KNOW YOUR ROMAN NUMERALS
What a Roman Legionary needs to know in order to count in Ancient Rome
Study Well - There may be a Test !
Roman Numerals was the standard numbering system and method of Arithmetic in Ancient Rome and Europe until about 900 AD, when the Arabic Numbering System, which was originated by the Hindu's, came into use. The concept of "Zero" did not exist in Europe until after 1000AD; thus, there was no roman numeral symbol for "Zero". If you think adding or subtracting in roman numerals is clumsy; try multiplication or - "horrors"- long division! Only seven numeral-characters were used and when a numeral was over-lined, it represented the base-value, multiplied by a thousand. This convention is really no longer used, as roman numerals are seldom utilized for values beyond 4999. It is shown here for demonstration only. Due to the difficulty of representing an over-line with a computer font, an under-line has been substituted. In some styles of Roman Numerals, "D" is sometimes represented by an "I" followed by a backwards "C", something like "I)"; and "M" is shown as a "C" followed by an "I" and a backwards "C". Likewise, this form is not possible with standard computer fonts; and therefore, is not utilized here.
I = 1 V = 5 X = 10 L = 50 C = 100 D = 500 M = 1000
V = 5,000 X = 10,000 L = 50,000 C = 100,000 D = 500,000 M = 1,000,000
Placing an "I" in front of the "V"; or placing any smaller value in front of any larger value, indicates subtraction. That is, the preceding smaller value is subtracted from the following larger value. So "IV" means 4. The value "IIII" is sometimes used for "4". "IIII" is used mostly on faces of clocks and for other special uses. The standard Roman Numeral for "4" is IV.
The
subtractive principle for Roman numbers does have some restrictions
You can only subtract a power of ten, and only from the next two higher
"digits", where the digits are either I, V, X, L, C, D, M.
I.E. - Only I, X and C can be subtracted, AND I can only be
subtracted from V and X; X can only be subtracted from L and C; C can only be
subtracted from D and M.
Using these limits of subtraction, the Roman numerals IL for instance, for 49
and IC for 99 are not valid.
The correct representation for 49 is XLIX, and 99 is XCIX.
Placing a smaller value after a larger one indicates that the smaller value is added to the preceding larger value. Thus, after V comes a series of additions - VI means 6, VII means 7, VIII means 8.
ARABIC | C A R D I N A L | O R D I N A L | LATIN |
one - two - three - four - etc ....1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10...etc | first - second - third - fourth - fifth - 1st - 2nd - 3rd - 4th - 5th - 6th - etc | ||
1 | unus - una - unum | primus | I |
2 | duo - duae - duo | secundus | II |
3 | tres - tria | tertius | III |
4 | quattuor | quartus | IIII |
5 | quinque | quintus | V |
6 | sex | sextus | VI |
7 | septem | septimus | VII |
8 | octo | octavus | VIII |
9 | novem | nonus | IX |
10 | decum | decimus | X |
11 | undecim | undecimus | XI |
12 | duodecim | duodecimus | XII |
13 | tredecim | tertius decimus | XIII |
14 | quattourdecim | quartus decimus | XIV |
15 | quindecim | quintus decimus | XV |
16 | sedecim | sextus decimus | XVI |
17 | septendecim | septimus decimus | XVII |
18 | duodeviginti | duodevicesimus | XVIII |
19 | undeviginti | undevicesimus | XIX |
20 | viginti | vicesimus | XX |
21 | viginti unus | vicesimus primus | XXI |
22 | viginti duo - duo et viginti (2 & 20) | vicesimus secundas | XXII |
23 | viginti tria - tria et viginti (3 & 20) | vicesimus tertius | XXIII |
24 | .viginti..quattuor..-..quatour..et..vinginti. | vicesimus quartus | XXIV |
30 | triginta | tricesimus | XXX |
40 | quadraginta | quadragesimus | XL |
48 | quadraquattoroctem | quadraquatttoroctavus | XLVIII |
49 | quadraquattornovem | quadraquatttornovus | XLIX |
50 | quinquaginta | quinquagesimus | L |
60 | sexaginta | sexagesimus | LX |
70 | septuaginta | septuagesimus | LXX |
80 | octoginta | octogesimus | LXXX |
90 | nonaginta | nonagesimus | XC |
98 | nonagintaoctem | nonagintaoctavus | XCVIII |
99 | nonagintanovem | nonagintanovus | XCIX |
100 | centum | centesimus | C |
101 | centum unus - centum et unus (100 & 1). | centesimus primus | CI |
102 | .centum..duo..-..centum..et..duo.(100.&.2). | centesimus secundas | CII |
200 | ducenti, -ia, -a | ducentesimus | CC |
300 | trecenti | trecentesimus | CCC |
400 | quadringenti | quadringentesimus | CD |
500 | quingenti | quingentesimus | D |
600 | sescengenti | sescentesimus | DC |
700 | septingenti | septingentesimus | DCC |
753 | sepingenti quinquaginta tria | Year of Rome's Founding - April 21, 753 BC | DCCLIII |
