Why is AD latin and BC not?

Question

AD = anno domini in the year of our lord but the reverse is BC = before christ.

Why are they not in a common language?

Answer 1

I've sometimes wondered the same thing !

Logically, it should either be BC (before Christ) and AC (after Christ), or AD (ante Dominum) and PD (post Dominum).
But then languages are not necessarily logical.

In fact, the designation 'AD' was first proposed in AD 532 by Dionysius Exiguus, to replace the former calendar (based on the supposed date of the foundation of Rome). This new calendar became adopted gradually throughout Europe between the 8th and 11th centuries, at which time Latin was the language of learning. At that time, there appeared to be little need to refer to exact dates prior to AD 1 and it was only around the 15th century that people (in England, anyway) felt an urgent need to refer to such dates. By that time, the English language was starting to assert itself and Latin was at the beginning of its long, slow decline. I guess that's why the English abbreviation was used for BC, but a Latin one for AD.

Answer 2

And just to confuse things even more, historians now say BCE and CE instead of (respectively) BC and AD.

BCE = Before Common Era
CE = Common Era

Answer 3

Possibly because the Latin for 'before' is 'ante', meaning that 'before the lord' would also have the abbreviation AD.

Answer 4

thats a good question i think it was because at the time the words were made up the langueges and rulers were different.

Answer 5

latin wasnt a well known language bc.