19.03.24 more on numbers (20-100); how to argue about 98 and 99!

The numbers 20-90 have two very distinct markers -gintā / -gintī. Note also L (50) and C (100) in the Roman numerals.

• 20 XX (2 x 10) vīgintī
• 30 XXX (3 x 10) trīgintā
• 40 XL (50 – 10) quadrāgintā
• 50 L quīnquāgintā
• 60 LX (50 + 10) sexāgintā
• 70 LXX (50 + 20) septuāgintā
• 80 LXXX (50 + 30) octōgintā
• 90 XC (100 – 10) nōnāgintā
• 100 C centum (centurion century)

Become familiar with these before moving on.

Compounds of the numbers can occur in alternative forms but are straightforward to recognise since they are constructed from numbers already introduced. The variations exist in English, the first English translation below being, of course, the one now commonly used, but the other English variant appears in older English writing and poetry e.g. four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie. Other European languages also form compound numbers in similar ways.

• XXI [i] vīgintī ūnus or [ii] ūnus et vīgintī (21)

Compare English twenty-one or, in older English, one and twenty; French vingt-et-un; German ein¦und¦zwanzig; Dutch een¦en¦twintig

• XXII vīgintī duo / duo et vīgintī (22)
• XXIII vīgintī trēs / trēs et vīgintī (23)
• XXIV vīgintī quattuor / quattuor et vīgintī (24)
• XXV vīgintī quīnque / quīnque et vīgintī (25)
• XXVI vīgintī sex / sex et vīgintī (26)
• XXVII vīgintī septem / septem et vīgintī (27)

Pause …

When you saw the numbers 18 and 19 in the earlier post, those were expressed in a different way

• XVIII duo¦dē¦vīgintī [literally 2 from 20] (18). While octōdecim exists, it’s rare.
• XIX ūn¦dē¦vīgintī [literally 1 from 20] (19). Again, novemdecim may also be found, but it too is rare.

As with 18 and 19, all other multiples of 10 ending in 8 and 9 have more than one way of forming the numbers

XXVIII duo¦dē¦trīgintā [literally 2 from 30] (28)

• Also possible are vīgintī octō / octō et vīgintī

XXIX un¦dē¦trīgintā [literally 1 from 30] (29)

• Also possible are vīgintī novem / novem et vīgintī

Here are some random numbers which all follow the patterns above

• XXXV trīgintā quīnque / quīnque et trīgintā (35)
• XXXIX trīgintā novem / novem et trīgintā / ūndēquadrāgintā (39)
• XLII quadrāgintā duo / duo et quadrāgintā (42)
• XLVIII quadrāgintā octō / octō et quadrāgintā / duodēquīnquāgintā (48)
• LVII quīnquāgintā septem / septem et quīnquāgintā (57)
• LIX quīnquāgintā novem / novem et quīnquāgintā / ūndēsexāgintā (59)
• LXIII sexāgintā trēs / trēs et sexāgintā (63)
• LXVIII sexāgintā octō / octō et sexāgintā / duodēseptuāgintā (68)
• LXXIV septuāgintā quattuor / quattuor et septuāgintā (74)
• LXXIX septuāgintā novem / novem et septuāgintā / ūndēoctōgintā(79)
• LXXXVI octōgintā sex / sex et octōgintā (86)
• LXXXIX octōgintā novem / novem et octōgintā / ūndēnōnāgintā (89)

Pause (again) …

• XCVIII nōnāgintā octō / octō et nōnāgintā (98)
• XCIX nōnāgintā novem / novem et nōnagintā (99)

Following the same patterns for multiples of 10 ending in 8 and 9, we should be able to say

• 98 duo¦dē¦centum [literally 2 from 100]
• 99 ūn¦dē¦centum [literally 1 from 100]

But can we? The next part here is purely for interest.

Attestation is a term used when providing documented evidence of, in the case of Latin, a specific word, phrase or grammatical structure used during the Classical period. When amicable discussions, heated debates and civil wars occur in Latin discussion forums, everybody rushes to the Roman authors and fires attestations. If Cicero said it, it must be OK. Plautus said it once – even if nobody else did – so it must OK. If you ever step onto the battlefield of Latin arguments, you’ll see what I mean.

Can we say ūndēcentum for 99? Yes, we can because Pliny the Elder wrote it – once. Most likely, countless others said it but there is only one attested example in the literature. But if it was good enough for Pliny the Elder, it’s good enough for us.

Logic would suggest that, if ūndēcentum (99) is possible, by extension, duodēcentum (98) would also be acceptable.

Your enemies are sharpening their swords!

Wiktionary: “Attested at least from the 16th century CE onwards.” And so there is no written evidence that the word was ever in use during the Roman period. In the end, it doesn’t really matter – it's been used since the 16th century and so we can use it too – but it does make for good arguments.

Incidentally, a post I wrote in the Learning Latin FB group referred to the phrase Ecce mē! (Here I am!) A missile was fired in my direction – I quoted Plautus (because he did say it) – and my adversary politely conceded defeat!