deni Latin · revision 31974

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 250–184 BC, Plautus|origins=ine-pro *déḱm̥}}

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''dēnī''' (feminine dēnae, neuter dēna); plural only; distributive numeral^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ The genitive plural is usually ''dēnum'', in Cicero, Vitruvius, Livy and Columella, and also ''dēnōrum'' in Livy.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is the distributive of [[m|la|decem|t=ten]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) De Vaan suggests ⟨*deksno-⟩, with a suffix taken over from the lower numerals, and traces [[m|la|decem]] to [[itc-pro|*dekm]] and [[ine-pro|*déḱm̥|t=ten]].^(de Vaan 2008) Cognate with [[osc|δεκμας|tr=dekmas|t=a tithe]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan dates it from Plautus,^(de Vaan 2008) who has “I used to dig ten trenches a day”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It means ten to each person or thing, as in Cato's ten measures of wine to each acre, and ten at a time.^(OLD 2012) It also means a group of ten, as Caesar's Britons who share wives in groups of ten and twelve.^(OLD 2012) With multiplying adverbs it forms numerals, as Virgil's ''ter dēnī'' “thirty”.^(OLD 2012) Church Latin glosses it “by tens”.^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of ten trenches a day.^(OLD 2012)^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 234–149 BC – Cato of ten measures to each acre.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 50 BC – Caesar of groups of ten.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 70–19 BC – Virgil of thirty years.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Numeral===

+ # [[m|en|ten|alt=Ten]] each; ten at a time, by tens.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Stelten 1995)

+ # A group of ten, ten together.^(OLD 2012)

+ # In compound numerals, as ''ter dēnī'', thirty.^(OLD 2012)^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[decem]]

+ * [[denarius|alt=dēnārius]]

+ * [[decuria]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}