PART FIRSTWORDS AND FORMS

NUMERALS

The Latin Numerals may be classified as follows:

I. NUMERAL ADJECTIVES:

1. Cardinal Numbers, answering the question how many? as, nus, one; duo, two, etc.

2. Ordinal Numbers, ⁶⁸ adjectives derived (in most cases) from the Cardinals, and answering the question which in order? as, prmus, first; secundus, second, etc.

3. Distributive Numerals, answering the question how many at a time? as, singul, one at a time; bn, two by two, etc.

II. NUMERAL ADVERBS, answering the question how often? as, semel, once; bis, twice, etc.

Cardinals and Ordinals

These two series are as follows:

CARDINAL	ORDINAL	ROMAN NUMERALS
1. nus, na, num, one	prmus, -a, -um, first	I
2. duo, duae, duo, two	secundus (alter), second	II
3. trs, tria, three	tertius, third	III
4. quattuor	qurtus	IIII or IV
5. qunque	quntus	V
6. sex	sextus	VI
7. septem	septimus	VII
8. oct	octvus	VIII
9. novem	nnus	VIIII or IX
10. decem	decimus	X
11. ndecim	ndecimus	XI
12. duodecim	duodecimus	XII
13. tredecim (decem (et) trs)	tertius decimus (decimus (et) tertius)	XIII
14. quattuordecim	qurtus decimus	XIIII or XIV
15. qundecim	quntus decimus	XV
16. sdecim	sextus decimus	XVI
17. septendecim	septimus decimus	XVII
18. duodvgint (octdecim)	duodvcnsimus (octvus decimus)	XVIII

[p. 59]

CARDINAL	ORDINAL	ROMAN NUMERALS
19. ndvgint (novendecim)	ndvcnsimus(nnus decimus)	XVIIII or XIX
20. vgint	vcnsimus (vgnsimus)	XX
21. vgint nus (or nus et vgint, etc.)	vcnsimus prmus (nus et vcnsimus, etc.)	XXI
30. trgint	trcnsimus	XXX
40. quadrgint	quadrgnsimus	XXXX or XL
50. qunqugint	qunqugnsimus	or L
60. sexgint	sexgnsimus	LX
70. septugint	septugnsimus	LXX
80. octgint	octgnsimus	LXXX
90. nngint	nngnsimus	LXXXX or XC
100. centum	centnsimus	C
101. centum (et) nus, etc.	centnsimus prmus, etc.	CI
200. ducent, -ae, -a	ducentnsimus	CC
300. trecent	trecentnsimus	CCC
400. quadringent	quadringentnsimus	CCCC
500. qungent	qungentnsimus	D
600. sescent	sescentnsimus	DC
700. septingent	septingentnsimus	DCC
800. octingent	octingentnsimus	DCCC
900. nngent	nngentnsimus	DCCCC
1000. mlle	mllnsimus	(CI) or M
5000. qunque mlia (mllia)	qunquins mllnsimus	I
10,000. decem mlia (mllia)	decins mllnsimus	CCI
100,000. centum mlia (mllia)	centins mllnsimus	CCCI

NOTE 1.The forms in -nsimus are often written without the n: as, vcsimus, etc.

NOTE 2.The forms octdecim, novendecim are rare, duodvgint (two from twenty), ndvgint (one from twenty), being used instead. So 28, 29; 38, 39; etc. may be expressed either by the subtraction of two and one or by the addition of eight and nine respectively.

Declension of Cardinals and Ordinals

Of the Cardinals only nus, duo, trs, the hundreds above one hundred, and mlle when used as a noun, are declinable.

For the declension of nus, see 113. It often has the meaning of same or only. The plural is used in this sense; but also, as a simple numeral, to agree with a plural noun of a singular meaning: as, na castra, one camp (cf. 137. b). The plural occurs also in the phrase n et alter, one party and the other (the ones and the others).

Duo, ⁶⁹ two, and trs, three, are thus declined: [p. 60]

	M.	F.	N.	M., F.	N.
NOM.	duo	duae	duo	trs	tria
GEN.	durum	durum	durum	trium	trium
DAT.	dubus	dubus	dubus	tribus	tribus
ACC.	dus (duo)	dus	duo	trs (trs)	tria
ABL.	dubus	dubus	dubus	tribus	tribus

NOTE.Amb, both, is declined like duo.

The hundreds, up to 1000, are adjectives of the First and Second Declensions, and are regularly declined like the plural of bonus.

Mlle, a thousand, is in the singular an indeclinable adjective:
mlle mods, in a thousand ways.
cum mlle hominibus, with a thousand men.
mlle trahns varis colrs (Aen. 4.701), drawing out a thousand various colors.

In the plural it is used as a neuter noun, and is declined like the plural of sedle ( 69): mlia, mlium, mlibus, etc.

NOTE.The singular mlle is sometimes found as a noun in the nominative and accusative: as, mlle hominum msit, he sent a thousand (of) men; in the other cases rarely, except in connection with the same case of mlia: as, cum oct mlibus peditum, mlle equitum, with eight thousand foot and a thousand horse.

The ordinals are adjectives of the First and Second Declensions, and are regularly declined like bonus.

