# sestertius
## English
### Etymology

From Latin sēstertius (“that is two-and-a-half”), from sēmis (“half”) + tertius (“third”), in which "third" refers to the third as: the sestertius was worth two full asses and half of a third.

### Noun

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
## Finnish
### Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin sēstertius (“that is two-and-a-half”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈsestertius/, [ˈs̠e̞s̠te̞rˌt̪ius̠]
* Rhymes: -ius
* Hyphenation: ses‧ter‧ti‧us

### Noun

sestertius
* (historical, numismatics) sestertius

#### Declension

Possessive forms of sestertius (Kotus type 39/vastaus, no gradation) :
first-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
sestertiukseni
sestertiukseni
accusative
nom.
sestertiukseni
sestertiukseni
gen.
sestertiukseni
genitive
sestertiukseni
sestertiusteni sestertiuksieni
partitive
sestertiustani
sestertiuksiani
inessive
sestertiuksessani
sestertiuksissani
elative
sestertiuksestani
sestertiuksistani
illative
sestertiukseeni
sestertiuksiini
adessive
sestertiuksellani
sestertiuksillani
ablative
sestertiukseltani
sestertiuksiltani
allative
sestertiukselleni
sestertiuksilleni
essive
sestertiuksenani
sestertiuksinani
translative
sestertiuksekseni
sestertiuksikseni
abessive
sestertiuksettani
sestertiuksittani
instructive
comitative
—sestertiuksineni
second-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
sestertiuksesi
sestertiuksesi
accusative
nom.
sestertiuksesi
sestertiuksesi
gen.
sestertiuksesi
genitive
sestertiuksesi
sestertiustesi sestertiuksiesi
partitive
sestertiustasi
sestertiuksiasi
inessive
sestertiuksessasi
sestertiuksissasi
elative
sestertiuksestasi
sestertiuksistasi
illative
sestertiukseesi
sestertiuksiisi
adessive
sestertiuksellasi
sestertiuksillasi
ablative
sestertiukseltasi
sestertiuksiltasi
allative
sestertiuksellesi
sestertiuksillesi
essive
sestertiuksenasi
sestertiuksinasi
translative
sestertiukseksesi
sestertiuksiksesi
abessive
sestertiuksettasi
sestertiuksittasi
instructive
comitative
—sestertiuksinesi
first-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
sestertiuksemme
sestertiuksemme
accusative
nom.
sestertiuksemme
sestertiuksemme
gen.
sestertiuksemme
genitive
sestertiuksemme
sestertiustemme sestertiuksiemme
partitive
sestertiustamme
sestertiuksiamme
inessive
sestertiuksessamme
sestertiuksissamme
elative
sestertiuksestamme
sestertiuksistamme
illative
sestertiukseemme
sestertiuksiimme
adessive
sestertiuksellamme
sestertiuksillamme
ablative
sestertiukseltamme
sestertiuksiltamme
allative
sestertiuksellemme
sestertiuksillemme
essive
sestertiuksenamme
sestertiuksinamme
translative
sestertiukseksemme
sestertiuksiksemme
abessive
sestertiuksettamme
sestertiuksittamme
instructive
comitative
—sestertiuksinemme
second-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
sestertiuksenne
sestertiuksenne
accusative
nom.
sestertiuksenne
sestertiuksenne
gen.
sestertiuksenne
genitive
sestertiuksenne
sestertiustenne sestertiuksienne
partitive
sestertiustanne
sestertiuksianne
inessive
sestertiuksessanne
sestertiuksissanne
elative
sestertiuksestanne
sestertiuksistanne
illative
sestertiukseenne
sestertiuksiinne
adessive
sestertiuksellanne
sestertiuksillanne
ablative
sestertiukseltanne
sestertiuksiltanne
allative
sestertiuksellenne
sestertiuksillenne
essive
sestertiuksenanne
sestertiuksinanne
translative
sestertiukseksenne
sestertiuksiksenne
abessive
sestertiuksettanne
sestertiuksittanne
instructive
comitative
—sestertiuksinenne
third-person possessor
singular
plural
nominative
sestertiuksensa
sestertiuksensa
accusative
nom.
sestertiuksensa
sestertiuksensa
gen.
sestertiuksensa
genitive
sestertiuksensa
sestertiustensa sestertiuksiensa
partitive
sestertiustaan sestertiustansa
sestertiuksiaan sestertiuksiansa
inessive
sestertiuksessaan sestertiuksessansa
sestertiuksissaan sestertiuksissansa
elative
sestertiuksestaan sestertiuksestansa
sestertiuksistaan sestertiuksistansa
illative
sestertiukseensa
sestertiuksiinsa
adessive
sestertiuksellaan sestertiuksellansa
sestertiuksillaan sestertiuksillansa
ablative
sestertiukseltaan sestertiukseltansa
sestertiuksiltaan sestertiuksiltansa
allative
sestertiukselleen sestertiuksellensa
sestertiuksilleen sestertiuksillensa
essive
sestertiuksenaan sestertiuksenansa
sestertiuksinaan sestertiuksinansa
translative
sestertiuksekseen sestertiukseksensa
sestertiuksikseen sestertiuksiksensa
abessive
sestertiuksettaan sestertiuksettansa
sestertiuksittaan sestertiuksittansa
instructive
comitative
—sestertiuksineen sestertiuksinensa :

## Latin
### Alternative forms

* HS (symbol)

### Etymology

From sēmis (“half”) + tertius (“third”), due to its value in asses.

### Pronunciation

* (Classical Latin) IPA: /seːsˈter.ti.us/, [s̠eːs̠ˈt̪ɛrt̪iʊs̠]
* (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA: /sesˈter.t͡si.us/, [sesˈt̪ɛrt̪͡s̪ius]

### Noun

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

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 (e.g. deciens) is used in front of the genitive plural sēstertium, it is read as that many hundred thousands of sesterces.

#### Declension

Second-declension noun.
$^1$Found in older Latin (until the Augustan Age).

#### Synonyms

* nummus

#### Descendants

* → Catalan: sesterci m
* → English: sesterce
* → French: sesterce m
* → Italian: sesterzio m
* → Portuguese: sestércio m
* → Spanish: sestercio m
Feminine variant:
* ⇒ Bulgarian: сестерция f (sestercija)
* ⇒ Dutch: sestertie f
* ⇒ German: Sesterze f
* ⇒ Polish: sestercja f
Modern borrowings:
* → English: sestertius, → sestertium
* → Esperanto: sesterco
* → Finnish: sestertius
* → German: Sesterz m
* → Japanese: セステルティウス (sesuterutiusu)
* → Romanian: sesterț n, → sesterțiu n
* → Russian: сестерций m (sestercij)

### References

* “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