797, accessdate=2007-12-14 <br/> cite book, title=Encyclopedia Britannica: Or, A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Miscellaneous Literature (Third Edition in 18 volumes), date=1797, pages=v.14 pt.1 P , editor=George Gleig, location=Edinburgh, digitized=2007-09-12</ref>The term was later mentioned in w:Alexander Campbell (Restoration movement), Alexander Campbell's 1835 book Living Oracles: "The vulgar Era, or Anno Domini; the fourth year of Jesus Christ, the first of which was but eight days." In its article on General Chronology, the 1908 w:Catholic Encyclopedia, Catholic Encyclopedia'' stated that "Foremost among these (dating eras) is that which is now adopted by all civilized peoples and known as the Christian, Vulgar or , in the twentieth century of which we are now living."
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