Cardinals and Ordinals have the following uses:

In numbers below 100, if units precede tens, et is generally inserted: duo et vgint; otherwise et is omitted: vgint duo.

In numbers above 100 the highest denomination generally stands first, the next second, etc., as in English. Et is either omitted entirely, or stands between the two highest denominations:mlle (et) septingent sexgint quattuor, 1764.

NOTE.Observe the following combinations of numerals with substantives:
nus et vgint mlits, or vgint mlits (et) nus, 21 soldiers.
duo mlia qungent mlits, or duo mlia mlitum et qungent, 2500 soldiers.
mlits mlle ducent trgint nus, 1231 soldiers.

After mlia the name of the objects enumerated is in the genitive:
duo mlia hominum, two thousand men. ⁷⁰
cum tribus mlibus mlitum, with three thousand soldiers.
mlia passuum tria, three thousand paces (three miles).

For million, billion, trillion, etc., the Romans had no special words, out these numbers were expressed by multiplication (cf. 138. a). [p. 61]

Fractions are expressed, as in English, by cardinals in the numerator and ordinals in the denominator. The feminine gender is used to agree with pars expressed or understood:two-sevenths, duae septimae (sc. parts); three-eighths, trs octvae (sc. parts).

One-half is dmidia pars or dmidium.

NOTE 1.When the numerator is one, it is omitted and pars is expressed: onethird, tertia pars; one-fourth, qurta pars.

NOTE 2.When the denominator is but one greater than the numerator, the numerator only is given: two-thirds, duae parts; three-fourths, trs parts, etc.

NOTE 3.Fractions are also expressed by special words derived from as, a pound: as, trins, a third; bs, two-thirds. See 637.

Distributives

Distributive Numerals are declined like the plural of bonus.

NOTE.These answer to the interrogative quotn, how many of each? or how many at a time?

1. singul, one by one	18. octn dn or duodvcn	100. centn
2. bn, two by two		200. ducn
3. tern, trn	19. novn dn or ndvcn	300. trecn
4. quatern		400. quadringn
5. qun	20. vcn	500. qungn
6. sn	21. vcn singul, etc.	600. sescn
7. septn	30. trcn	700. septingn
8. octn	40. quadrgn	800. octingn
9. novn	50. qunqugn	900. nngn
10. dn	60. sexgn	1000. mlln
11. ndn	70. septugn	2000. bna mlia
12. duodn	80. octgn	10,000. dna mlia
13. tern dn, etc.	90. nngn	100,000. centna mlia

Distributives are used as follows:

In the sense of so many apiece or on each side: as, singula singuls, one apiece (one each to each one); agr septna igera plb dvsa sunt, i.e. seven jugera to each citizen (seven jugera each), etc.

Instead of cardinals, to express simple number, when a noun plural in form but usually singular in meaning is used in a plural sense: as, bna castra, two camps (duo castra would mean two forts). With such nouns trn, not tern, is used for three: as, trna (not terna) castra, three camps; terna castra means camps in threes.

In multiplication: as, bis bna, twice two; ter septns dibus, in thrice seven days.

By the poets instead of cardinal numbers, particularly where pairs or sets are spoken of: as, bna hastlia, two shafts (two in a set). [p. 62]

Numeral Adverbs

The Numeral Adverbs answer the question quotins (quotis), how many times? how often?

1. semel, once

2. bis, twice

3. ter, thrice

4. quater

5. qunquins (-s) ⁷¹

6. sexins

7. septins

8. octins

9. novins

10. decins

11. ndecins

12. duodecins

13. terdecins

14. quaterdecins

15. qundecins

16. sdecins

17. septisdecins

18. duodvcins

19. ndvcins

20. vcins

21. semel vcins, ⁷² etc.

30. trcins

40. quadrgins

50. qunqugins

60. sexgins

70. septugins

80. octgins

90. nngins

100. centins

200. ducentins

300. trecentins

1000. mlins

10,000. decins mlins

Numeral Adverbs are used with mlle to express the higher numbers:
ter et trcins (centna mlia) sstertium, 3,300,000 sesterces (three and thirty times a hundred thousand sesterces).
vcis ac septis mlis (centna mlia) sstertium, 2,700,000,000 sesterces (twenty-seven thousand times a hundred thousand).

NOTE.These large numbers are used almost exclusively in reckoning money, and centna mlia is regularly omitted (see 634).

Other Numerals

The following adjectives are called Multiplicatives:
simplex, single; duplex, double, twofold; triplex, triple, threefold; quadruplex, qunquiplex, septemplex, decemplex, centuplex, ssquiplex (1 1/2), multiplex (manifold).

Proportionals are: duplus, triplus, quadruplus, octuplus, etc., twice as great, thrice as great, etc.

Temporals: bmus, trmus, of two or three years' age; biennis, triennis, lasting two or three years; bimstris, trimstris, of two or three months; bduum, a period of two days; biennium, a period of two years.

Partitives: bnrius, ternrius, of two or three parts.

Other derivatives are: ni, unity; bni, the two (of dice); prmnus of the first legion; prmrius, of the first rank; dnrius, a sum of 10 asses bnus (distributive), double, etc. [p. 63]