Etymologically
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nongenti

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [noːŋˈɡɛn.tiː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [non̠ʲˈd͡ʒɛn.ti][1]

Forms

nōngentī (feminine nōngentae, neuter nōngenta); first/second-declension numeral, plural only[1] Columella has the form nōningentī.[2][3]

Etymology

It is from Latin novem (“nine”) + centum (“hundred”).[3][1] De Vaan explains that ⟨-centī⟩ became ⟨-gentī⟩ after a nasal, so that the ⟨g⟩ must have arisen in the words for seven hundred and nine hundred; the lack of a long vowel before the second part shows that the hundreds were formed after the word for hundred had become Proto-Italic *kntom.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Varro and Cicero on,[5][4] meaning nine hundred:[3] Cicero mentions a purchase for nine hundred thousand sesterces.[2][6]

Semantic evolution

It is the ordinary cardinal for nine hundred.[3][2] Columella has the variant nōningentī.[2][3] Pliny the Elder uses the singular nōngentus for one of the Nine Hundred, men chosen to guard the voting urns.[2] Curtius has nongenti as a noun, nine hundred picked men.[6] Medieval writers in Britain use it as before, from Bede on, and also have the spelling novingenti.[7]

Timeline

  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero mentions nine hundred thousand sesterces.[2][6][5]
  • 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses the singular for one of the Nine Hundred.[2][5]

Meanings

Numeral

  1. Nine hundred.[3][2][8]
  2. (singular, nōngentus) One of the Nine Hundred, the guardians of the voting urns.[2]

Word family

  • nōngentēsimus

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b c Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  7. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
  8. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn