APPENDIX. Of Capitals, Abbreviations, Numerical Chara&ers, and the Divifion of the Roman Month. Capitals, or large letters, are used at the beginning of fentences, of verfes, and of proper names. Some ufe them at the beginning of every fubftantive noun. Adjectives, verbs, and other parts of fpeech, unless they be emphatical, commonly begin with a small letter. Capitals, with a point after them, are often put for whole words; thus, A. marks Aulus, C. Caius, D. Decimus, L. Lucius, M. Marcus, P. Publius, Q. Quindius, T. Titus. So F. ftands for Filius, and N. for Nepos; as, M. F. Marci Filius, M. N. Marci Nepos. In like manner, P. C. marks Patres Confcripti; S. C. Senatus Confultum ; P. R. Populus Romanus; S. P. Q. R. Senatus Populufque Romanus; U. C. Urbs Condita; S. P. D. Salutem_plurimam dicit; D. D. D. Dat, dicat, dedicat; D. D. C. Q. Dat, dicat, confecratque; H. S. written corruptly for L. L. S. Seftertius, equal in value to two pounds of brass and a half; the two pounds being marked by L. L. Libra, Libra, and the half by S. Semis. So in modern books, A. D. marks Anno Domini; A. M. Artium Magifter, Mafter of arts; M. D. Medicine Doctor; LL. D. Legum Dodor; N. B. Nota Bene, &c. Sometimes a fmall letter or two is added to the capital; as, Etc. Et cætera; Ap. Appius; Cn. Cneius; Op. Opiter; Sp. Spurius; Ti. Tiberius ; Sex. Sextius; Cos. Conful; Cofs. Confules; Imp. Imperator; Impp. Imperatores. In like manner, in English, Efq. Efquire; Dr. Debtor or Do∨ Acct. Account; MS. Manufcript; MSS. Manufcripts; Do. Ditto; Rt. Hon. Right Honourable, &c. Small letters are likewife often put as abbreviations of a word; as, i. e. id eft; h. e. hoc eft; e. g. exempli gratiá z v. g. verbi gratiâ. Capitals were ufed by the ancient Romans, to mark numbers. The letters employed for this purpose were C. I. L. V. X. which are therefore called Numerical Letters. I, denotes one, V. five, X. ten, L. fifty, and C. a hundred. By the various combination of these five letters, all the different numbers are expreffed. The repetition of a numerical letter repeats its value. Thus, II. fignifies two; III. three; XX. twenty; xxx. thirty; CC. two hundred, &c. But V. and L. are never repeated. When a letter of a lefs value is placed before a letter of a greater, the lefs takes away what it ftands for from the greater; but being placed after, adds what it ftands for to the greater; thus, IV. Four. V. Five. VI. Six. XI. Eleven. XC. Ninety. C. A hundred. CX. A hundred and ten A thousand is marked thus, cin, which in later times was contracted into м. Five Hundred is marked thus, 10. or, by contraction, d. The annexing of 3 to 13. makes its value ten times greater; thus 155. marks five thousand; and 1959. fifty thoufand. The prefixing of c, together with the annexing of ɔ to the number c1, makes its value ten times greater; thus, cciɔɔ, denotes ten thousand; and ccc1ɔɔɔ. a hundred thoufand. The ancient Romans, according to Pliny, proceeded no farther in this method of notation. If they had occafion to exprefs a larger number, they did it by repe tition; thus, ccciɔɔɔ, ceciɔɔɔ. fignified two hundred thousand, c. We fometimes find thousands expreffed by a ftraight line drawn over the top of the numerical letters. Thus, III. denotes three thoufand; ten thousand. But the modern manner of marking numbers is much more fimple, by these ten characters, or Figures, which, from the ten fingers of the hands, were called Digits & I one, 2 trvo, 3 three, 4 four, 5 five, 6 fix, 7 feven, 8 eight, 9 nine, nought, nothing. The firft nine are called Significant Figures. The last is called a Cypher. Significant figures placed after one another, increase their value ten times at every remove from the right hand to the left thus, 8 Eight 85 Eighty-five. 856 Eight hundred and fifty-fix. 8566 Eight thousand five hundred and fixty fix. When cyphers are placed at the right hand of a fignificant figure, each cypher increases the value of the figure ten times thus, 1 One. 10 Ten. 100 A hundred. 2 Two. 20 Twenty. 200 Two hundred. 1000 A thousand. 2000 Two thousand. Cyphers are often intermixed with fignificant figures, thus, 20202, Twenty thousand two hundred and two. The fuperiority of the present method of marking num. bers over that of the Romans, will appear by expreffing the prefent year both in letters and figures, and comparing them tygether: C15,13cc1xxx, or M,DCCLXXX, 1780. As the Roman manner of marking the days of their months was quite different from ours, it may perhaps be of use here to give a fhort account of it. Divifion of the Roman Months. The Romans divided their months into three parts, by Kalends, Nones, and Ides. The first day of every month was called the Kalends; the fifth day was called the Nones; and thirteenth day was called the Ides; except in the months of March, May, July, and October, in which the nones fell upon the feventh day, and the ides on the fifteeenth. In reckoning the days of their months, they counted backwards. Thus, the first day of January was marked Kalendis Januariis or Januarii, or by contraction, Kal. Jan. The laft day of December, Pridie Kalendas Januarias or Januarii, fcil. ante. The day before that, or the thirtieth day of December, Tertio Kal. Jan fcil. die ante; or, Ante diem tertium Kal. Jan. The twenty-ninth day of December, Quarto Kal. Jan. And fo on, till they came back to the thirteenth day of December, or to the ides, which were marked Idibus Decembribus, or Decembris: The day before the ides, Pridie Idus Dec. fcil. ante: the day before that, Tertio Id. Dec. and fo back to the nones, or the fifth day of the month, which was marked, Nonis Decembribus or Decembris; The day before the nones, Pridie Non Dec. &c. and thus through all the months of the year. In Leap year, that is, when February has twenty-nine days, which happens every fourth year, both the 24th and the 25th days of that month were marked, Sexto Kalendas Martii or Martias; and hence this year is called Biffextilis. JUNIUS, APRILIS, SEPTEMQUE, NOVEMQUE tricenos; Thus, the 14th day of April, June, September, and October, was marked XVIII. Kal. of the following month; the 15th, XVII. Kal. &c. The 14th day of January, Auguft, and December, XIX. Kal. &c. So the 16th day of March, May, July, and Odober, was marked XVII. Kal. &c. And the 14th day of February, XVI. Kal. Martii or Martias. The names of all the months are ufed as Subftantives or Adjectives, except Aprilis, which is ufed only as a Substantive. FINIS |