sestertius
English edit
Etymology edit
From Latin sēstertius (“that is two-and-a-half”), from sēmis (“half”) + tertius (“third”).
Noun edit
sestertius (plural sestertii)
- (historical numismatics) A large bronze or (rarely) small silver coin minted during the Roman Republic and Empire, valued at two and a half asses (a quarter of a denarius).
- Synonym: sesterce
Translations edit
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Finnish edit
Etymology edit
Learned borrowing from Latin sēstertius (“that is two-and-a-half”).
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
sestertius
Declension edit
Inflection of sestertius (Kotus type 39/vastaus, no gradation) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
nominative | sestertius | sestertiukset | ||
genitive | sestertiuksen | sestertiusten sestertiuksien | ||
partitive | sestertiusta | sestertiuksia | ||
illative | sestertiukseen | sestertiuksiin | ||
singular | plural | |||
nominative | sestertius | sestertiukset | ||
accusative | nom. | sestertius | sestertiukset | |
gen. | sestertiuksen | |||
genitive | sestertiuksen | sestertiusten sestertiuksien | ||
partitive | sestertiusta | sestertiuksia | ||
inessive | sestertiuksessa | sestertiuksissa | ||
elative | sestertiuksesta | sestertiuksista | ||
illative | sestertiukseen | sestertiuksiin | ||
adessive | sestertiuksella | sestertiuksilla | ||
ablative | sestertiukselta | sestertiuksilta | ||
allative | sestertiukselle | sestertiuksille | ||
essive | sestertiuksena | sestertiuksina | ||
translative | sestertiukseksi | sestertiuksiksi | ||
abessive | sestertiuksetta | sestertiuksitta | ||
instructive | — | sestertiuksin | ||
comitative | See the possessive forms below. |
Latin edit
Alternative forms edit
- HS (symbol)
Etymology edit
From sēmis (“half”) + tertius (“third”), due to its value in asses.
Pronunciation edit
- (Classical) IPA(key): /seːsˈter.ti.us/, [s̠eːs̠ˈt̪ɛrt̪iʊs̠]
- (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /sesˈter.t͡si.us/, [sesˈt̪ɛrt̪͡s̪ius]
Noun edit
sēstertius m (genitive sēstertiī or sēstertī); second declension
- sesterce (small coin worth 2 and a half asses, later 4 asses)
- two and a half (only in certain phrases)
Usage notes edit
Four sesterces were equal to one denarius, and a hundred sesterces to one aureus. Although there were larger coins in the empire, many large prices were calculated in sesterces instead.
When a distributive numeral is used in front of the neuter plural sēstertia, it is read as that many thousands of sesterces. When a numeral adverb is used in front of the genitive plural sēstertium, it is read as that many hundred thousands of sesterces.
Declension edit
Second-declension noun.
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
Nominative | sēstertius | sēstertiī |
Genitive | sēstertiī sēstertī1 |
sēstertiōrum |
Dative | sēstertiō | sēstertiīs |
Accusative | sēstertium | sēstertiōs |
Ablative | sēstertiō | sēstertiīs |
Vocative | sēstertie | sēstertiī |
1Found in older Latin (until the Augustan Age).
Synonyms edit
Descendants edit
- Catalan: sesterci
- → English: sesterce
- → Finnish: sestertius
- Italian: sesterzio
- Portuguese: sestércio
- Spanish: sestercio
References edit
- “sestertius”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- “sestertius”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
- sestertius in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
- “sestertius”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898), Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
- “sestertius”, in William Smith et al., editor (1890), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin