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Chronogram
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{{Short description|Inscription whereby specific letters stand for a date}} {{For|the genetic term|phylogenetic tree}} {{more citations needed|date=September 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}} [[File:Thuin - beffroi - 2018-09-08 - 13.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Chronogram on the [[Belfry of Thuin]] in Belgium: " reæ'''DI'''f'''IC'''or bapt'''I'''stæ '''C'''her'''M'''an̄e so'''L'''ert'''I'''a"]] [[File:Portret van Henricus Gabriel van Gameren, RP-P-1878-A-1903.jpg|thumb|Portrait of Henry van Gameren, with Chronogram]] A '''chronogram''' is a sentence or inscription in which specific letters, interpreted as [[numeral system|numerals]] (such as [[Roman numerals]]), stand for a particular date when rearranged. The word, meaning "time writing", derives from the [[Ancient Greek|Greek]] words ''chronos'' (χρόνος "time") and ''gramma'' (γράμμα, "letter"). In the ''pure chronogram'', each word contains a numeral; the ''natural chronogram'' shows all numerals in the correct numerical order, e.g. A'''M'''ORE '''M'''AT'''V'''R'''I'''TAS = MMVI = 2006. Chronograms in [[Metre (poetry)|versification]] are referred to as ''chronosticha'' if they are written in [[hexameter]] and ''chronodisticha'' if they are written in [[distich]]. In the [[History of Indonesia|ancient Indonesian]] Hindu-Buddhist tradition, especially in ancient Java, chronograms were called ''chandrasengkala'' and usually used in inscriptions to signify a given year in the [[Saka calendar]]. Certain words were assigned their specific number, and poetic phrases were formed from these selected words to describe particular events that have their own numerical meanings. For example, the ''chandrasengkala'' "''sirna ilang kertaning bumi''" ("the wealth of earth disappeared and diminished") (''sirna'' = 0, ''ilang'' = 0, ''kerta'' = 4, ''bumi'' = 1) corresponds to the year 1400 in the Saka calendar (1478 CE), the date of the fall of the [[Majapahit Empire]].<ref>[http://m.thejakartapost.com/news/2003/03/30/sengkalan-mystery-words-and-forms.html Jakarta Post, March 30, 2003: ''Sengkalan: Mystery of words and forms ''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141025144719/http://m.thejakartapost.com/news/2003/03/30/sengkalan-mystery-words-and-forms.html |date=25 October 2014}}</ref>
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