Latin numerical prefixes for groups
As well as supplying the prefixes in many English words for units of measurement and for geometrical figures, the Greek and Latin words for the numbers play a part - again often by supplying the prefix - in many other types of English word, in particular, in words for groups consisting of a certain number of objects or persons. (See Greek and Latin words for numbers, Prefixes in units of measurement, and Prefixes in words for geometrical figures.) For example, a group of six musicians is a sextet - sex is the Latin word for 'six'; a child who is one of four children born to the same mother at the same time is a quadruplet (often abbreviated to quad) - 'quadr-' comes from quattuor, the Latin word for 'four'; and a line of verse consisting of five metrical feet is a pentameter - pente is the Greek word for 'five'.
Here is a small selection of such words which make use of the Latin words for the numbers.:
- Children born to the same mother at the same time
Two children born to the same mother at the same time are twins - 'twin' does not have a Latin origin, but comes from the Old English twinn, which is related to the Old High German zwiniling (meaning 'twin') and the Old Norse tvinnr (meaning 'double'). However, words for groups of larger numbers of children born to the same mother at the same time all have a Latin origin. Thus three such children are triplets, four such children are quadruplets (or quads), five such children are quintuplets (or quins), six such children are sextuplets, and seven such children are septuplets.
These words - triplets, quadruplets, etc. - may also be used of certain groups of objects. In music, for example, a triplet is a group of three notes which are to be played in the time of two (or four) notes.
- Groups of musicians
All the words for groups consisting of a specific number of musicians have a Latin origin: they entered English from Italian in the eighteenth century. Thus a group of two musicians is a duo, of three musicians a trio, of four musicians a quartet, of five musicians a quintet, of six musicians a sextet (or sestet), of seven musicians a septet, of eight musicians an octet, and of nine musicians a nonet.
These words - with the exception of duo - may also be used for pieces of music composed for a specific number of instrumentalists or singers. Thus a piece of music for three musicians is a trio, a piece of music for four musicians is a quartet, and so on. However, a piece of music for two musicians is not a duo but a duet.
Duo, trio, etc., may also be used of groups of individuals other than musicians and even of groups of nations. Thus the comedians Morecambe and Wise were a famous comedy duo, and in the context of international politics the Middle East Quartet are the four nations or supranational bodies - the United States, the United Nations, the European Union, and Russia - currently (2007) working together to promote a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
- Having a certain number of parts
The words used to describe objects as having a certain number of parts - bipartite, tripartite, quadripartite, qinquepartite, sexpartite, etc. - all have a Latin origin. The prefix 'bi-' comes from bis, the Latin word for 'twice'; the remaining prefixes clearly derive from the Latin words for the cardinal numbers. These words - bipartite, tripartite, etc. - also mean 'affecting. or made by a certain number of parties': a tripartite agreement, e.g., is an agreement made by three parties.
- Ships (galleys) powered by two, three, etc., banks of oars
A galley (i.e., a large ship propelled by banks of oars) is known as a bireme if it has two banks of oars on each side. The words trireme, quadrireme, and quinquereme refer to galleys with, respectively, three, four, or five banks of oars on each side. The stem of these words, '-reme', comes from the Latin word remus, which means 'oar'.
For a small selection of similar words which make use of the Greek words for the numbers see Greek numerical prefixes for groups.
