Heavy Construction

Declension of Cardinals and Ordinals.

134.

a. For the declension of únus, see § 113. It often has the meaning of same or only. The plural is used in this sense; but also, as a simple numeral, to agree with a plural noun of a singular meaning: as, úna castra, one camp (cf. § 137. b). The plural occurs also in the phrase úní et alterí, one party and the other (the ones and the others).

b. Duo,[1][The form in -o is a remnant of the dual number, which was lost in Latin, but is found in cognate languages. So in ambó, both, which preserves -ó (cf. and § 629. b).] two, and trés, three, are thus declined: -

	M.	F.	N.	M., F.	N.
NOM.	duo	duae	duo	trés	tria
GEN.	duórum	duárum	duórum	trium	trium
DAT.	duóbus	duábus	duóbus	tribus	tribus
ACC.	duós (duo)	duás	duo	trés (trís)	tria
ABL.	duóbus	duábus	duóbus	tribus	tribus



NOTE: Ambó, both, is declined like duo.



c. The hundreds, up to 1000, are adjectives of the First and Second Declensions, and are regularly declined like the plural of bonus.

d. Mílle, a thousand, is in the singular an indeclinable adjective: -

• 

• mílle modís, in a thousand ways.

  

• cum mílle hominibus, with a thousand men.

  

• mílle trahéns variós colórés (Aen. iv. 701), drawing out a thousand various colors.

  

In the plural it is used as a neuter noun, and is declined like the plural of sedíle (§ 69): mília, mílium, mílibus, etc.

NOTE: The singular mílle is sometimes found as a noun in the nominative an accusative: as, mílle hominum mísit, he sent a thousand (of) men; in the other case rarely, except in connection with the same case of mília: as, cum octó mílibus peditum mílle equitum, with eight thousand foot and a thousand horse.



e. The ordinals are adjectives of the First and Second Declensions, an[QUERY] are regularly declined like bonus.