Nummis

[john abshire]

Hic anulus centum nummis constat.
This ring corresponds to (costs?) one hundred coins.
(My best guess)
Why is Nummus in the dative/ ablative?
Does consto take the dative?

 

[CSGD]

Constare means "to cost" in this sentence (which is a rather frequent meaning of that word when it comes to buying and selling).

Nummis is not dative, but ablative. It is a so-called ablativus pretii which indicates the price of something (usually in connection with verbs of buying or selling, like constare in this sentence).

 

[Avunculus H]

Constare means "to cost" in this sentence (which is a rather frequent meaning of that word when it comes to buying and selling).

Not only does it mean that, it's also the source for the English verb cost.

 

[john abshire]

Not only does it mean that, it's also the source for the English verb cost.

I assumed it was the root word for constant, I couldn’t get from there to cost, except through “corresponds to”, or “fits”.

 

[CSGD]

I assumed it was the root word for constant, I couldn’t get from there to cost, except through “corresponds to”, or “fits”.

The words "to cost" and "constant" both originally come from constare, but were borrowed from different sources at different times.
"cost", as Avunculi link suggests, was borrowed from Old French, where the verb had already shifted into "coster", whereas "constant" seems to be a borrowing directly taken from Latin.

 

[john abshire]

The words "to cost" and "constant" both originally come from constare, but were borrowed from different sources at different times.
"cost", as Avunculi link suggests, was borrowed from Old French, where the verb had already shifted into "coster", whereas "constant" seems to be a borrowing directly taken from Latin.

It helps a lot when you know the English derivative. I wish they were supplied more often.