🏛️Elementary Latin Unit 7 – Numerals and Counting

Key Concepts

• Latin uses a unique numeral system based on letters to represent numbers
• Cardinal numbers express quantity or "how many" of something (unus, duo, tres)
• Ordinal numbers indicate sequence or order (primus, secundus, tertius)
• Numbers can be declined, meaning their endings change based on grammatical function in a sentence
  • Unus, una, unum (one) declines like a first and second declension adjective
  • Duo (two) and tres (three) have irregular declensions
• Latin numbers are placed before the noun they modify, unlike in English where they typically come after (decem puellae vs. ten girls)
• Certain numbers, when used with specific nouns, can have idiomatic or special meanings (Tres Gratiae - The Three Graces)
• Practicing declension, translation, and usage of numbers in context is key to mastering this concept

Roman Numeral System

• Latin uses seven letters to represent numbers: I (1), V (5), X (10), L (50), C (100), D (500), M (1000)
• Combinations of these letters are used to create all other numbers
  • Placing a smaller numeral before a larger one indicates subtraction (IV = 4, IX = 9)
  • Placing a smaller numeral after a larger one indicates addition (VI = 6, XI = 11)
• A bar over a numeral multiplies its value by 1,000 (V̅ = 5,000, M̅ = 1,000,000)
• Numerals are typically written largest to smallest from left to right (MMXXII = 2022)
• The subtractive principle is generally used only with powers of ten (IV, IX, XL, XC, CD, CM)
• Repeating a numeral up to three times indicates addition (III = 3, XXX = 30, CCC = 300)
• There is no concept of zero or negative numbers in the Roman system

Cardinal Numbers

• Cardinal numbers are used to express quantity or "how many" of something
• The numbers 1-10 in Latin are: unus, duo, tres, quattuor, quinque, sex, septem, octo, novem, decem
• Numbers 11-17 are formed by adding the appropriate digit to 10 (undecim, duodecim, tredecim, etc.)
• 18 is expressed as "duodeviginti" (literally "two from twenty") and 19 as "undeviginti" ("one from twenty")
• Decades 20, 30, 40... 90 are: viginti, triginta, quadraginta, quinquaginta, sexaginta, septuaginta, octoginta, nonaginta
• Hundreds 100, 200, 300... 900 are: centum, ducenti, trecenti, quadringenti, quingenti, sescenti, septingenti, octingenti, nongenti

Ordinal Numbers

• Ordinal numbers are used to express sequence or order (first, second, third, etc.)
• Most ordinal numbers are formed by adding -us, -a, -um to the cardinal number
  • 1st: primus, 2nd: secundus, 3rd: tertius, 4th: quartus, 5th: quintus...
• Unus (one) has no corresponding ordinal; primus (first) is used instead
• Some ordinal numbers have irregular forms (secundus vs. duo, tertius vs. tres)
• Ordinals decline like regular first and second declension adjectives to match the noun they modify
  • Primus liber (first book), prima puella (first girl), primum verbum (first word)
• They typically precede the noun, but can also follow for emphasis or in certain idiomatic phrases

Declension of Numbers

• The cardinal numbers unus (one), duo (two), and tres (three) are declined
• Unus declines like a first and second declension adjective with -us, -a, -um endings
  • Nom: unus, una, unum; Gen: unius; Dat: uni; Acc: unum, unam, unum; Abl: uno, una, uno
• Duo has separate masculine, neuter, and feminine forms, while tres only differs in the neuter nominative/accusative
  • Duo (m./n. nom/acc), duae (f. nom.), duorum (m./n. gen.), duarum (f. gen.), duobus (m./n. dat/abl), duabus (f. dat/abl)
  • Tres (m./f. nom/acc), tria (n. nom/acc), trium (gen.), tribus (dat./abl.)
• All other numbers through 100 are indeclinable, meaning they do not change form
• Numbers 200 and higher are declined like the plural of their corresponding noun (ducenti, -ae, -a)

Using Numbers in Sentences

• Cardinal numbers typically precede the noun they modify and agree with it in case
  • Decem (nom.) puellae (nom.) in horto sunt. (Ten girls are in the garden.)
  • Puer cum tribus (abl.) amicis (abl.) ludit. (The boy plays with three friends.)
• Mille (thousand) can be either an indeclinable adjective or a neuter noun
  • Mille (indecl.) milites (nom.) in castra venerunt. (A thousand soldiers came into the camp.)
  • Tria milia (nom. pl.) militum (gen. pl.) in castra venerunt. (Three thousand of soldiers came into the camp.)
• Ordinal numbers are used to indicate rank, sequence or order
  • Primus (nom.) ad metam pervenit. (He arrived first to the finish line.)
  • Anno sexto (abl.) decimo (abl.), bellum finitum est. (In the sixteenth year, the war was finished.)

Common Latin Number Phrases

• Certain Latin number phrases have special idiomatic meanings beyond their literal translation
• Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno. (One for all, all for one.)
• In medias res (Into the middle of things - starting a story in the midst of action)
• Tres Gratiae (The Three Graces - minor goddesses of charm, beauty, and creativity in Greek/Roman myth)
• Duo fulmina belli (Two thunderbolts of war - referring to two great generals)
• Duo cum faciunt idem, non est idem. (When two do the same thing, it is not the same thing.)
• E pluribus unum (Out of many, one - motto on the Great Seal of the United States)
• Nulla dies sine linea (No day without a line - an artist or writer should create every day)

Practice and Application

• Memorize the cardinal numbers 1-10 and practice basic math problems in Latin
• Decline unus, duo, and tres in all cases to master their irregular forms
• Practice translating simple Latin sentences with numbers, focusing on noun-adjective agreement
  • Quattuor canes in via currunt. (Four dogs run in the street.)
  • Septem diebus mundum Deus creavit. (In seven days God created the world.)
• Learn common Latin number phrases and practice using them in context
• Create your own practice sentences using a variety of numbers, cases, and genders
• Read authentic Latin texts that incorporate numbers to see them used in genuine contexts
  • Fabulae (stories), historiae (histories), epigrammata (epigrams)
• Explore how Latin number concepts influenced English and other modern languages