XXI. Numerī et litterae

Quibus litterīs significantur numerī? Litterae septem quibus numerī significantur sunt C, D, I, L, M, V, X. Litterā i significātur numerus ‘ūnus’, V ‘quīnque’, X ‘decem’, L ‘quīnquāgintā’, C ‘centum’, D ‘quīngentī’, M ‘mīlle’. Ecce magnus numerus in quō omnēs numerōrum litterae iunguntur: MDCLXVI = mīlle sescentī sexāgintā sex [= 1666]. Sī bis scrībuntur litterae I, X, C, M, significantur numerī ‘duo’ II, ‘vigintī’ XX, ‘ducentī’ CC, ‘duo mīlia’ MM. Sī eaedem litterae ter scrībuntur, numerī significantur ‘trēs’ III, ‘trīgintā’ XXX, ‘trecentī’ CCC, ‘tria mīlia’ MMM. Sī ante V et X pōnitur I, fīunt numerī ‘quattuor’ IV et ‘novem’ IX; sī X ante L et C pōnitur fīunt numerī ‘quadrāgintā’ XL et ‘nōnāgintā’ XC. Numerī ‘sex’, ‘septem’, ‘octō’ significantur cum ad V adduntur I, II, III: VI, VII, VIII. Hī omnēs numerōrum litterae adduntur ad litterās X, L, C, D, M. Diodōrus magister discipulōs suōs et litterās et numerōs docet. “Ecce” inquit “trēs litterae: X, C, M. Quaeque littera numerum significat. Quōs numerōs?” Titus: “Littera X numerum ‘decem’ significat, C ‘centum’, M ‘mīlle’.” Magister: “Dīvidite quemque numerum in dīmidiās partēs! Quid est dīmidium ‘decem’, dīmidium ‘centum’, dīmidium ‘mīlle’?” Sextus: “Dīmidium decem est quīnque, dīmidium centum quīnquāgintā, dīmidium mīlle quīncentī.” Magister: “‘Quīngentī’, nōn ‘quīncentī’! Quōmodo hī numerī breviter scrībuntur?” Sextus “‘Quīnque’ scrībitur litterā V, ‘quīnquāgintā’ L, ‘quīngentī’ D.” Magister: “Prōme tabulam et stilum, Mārce, et scrībe X bis et ter!” Mārcus bis X scrībit: XX, tum eandem litteram ter scrībit: XXX. Magister: “Quōs numerōs scrībis?” Mārcus: “Scrībō numerōs ‘duodecim’ et ‘trēdecim’.” Magister: “Ō Mārce! quam stultē respondēs! ‘Duodecim’ et ‘trēdecim’ scrībuntur XII et XIII, nōn XX et XXX! Iīs litterīs significantur numerī ‘vīgintī’ et ‘trīgintā’. Iam scrībe ‘quadrāgintā’ et ‘quīnquāgintā’!” Mārcus X scrībit quater: XXXX, et quīnquiēs: XXXXX. Magister: “Prāvē scrībis! Nōn oportet totiēs X scrībere, nam ‘quadrāgintā’ scrībitur XL et ‘quīnquāgintā’ breviter scrībitur L.” Sextus: “Litterā L nōn modo numerus significātur, sed etiam praenōmen, id est ‘Lūcius’. Itemque litterīs M et C significantur praenōmina ‘Mārcus’ et ‘Gāius’. Cūr praenōmen ‘Gāius’ scrībitur litterā C, nōn G?” Magister: “Quia antīquīs temporibus ūna littera erat C significāns et C et G.” Sextus: “Ergō numerus QVINGENTI tunc erat QVINCENTI!” Magister: “Rēctē dīcis. At nunc additur parva līnea quae litteram G, nōn C, esse significat.”

You can listen to XXI. Numerī et litterae online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

XXI. Numerī et litterae is an episode from Fabellae Latinae by Daniel P. Wright.

This episode is 00:05:48 long.

This episode was published on Mar 24, 2019.

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