"Billy" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"FarmI" ask@itshall be given wrote:

"Nad R" wrote in message

So math may not be a common language after all

Indeed. USians call it 'math' whereas Australians call it 'maths'
(always
with an 's' on the end and I presume that might be because it [perhaps]
liguistically, derives from 'mathmatics' as opposed to 'arithmetic').
Must
check my big OED some day.

My understanding is that the four basic functions of math are called
arithmetic. When you describe a situation, it is math.

Delete any possible international inclusiveness by the use of that 'you'
Billy.

I've just looked up my OED (the 20 volume version) and it says that 'math is
used as an abbreviation in written English in the UK but not in speech, the
normal form being 'maths'. For 'maths' it says that it is an abreviation
of 'mathematics'. It's the same in Australian English.