My memory is that "turn of the century" meant "turn of the 20th century," back in the 20th century.  I also recall hearing either expression to mean the beginning of the then-present century (the 20th century), though "turn of the century" was much more common than "turn of the 20th century."  I would expect that we will start hearing "turn of the century," referring to the beginning of THIS century (the 21st), in another 10 or 20 years, and that the reference will remain commonly understood as referring to the early part of this century until the beginning of the next century (the 22nd), when another 10-year period of uncertainty/adjustment will ensue.  I'm not going to worry about that next transition, as I expect to be an archaeological feature by that time.

"Turn of the 19th century," of course, refers to the early years of the 1800s.  I still catch myself saying "the last century," meaning the 19th, and have noticed that this is beginning to cause some confusion, especially to students who, now, barely remember the 20th century.  Well, if time did not advance, none of us would have jobs.

D. Babson.


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From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Melissa Diamanti [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, August 19, 2011 4:58 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Phrase Turn of the Century

I have a question about terminology or usage.The period around 1900 Ad used to be referred to simply as "the turn of the century."  Now that we have turned another century, it is necessary to specify which one.So, would the time around 1900 Ad be the turn of the 19th century or the turn of the twentieth century?
This question is apparently unclear to many.  For example, the wikipedia entry on this topic is still being hashed out.  So what do the historians/historical archaeologists on this list recommend?
Meli Diamanti