NUMERAL ADJECTIVES - PART 2
This page deals with the distributive numeral adjectives and the numeral adverbs.
Distributive Adjectives
The distributive adjectives are all pluralia tantum.
They are all adjectives of the 1st class, but the genitive plural is shortened to -um instead of -orum, except for the word singuli whose genitive is the standard form singulorum.
They are used for expressions such as: "one at a time", "two at a time" , or "one each", "two each", or "line up in twos, in threes, etc."
Numeral Adverbs
The numeral adverbs are all indeclinable. Hurrah!
They are used to form the highest cardinal, ordinal and distributive numeral adjectives. For example:
- Decies centum milia (ten times one hundred thousand) - Decies (num. adv.), centum milia (card. num. adj.).
- Vicies centum millia (twenty times one hundred thousand) - Vicies (num.adv.), centum milia (card. num. adj.).
- Bis millesimus (twice a thousandth) - Bis (num.adv.), millesimus (ord. num.adj.).
- Quater millesimus (four times a thousandth) - Quater (num.adv.), millesimus (ord. num.adj.).
- Decies centena milia (ten times one hundred thousand each) - Decies (num. adv.), centena milia (distr. num. adj.).
- Vicies centena millia (twenty times one hundred thousand each) - Vicies (num.adv.), centena milia (distr. num. adj.).
They are used in arithmetic multiplications such as:
- 5 x 7 = 35 (You say: quinquies septena sunt trigintaquinque - five times seven at a time are thirtyfive;
quinquies (num. adv.) septena (distr. num. adj. acc. n.), trigintaquinque(card. num.adj.). - 8 x 8 = 64 ( You say: octies octona sunt sexaginta quattuor - eight times eight at a time are sixtyfour;
octies (num.adv.), octona (distr. num. adj. acc. n.), sexagintaquattuor (card. num. adj.).