NUMERALS
[132] 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]