[TN-Bird] A Zillion Martins

From: "Howard Groce" <billyh@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Tn-Bird" <Tn-Bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 14 Jul 2007 14:39:41 -0500
Hi TN-birders,

 

For those who missed Chris Sloan's report Thursday on Purple Martins
migrating over East Park in Nashville on Tuesday, he said the following:  "I
have no idea of the actual numbers, ........

....,but it seemed like a jillion, or maybe even a zillion". That is the
correct use of the term, according to Wikipedia, the online
pseudo-encyclopedia.....


Zillion


Imaginary words ending in the sound "-illion", such as zillion[1]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zillion#_note-a>  and bazillion[2]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zillion#_note-0> , are often used as
fictitious names for an unspecified, large number
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number> , by analogy to names of large numbers
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_large_numbers>  such as billion
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billion_%28disambiguation%29>  and trillion
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trillion_%28disambiguation%29> . Their size is
dependent upon the context, but can typically be considered large enough to
be unfathomable by the average human mind
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_mind> .

These terms are often used as hyperbole
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperbole>  or for comic effect, or in loose,
unconfined conversation <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conversation>  to
present an un-guessably large number. Since these are undefined, they have
no mathematical validity and no accepted order, since none is necessarily
larger or smaller than any of the others.

Many similar words are used, such as jillion,[3]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zillion#_note-1>  ananillion,[4]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zillion#_note-2>  bajillion,[5]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zillion#_note-3>  squillion,[1]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zillion#_note-a>  skillion,[6]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zillion#_note-4>  gonillion,[7]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zillion#_note-5>  kabillion,[8]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zillion#_note-6>  kajillion,[9]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zillion#_note-7>  gajillion,[10]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zillion#_note-8>  umptillion,[11]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zillion#_note-9>  gagillion,[12]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zillion#_note-10>  gadzillion,[13]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zillion#_note-11>  godzillion,[14]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zillion#_note-12>  hojillion,[15]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zillion#_note-13>  grillion,[16]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zillion#_note-14>  julillion,[17]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zillion#_note-15>  and robillion.[18]

So, keep scanning those skies, Chris.  I believe I saw a robillion Grackles
when we lived in Putnam County a few years ago when they would pass over for
over an hour going northward  to their roosts...

 

Howard Groce

Byrdstown, Pickett  County

 

 

 

 

 



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[TN-Bird] A Zillion Martins

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