decem Latin · revision 735

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈdɛ.kẽː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈdɛː.t͡ʃem]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''decem''' (indeclinable)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|itc-pro|*dekm]], [[inh|ine-pro|*déḱm̥|t=ten]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) The teens in -decim, such as [[m|la|ūndecim|t=eleven]], probably take -dec- from decem and -im from the ordinals in -decimus.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ Cognate with [[xum|desen-|t=ten]], [[sga|deich]], [[sa|दश|tr=dáśa]], [[grc|δέκα|tr=déka]], [[got|𐍄𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌿𐌽|tr=taihun]] and [[txb|śak]], all meaning “ten”.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is attested from Plautus onwards,^(de Vaan 2008)^(DÉRom) who uses it for the number [[m|en|ten]], as in ''isti sunt decem'' “these are ten”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Besides the exact number it was used for an indefinite round number, as in Caecilius' “if I had ten tongues”.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) As a noun it could mean a board of ten men, and ''decem primi'' were the ten leading members of a town council.^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913)

+

+ It survives in all Romance languages, as French ''dix'', Italian ''dieci'' and Romanian ''zece''.^(DÉRom)^(Wiktionary) Its derivatives include ''[[decimus]]'' “tenth”, ''[[December]]'' “the tenth month”, ''[[denarius]]'' and ''[[decuria]]''.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 190–159 BC – Terence mentions a dowry of ten talents.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero mentions the ''decem primi'' of a town.^(Georges 1913)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 70–19 BC – Virgil writes of the ten months of pregnancy.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Numeral===

+ # [[m|en|ten|alt=Ten]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # Ten as a round number, many.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # ''(as a noun)'' The number ten; a board of ten men.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''decem primi'': the ten leading councillors of a town.^(Georges 1913)^(Gaffiot 2016)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[decānus]]

+ * [[decemprīmus]]

+ * [[decemvir]]

+ * [[decemiugis]]

+ * [[decemmestris]]

+ * [[decemmodius]]

+ * [[decempeda]]

+ * [[decemplex]]

+ * [[decemplicō]]

+ * [[decemprimatus]]

+ * [[decemscalmus]]

+ * [[decennis]]

+ * [[decimus]]

+ * [[December]]

+ * [[dēnī]]

+ * [[dēnārius]]

+ * [[decuria]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[vīgintī]]

+ * [[centum]]

+ * [[en|decimate]]

+ * [[en|December]]

+ * [[en|dime]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ It is indeclinable.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}