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      Latin Numbers Jump to content
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      Latin Numerals - Cardinal Numbers 1 - 1000


      AureliaeLacrimae

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      First of all, Romans used Roman numerals (logical, isn't it?), so one isn't 1 but I, two isn't 2 but II, and so on. When it comes to number four, in most cases, it's written like this: IV. However, you will also find instances were it's recorded like four Is: IIII, so don't be puzzled. Still, IV is the common way of writing down the number four, so that's how I'm going to write it.

      Some basic symbols used:

      (I am sure most of us know this, but still, just to be sure)

      I 1

      V 5

      X 10

      L 50

      C 100

      D 500

      M 1000

      Combinations

      You must have wondered why four is written like IV and nine like IX. Well, Roman numerals are all about counting and adding up. Two is one plus one and therefore I + I = II. Same analogy can be used for III = I+I+I, six VI = V+I, seven VII = V+I+I, eight VIII= V+I+I+I,... However, they were also trying to be economical and use as little symbols as possible, so instead of writing down nine like VIIII (or four like IIII), which would take five symbols! (in those days, many things weren't written down on paper but engraved into stone, which isn't easy at all, so they were very careful about it) they came up with the idea of subtracting: IV stands for V-I and we all know that 5-1 equals 4. Same is with nine: IX stands fo X-I. 10-1 is 9, isn't it? And so, instead of engraving four or five symbols, you only have two.

      I have used examples with numbers to ten. Same can be applied to the rest of the system.

      Thirty is ten+ten+ten and therefore X+X+X=XXX, whereas forty, which is 50-10 will be written down like XL rather than XXXX - economy - two symbols are better than four. Eighty is 50+10+10+10, therefore L + X+X+X = LXXX, but ninety is 100-10 rather than 50+10+10+10+10 (it's so long to write down), so ninety: XC.

      This is true even for numbers higher than 100. However, remember me mentioning four could be written both as IIII and IV, but IV was more common? Same can be said for 400. True, it's more commonly written as 500-100, which is CD, but you can also write it down as CCCC. So, 400 is CD. 900 is 1000-100, therefore CM.

      Now, to numbers:

      0 nihil (no symbol for zero)

      1 I ūnus

      2 II duo

      3 III trēs

      4 IV quattuor

      5 V quīnque

      6 VI sex

      7 VII septem

      8 VIII octō

      9 IX novem

      10 X decem

      11 XI ūndecim

      12 XII duodēcim

      13 XIII trēdecim

      14 XIV quattuordecim

      15 XV quīndecim

      16 XVI sēdecim

      17 XVII septendecim

      18 XVIII duodēvīgintī

      19 XIX ūndēvīgintī

      20 XX vīgintī

      21 XXI vīgintī  ūnus

      22 XXII vīgintī  duo

      23 XXIII vīgintī  trēs

      24 XXIV vīgintī  quattuor

      25 XXV vīgintī  quīnque

      26 XXVI vīgintī  sex

      27 XXVII vīgintī  septem

      28 XXVIII duodētrīgintā (or vīgintī octō)

      29 XXIX ūndētrīgintā (or vīgintī novem)

      30 XXX trīgintā

      31 XXXI trīgintā  ūnus

      32 XXXII trīgintā  duo

      33 XXXIII trīgintā  trēs

      34 XXXIV trīgintā quattuor

      35 XXXV trīgintā  quīnque

      36 XXXVI trīgintā  sex

      37 XXXVII trīgintā  septem

      38 XXXVIII duodēquadrāgintā (or trīgintā octō)

      39 XXXIX ūndēquadrāgintā (or trīgintā novem)

      40 XL quadrāgintā

      50 L quīnquāgintā

      60 LX sexāgintā

      70 LXX septuāgintā

      80 LXXX octōgintā

      90 XC nōnāgintā

      100 C centum

      200  CC    ducenti

      300  CCC  trecenti

      400  CD  quadringenti

      500    D    quingenti

      600  DC  sescenti

      700  DCC  septingenti

      800 DCCC  octingenti

      900  CM  nongenti

      1000  M    mille

      For the rest, you just paste them together. Enjoy!

      I have also attached the symbols, so that you can see them in a jpeg format.

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        Latin Numerals

        The Latin Numerals are pretty straightforward if you ask me. The system is really easy to learn. When I compare it to some other 'Calculating systems', I really think the Latin one is rather easy. For instance, The Chinese numeral system is quite hard to learn. At least for Europeans...

        Also the French numeral system is pretty awkward. And they have like two different ways to express the same number. For instance, 90 can be 'quatre-vingt-dix' which equals 80 + 10 but in some places people would just say 'nonante'.

         

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