§346. Partitive Genitive

Words denoting a Part are followed by the Genitive of the Whole to which the part belongs.

a. Partitive words, followed by the genitive, are—

• Nouns or Pronouns (cf. also 3 below):—

  • pars mīlitum, part of the soldiers. quis nostrum, which of us?
  • nihil erat reliquī, there was nothing left.
  • nēmō eōrum (B. G. 7.66), not a man of them.
  • māgnam partemeōruminterfēcērunt (id. 2.23), they killed a large part of them.

• Numerals, Comparatives, Superlatives, and Pronominal words like alius, alter, nūllus, etc.:—

  • ūnus tribūnōrum, one of the tribunes (see c below).
  • sapientum octāvus (Hor. S. 2.3.296), the eighth of the wise men.
  • mīliapassuum sescenta (B. G. 4.3), six hundred miles (thousands of paces).
  • mâior frātrum, the elder of the brothers.
  • animāliumfortiōra, the stronger [of] animals.
  • Suēbōrum gēns est longē maxima et bellicōsissimaGermānōrum omnium (B. G. 4.1), the tribe of the Suevi is far the largest and most warlike of all the Germans.
  • alter cōnsulum, one of the [two] consuls.
  • nūlla eārum (B.G. 4.28), not one of them (the ships).

• Neuter Adjectives and Pronouns, used as nouns:—

  • tantum spatī, so much [of] space.
  • aliquid nummōrum, a few pence (something of coins).
  • id locī (or locōrum), that spot of ground; id temporis, at that time (§ 397. a).
  • plāna urbis, the level parts of the town.
  • quid novī, what news? (what of new?)
  • paulum frūmentī (B. C. 1.78), a little grain.
  • plūs dolōris (B. G. 1.20), more grief.
  • suī aliquid timōris (B. C. 2.29), some fear of his own (something of his own fear).

• Adverbs, especially those of Quantity and of Place:—

  • parum ōtī, not much ease (too little of ease).
  • satis pecūniae, money enough (enough of money).
  • plūrimumtōtīus Galliae equitātū valet (B. G. 5.3), is strongest of all Gaul in cavalry.
  • ubinam gentium sumus (Cat. 1.9), where in the world are we (where of nations)?
  • ubicumqueterrārum et gentium (Verr. 5.143), wherever in the whole world.
  • rēs erat eō iamlocī ut (Sest. 68), the business had now reached such a point that, etc.
  • eō miseriārum (Iug. 14.3), to that [pitch] of misery.
  • inde locī, next in order (thence of place). [Poetical.]

b. The poets and later writers often use the partitive genitive after adjectives, instead of a noun in its proper case:—

• sequimur tē, sāncte deōrum (Aen. 4.576), we follow thee, O holy deity. [For sāncte deus (§ 49. g. N.)]
• nigrae lānārum (Plin. H. N. 8.193), black wools. [For nigrae lānae.]
• expedītī mīlitum (Liv. 30.9), light-armed soldiers. [For expedītī mīlitēs.]
• hominum cūnctōs (Ov. M. 4.631), all men. [For cūnctōs hominēs; cf. e.]

c. Cardinal numerals (except mīlia) regularly take the Ablative with ē ( ex) or dē instead of the Partitive Genitive. So also quīdam, a certain one, commonly, and other words occasionally:—

• ūnus ex tribūnīs, one of the tribunes. [But also, ūnus tribūnōrum (cf. a. 2).]
• minumus ex illīs (Iug. 11), the youngest of them.
• medius ex tribus (ib.), the middle one of the three.
• quīdam ex mīlitibus, certain of the soldiers.
• ūnus dē multīs (Fin. 2.66), one of the many.
• paucī dē nostrīs cadunt (B. G. 1.15), a few of our men fall.
• hominem dē comitibus meīs, a man of my companions.

d. Uterque, both (properly each), and quisque, each, with Nouns are regularly used as adjectives in agreement, but with Pronouns take a partitive genitive:—

• uterque cōnsul, both the consuls; but, uterque nostrum, both of us.
• ūnus quisque vestrum, each one of you.
• utraque castra, both camps.

e. Numbers and words of quantity including the whole of any thing take a case in agreement, and not the partitive genitive. So also words denoting a part when only that part is thought of:—

• nōs omnēs, all of us (we all). [Not omnēs nostrum.]
• quot sunt hostēs, how many of the enemy are there?
• cavē inimīcōs, quī multī sunt, beware of your enemies, who are many.
• multī mīlitēs, many of the soldiers.
• nēmō Rōmānus, not one Roman.