800 | octingenti | octingentesimus | DCCC |
900 | nongenti | nongentesimus | CM |
1000 | mille | millesimus | M |
1001 | mille unus | millesimus primus | MI |
1002 | mille duo | millesimus secundas | MII |
1003 | mille tre | millesimus tertius | MIII |
1900 | mille nongenti | millesnongentesimus | MCM |
1999 | mille nongenti nonginta novem | Year of Current Era | MCMXCIX |
2000 | duomilia | bismillesimus Last year of 20th Century | MM |
2001 | duomilia unus | bismillesimus primus 1st Year of 21st Century | MMI |
2002 | duomilia duo | bismillesimus secundas | MMII |
2003 | duomilia tre | bismillesimus tertius | MMIII |
2004 | duomilia quattuor | bismillesimus quartus | MMIV |
2100 | duomilia centum | bismilles centesimus | MMC |
2752 | duomilia sepingenti quinquaginta duo "AUC" | Year of Ancient Rome - Ab Urbe Condita | MMDCCLII |
3000 | tresmilia | tresmillesimus | MMM |
4000 | quadramilia | quadramillesimus | MMMM |
5000 | quinmilia | quinmillesimus | V |
6000 | sesmilia | sesmillesimus | VM |
7000 | septuamilia | septuamillesimus | VMM |
8000 | octomilia | octomillesimus | VMMM |
9000 | nonamilia | nonamillesimus | MX |
10,000 | decem milia | decies millesimus | X |
10,001 | decem milia unus | decies millesimus primus | XI |
10,010 | decem milia decem | decies millesimus decimus | XX |
11,000 | undecim milia | undecim millesimus | XM |
12,000 | duodecim milia | duadecim millesimus | XMM |
12,100 | duodecim milia centum | " " centum | XMMC |
12,505 | duodecim milia quingenti quinque | " " quingenti quinque | XMMDV |
50,000 | quinqua milia | quinqua millesimus | L |
50,100 | quinqua milia centum | quinqua millesimus centum | LC |
50,500 | quinqua milia quingenti | quinqua illesimus quingenti | LD |
60,000 | sexa milia | sexa millesimus | LX |
60,010 | sexa milia decem | sexa millesimus decem | LMX |
60,100 | sexa milia centum | sexa millesimus centum | LMC |
80,004 | octo milia quarttuor | octo millesimus quartus | LMMMIV |
90,099 | nona milis novaginta novem | nona millesimus nonus | MCXCIX |
100,000 | centum milia | centies millesimus | C |
100,001 | centum milia unus | centum millesimus primus | CI |
100,010 | centum milia decem | centum millesimus decem | CX |
200,000 | ducenta milia | ducenta millesimus | CC |
200,100 | ducenta milia centum | ducenta millesimus centum | CCC |
200,510 | ducenta milia quindecem | " " quindecem | CCDX |
500,000 | quingenti milia | quingenti millesimus | D |
600,000 | sescenti milia | sescenti millesimus | DC |
600,606 | sescenti milia sescenti sex | " " sescenti sex | DCDCVI |
700,000 | sepusducenta milia | sepcenti millesimus | DCC |
1,000,000 | mille milia | mille millesimus | M |
1,100,100 | mille milia centum milia centum | " " centum miliacentum | MCC |
1,300,000 | mille milia trecenti mille | " " trecenti mille | MCCC |
2,000,000 | duamilia milia | duamilia millesimus | MM |
2,500,500 | duamilia milia quingenti milia quingenti | " " quingenti milia quingenti | MMDD |
You Saw It Here First !? | |||
When a numeral has an underline or an overline, its value is increased a thousandfold.
X (10,000) = X (10) times 1000 *** C (100,000) = C (100) times 1000
Roman numerals was the standard, and as far as we know, the only number
system used by the Romans and other ancient Europeans. Roman numerals were
used primarily for counting, as the ancients had little use for, or
understanding of "calculation" or arithmetic as we know it today.
With some effort, you can do regular addition and subtraction and even multiplication with
Roman Numerals; as both the Roman Numeral and later Arabic Number systems are both
"base-10" (1 thru 9). Zero came later. Long
division? Well that would be a chore, more like calculation.
Without a concept for the value of "zero" or "nothing", accurate
calculation or mathematics with Roman Numerals would be flawed and near impossible.
But; for the basic arithmetic in use in ancient times, this apparently was not that
big a problem, and of course, they did not realize they had the "zero"
problem in the first place.
See Why No Year Zero for
more on "Zero".
Early electronic computers used a "base-8" or "octal" (0 thru 7)
number system and today's computers use "base-16" or "hexadecimal"
notation (0 thru 15 or 0 thru F ) with "A thru F" representing the numbers
"10 thru 15" respectively.
That is, 6 + 4 = A(10) 7 + 5 = C(12) 7 + 8 = F(15) 8 + 8 = 10(16, 1 x 16 +0) A(10) + A(10) = 14(20, 1 x 16 +4) in "Hexidecimal"; thus: decimal 32 = hex 20(2 x 16 + 0) and decimal 64 = hex 40(4 x 16 + 0) .
The rules for counting and arithmetic are the same. You just have to remember when to "carry-over" to the next value level, 8 or 10 or 16.
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