Cardinals and Ordinals have the following uses:—
In numbers below 100, if units precede tens,
et
is generally inserted:
duo et vīgintī
;
otherwise
et
is omitted:
vīgintī 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:
mīlle
(
et
)
septingentī sexāgintā quattuor
, 1764.
Observe the following combinations of numerals with substantives:—
-
ūnus et vīgintī mīlitēs
, or
vīgintī mīlitēs
(
et
)
ūnus
,
21 soldiers.
-
duo mīlia quīngentī mīlitēs
, or
duo mīlia mīlitum et quīngentī
,
2500 soldiers.
-
mīlitēs mīlle ducentī trīgintā ūnus
,
1231 soldiers.
After
mīlia
the name of the objects enumerated is in the genitive:
-
duo mīlia hominum
,
two thousand men.
Or, in poetry,
bis mīlle hominēs
,
twice a thousand men.
-
cum tribus mīlibus mīlitum
,
with three thousand soldiers.
-
mīlia
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
).
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.
partēs
);
three-eighths
,
trēs octāvae
(sc.
partēs
).
One-half
is
dīmidia pars
or
dīmidium
.
When the numerator is
one
, it is omitted and
pars
is expressed:
onethird
,
tertia pars
;
one-fourth
,
quārta pars
.
When the denominator is but one greater than the numerator, the numerator only is given:
two-thirds
,
duae partēs
;
three-fourths
,
trēs partēs
, etc.
Fractions are also expressed by special words derived from
as
,
a pound:
as,
triēns
,
a third;
bēs
,
two-thirds.
See §
637
.
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