Lesson 12 – Adverbs, numbers and dates, months, useful phrases, dating clauses
Adverbs
An adverb describes a verb. It provides information about how the verb is carried out.
Adverbs usually come before the verb. They do not decline.
Concentrate on learning words marked with an asterisk* first.
You have already used some adverbs:
| item | likewise |
| non | not |
Here are some other common adverbs
| celeriter | quickly |
| falso | falsely |
| libere | freely* |
| quiete | peacefully* |
Did you notice that English adverbs often end in ‘-ly’? However, not all do
| bene | well |
| ibidem | at/in the same place* |
| ideo | therefore |
| imperpetuum | forever, in perpetuity |
| nunc | now* |
| prius | formerly |
| semper | always* |
| sepe | often |
| sicut | just as* |
| tandem | at length* |
| ubi | where, when* |
| videlicet | namely, to wit, that is* |
| prius pater meus castrum de Ruislepe libere tenuit sed nunc castrum teneo per servicium videlicet de feodo unius militis | Before my father held the castle of Ruislepe freely, but now I hold the castle by service, namely of one knight’s fee. | castrum, -i (n.) castle sed but feodum, -i (n.) fee |
| vidua dicit quod vir falso dicit et quod tenuit predictum tenementum libere et quiete a tempore regis Edwardi | The widow says that the man speaks falsely and that she has held the aforesaid tenement freely and peacefully since the time of King Edward. | tenementum, -i (n.) tenement tempus, temporis (n.) time, period |
| dominus Johannes rex pater domini regis qui nunc est | The lord King John, father of the lord king who is now. | |
| in nomine dei amen lego abbati tenementa imperpetuum tenere | In the name of God amen I leave to the abbot the tenements to hold in perpetuity | nomen, nominis (n.) name amenamen Londinium, -ii (n.) London |
| tandem Carolus sigillum carte nove apposuit et celeriter finem de tribus libris solvit. | At length Charles affixed [his] seal to the new charter and quickly paid a fine of three pounds. | Carolus, -i (m.) Charles |
hic meaning ‘here’, can also be used as an adverb. As an adverb, it does not decline.
| hic iacet | here lies |
Tip
You will often see the phrase hic iacet on tombs.
Numbers and dates
Can you remember the numbers one to ten?
Here they are again, this time with the form used to express dates.
| Latin | English | Latin | English |
| unus, –a, –um | one | primus, –a, –um | first |
| duo, due, duo | two | secundus | second |
| tres, tria | three | tertius | third |
| quattuor | four | quartus | fourth |
| quinque | five | quintus | fifth |
| sex | six | sextus | sixth |
| septem | seven | septimus | seventh |
| octo | eight | octavus | eighth |
| novem | nine | nonus | ninth |
| decem | ten | decimus | tenth |
| viginti | twenty | vicesimus | twentieth |
| triginta | thirty | tricesimus | thirtieth |
| centum | one hundred | centesimus | hundredth |
| mille | one thousand | millesimus | thousandth |
Dates are expressed using ‘first’, ‘second’, ‘third’, rather than ‘one’, ‘two’, ‘three’.
These are always in the ablative case. Generally, the ‘-us’ ending becomes an ‘-o’.
For example
| primo | on the first |
| tricesimo die | on the thirtieth day |
| anno domini millesimo centesimo vicesimo | in the year of the Lord one thousand one hundred and twenty (or, 1120 AD) |
| anno regni regine Elizabethe nono | in the ninth year of the reign of Queen Elizabeth |
| anno regni regis Ricardi filii regis Edwardi septimo | in the seventh year of the reign of King Richard son of King Edward |
There are more numbers in the reference section on the Dating Latin documents page.
Months of the year
| menses anni | mensis, -is (m.) month |
| Latin word | English meaning | ‘month of …’ |
| Januarius, -i (m.) | January | mensis Januarii |
| Februarius, -i (m.) | February | mensis Februarii |
| Martius, -i (m.) | March | mensis Martii |
| Aprilis, Aprilis (m.) | April | mensis Aprilis |
| Maius, -i (m.) | May | mensis Maii |
| Junius, -i (m.) | June | mensis Junii |
| Julius, -i (m.) | July | mensis Julii |
| Augustus, -i (m.) | August | mensis Augusti |
| September, Septembris (m.) | September | mensis Septembris |
| October, Octobris (m.) | October | mensis Octobris |
| November, Novembris (m.) | November | mensis Novembris |
| December, Decembris (m.) | December | mensis Decembris |
| apud Londiniam quinto die Junii anno regni domine nostre tertio | at London on the fifth day of June in the third year of the reign of our lord |
Useful phrases
Medieval documents may begin with this opening clause
| know all men | |
| or | ||
| know all [men] present and future | |
| sciant omnes quod nos Simo de Burham et Anna uxor mea dedimus concessimus et per hanc cartam confirmavimus Thome episcopo Londonie totam terram que iacet iuxta ecclesiam de villa de Burnham. | Know all men that we, Simon de Burnham and Anna my wife have given, conceded and by this charter confirmed to Thomas Bishop of London all the land which lies next to the church of the vill of Burnham. | Thomas, –e (m.) Thomas villa, –e (f.) vill |
At the end of a grant, you will find a list of witness. The first name of each witness will be in the ablative case.
The witnesses will be introduced with either of these clauses
| these being witnesses | |
| or | ||
| witnessed | |
| hiis testibus Stephano de Segrave Henrico de Hastinges militibus magistro Gregorio Simone clerico et aliis. | These being witnesses Stephen de Segrave, Henry de Hastinges, knights, Master Gregory, Simon clerk and others. | clericus, -i (m.) clerk testis, testis (m., f.) witness |
| alius, alia, aliud | other |
Dating clauses
A dating clause tells you where and when the document was drawn up. This may begin with the word for ‘dated’
- datum if the document is neuter (for example, testamentum)
- data if the document is feminine (for example, carta, concordia)
| hic est finalis concordia data apud Eboracum | This is the final concord given at York |
| or | |
| datum per manum nostrum apud Westmonasterium | Given by our hand at Westminster |
Checklist
Are you confident with
- what an adverb does?
- where an adverb comes in a sentence?
- whether it declines?
- the endings to the months of the year when you want to say ‘month of’?
- which case is used to express dates?
- how to count from one to thirty?
- the clause used to introduce witnesses at the end of a grant?
- what datum or data means?