`  I disagree with the hard-and-fast division into ``English`` and ``non-English`` in the Billion and Trillion (which is too definite IMO) articles, (but agree the accepted Wikipedia value should be the US one). Here is why.  My Collins English-German dictionary, third edition, purchased in England 1997, has this entry:  Trillion n (Brit) Trillion f; (US) Billion f.  Now the Trillion referred to is the German for 1 followed by 18 zeroes, and Billion is the German word for 1 followed by 12 zeroes. My few German acquaintances tell me they know this difference between the British and American (US) usage of ``Trillion``. Similarly for Billion. Also I did once hear an English-speaking person use ``milliard``, I had to ask them what it was! They (a well educated but non-British person) thought it was a common English word.  My Cassell's English-Italian dictionary, admittedly an old 1985 edition, makes the same distinction in this way:  Billion Bilione (English, 1,000,000,000,000; Amer. 1,000,000,000)  Similar distinction for Trillion. Neither divides the usage into ``English`` and ``non-English``, speaking or otherwise.  Admittedly current usage in the United Kingdom is either confusion or has adopted the American (US) usage. This has certainly been the case  in the financial industry. I was taught the 'old' British usage of both terms in a school run by Americans in a British colony (helps to pass the British exams).  The www.unc.edu link in Talk:Trillion above explains this, so I feel the articles should reflect this admittedly ambiguous difference. I tend to clarify when speaking English to well-educated non-British Europeans (who are aware of the problem with Billion and Trillion), as to exactly which I am using (``American`` or ``British``) to make it clear.  Having said all that I'm not sure what's best: American and non-American; English and non-English; British and American (how the dictionaries usually give it); standard usage and non-standard? - |  11:06, 2004 Jul 21 (UTC)`