duodecim
[duˈɔ.dɛ.kĩː]
The Latin word for twelve is duodecim.
duodecim is the cardinal number 12.
Meaning: cardinal number 12 (num)
What does it mean word for word?
The word duodecim is a compound of duo (two) and decem (ten).
How does it change in a sentence?
duodecim is indeclinable, which means it does not change its form to match the gender, number or case of other words in a sentence.
Did you know?
- In Roman law, the 'Twelve Tables' (Lex Duodecim Tabularum) were the foundation of early Roman jurisprudence and were physically inscribed on twelve bronze tablets.
- The 'decem' part of the word is the root for 'decimate', a word used in English to mean extreme destruction, though its original meaning was strictly about dividing by ten.
- The prefix 'duodec-' appears in the word 'duodecimo', a term still used by bookbinders and librarians to describe a specific small book size.
Examples in context
- Duodecim est numerus par.Twelve is an even number.This sentence shows how to use duodecim to state that twelve is an even number.Tatoeba #7070152 by alexmarcelo, translation #73341 by CK
- Annus duodecim menses habet.A year has twelve months.This sentence illustrates using duodecim to describe the number of months in a year.Tatoeba #1120197 by alexmarcelo, translation #73060 by CM
- Puella sum annorum duodecim.I'm a twelve-year-old girl.This sentence shows how to use duodecim when stating an age.Tatoeba #7039062 by alexmarcelo, translation #2887478 by AlanF_US
- 22 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gaius and Claudia are counting items on a table.
- GaiusQuot libri hic sunt?How many books are here?
- ClaudiaHic sunt duodecim libri.There are twelve books here.
- GaiusTantus numerus est!What a number!
- ClaudiaIta, duodecim sunt.Yes, there are twelve.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “twelve” translations and entries duodecim, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
