How widespread is pronunciation of numbers less than zero as negative [number] vs. minus [number]? For example, geographically, by social status, etc.
Was negative [number] really introduced as a result of New Math in the 1960s?
Sample 1, YouTube: Blind Date - Olde English Sketch Comedy at 1 min 38 sec. Sample 2: School of Rock at 1 h 01 min 39 sec.
Quotes from a post on Math Overflow:
Quote 1:
There was a terrible controversy in the 1960's concerning American school mathematics. "New Math" adopted the term "negative 2" instead of "minus 2,"
Quote 2:
I always think of it as a British vs American thing. British students say 'minus 6', and all the American students I've taught say 'negative 6'.
Wikipedia has another twist. It claims it to be age related (but this could be in a US-only context):
When precision is important, -5 is pronounced "negative five" rather than "minus five"; "minus" is more common for English speakers born before 1950 and is still popular in some contexts, but "negative" is usually taught as the only correct reading. [Schwartzman, Steven (1994). The words of mathematics. The Mathematical Association of America. p. 136.]
I can’t yet find solid evidence that this was “introduced” by the New Math movement. I do find the idea compelling that New Math may have, indeed, been the impetus that ensconced the use of “negative two” at the exclusion of “minus two” in the U.S. I thought a few days ago I had a reference book or two on my shelf that would put the issue to rest, but I haven’t found anything authoritative yet to make a confident “answer.” There is a clear divergence in U.S. vs. U.K. usage, but whether New Math “made the difference” or simply further ingrained an existing divergence is not clear to me.
Meta: despite the presence of “pronunciation” in the question, the “pronunciation” tag seems wrong; when I grow up I’ll add “english-usage”, “mathematics”, or “technical”, since I can’t add “wrinkling my brow until then”…
I’m a little confused. Isn’t the question how to pronounce “-2”? Oddly enough, the use of the word “pronounce” (and it’s synonyms articulate, annunciate, verbalize, say, etc.) seems correct to me. I think the discussion has been thrown off track because “-2” or an equivalent does not actually appear in the text of the question. But, this is clearly part and parcel of the question: How do you pronounce “-2”?