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Counting On — and Pronouncing — Roman Numerals

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|  Updated:  
2016-03-26 21:41:33
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Latin For Dummies
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Actual Latin speakers — or more truthfully writers — used Roman numerals instead of the Arabic system English speakers use today. But Roman numerals are still in use, probably most notably in counting Super Bowls and in copyright dates. The following table shows you the basic numbers, the Latin, and the pronunciation:

Roman Numeral Latin English
I unus (oo-nus) one
II duo (du-oh) two
III tres (trays) three
IV quattuor (kwuht-tu-ohr) four
V quinque (kween-kweh) five
VI sex (sehks) six
VII septem (sehp-tehm) seven
VIII octo (ohk-to) eight
IX novem (noh-wehm) nine
X decem (deh-kehm) ten
L quinquaginta (kween-kwah-gihn-tah) fifty
C centum (kehn-tum) one hundred
D quingenti (kween-gehn-tee) five hundred
M mille (mihl-leh) thousand

About This Article

This article is from the book: 

About the book author:

Clifford A. Hull MA in Classical Studies, MA in Classical Architecture, and MLS, teaches Latin, history, and social science at The Harker School in California.

Steven R. Perkins MA in Classics, is an award-winning teacher who has taught Latin and Classics for more than 30 years at secondary and undergraduate levels.

Tracy Barr is the coauthor of Adoption For Dummies and Latin For Dummies. Lodge Manufacturing is America's oldest family-owned cookware manufacturer and the sole domestic cast-iron cookware foundry.