LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinethird declension

bes

bes m (genitive bessis)
Classical[ˈbɛs]Ecclesiastical[ˈbɛs]

Meaning

  1. masculinetwo-thirds, or a two-thirds part of any unit
  2. masculinebes, a coin worth two-thirds of an as

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativebesbessēs
genitivebessisbessium
dativebessībessibus
accusativebessembessēs
bessīs
ablativebessebessibus
vocativebesbessēs

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

heres ex besse
heir to two-thirds of the property.
fenus ex triente Id. Quint. factum erat bessibus (Att. 4. 15. 7)
the rate of interest has gone up from 4 per cent to 8 per cent.

bes, bessis, m. (nom. bessis, Paul. ex Fest. p. 33 Müll.; Prisc. Ponder. p. 1348 P.) [be-is = binae partes assis].
I. Two thirds of a unit (the as); eight unciae, or twelfths (cf. as): bessis octo sunt unciae (8/12 = 2/3), triens quattuor, Paul. ex Fest. l. l.
A. As a coin: fenus ex triente Idib. Quint. factum erat bessibus, i. e. instead of the previous monthly interest of 1/3 %, 2/3 % was now reckoned; thus, acc. to the present mode of calculating, for the year, the interest advanced from 4 % (12X1/3) to 8 % (12X2/3), * Cic. Att. 4, 15, 7.—
B. In gen., two thirds of any whole.
1. Of shares in a partnership: Nerva constituit, ut tu ex triente socius esses, ego ex besse, Dig. 17, 2, 76.—
2. Of a sum of money: exsolvere bessem pretii, Dig. 17, 1, 12.—
3. Of a tract of land: emere bessem fundi, Dig. 16, 21, 2, § 39: bisque novem, Nemeaee, dabis, bessemque (i. e. eight months) sub illis, Manil. 3, 367.—
4. Of a jugerum: partes duae tertiae pedes decem novem milia et ducentos, hoc est bes, in quo sunt scripula CXCII., Col. 5, 1, 11.—
5. Of a measure of capacity: bes sextarii, Scrib. Comp. 126.—
6. Of a pound, = 8 ounces: in binos semodios farinae satis esse bessem fermenti, Plin. 18, 11, 26, § 102; Scrib. Comp. 157.—
7. Of an inheritance: heres ex besse, Plin. Ep. 7, 24, 2.—
C. Meton. for eight: quincunces et sex cyathos bessemque bibamus, Caïus ut fiat Julius et Proculus (i. e. so many letters were comprised in these names; cf. 1. bibo, 2. e.), Mart. 11, 36, 7 and 8.—
D. Bes alter = (12+8)/12 = 1 2/3, Fest. s. v. triens, p. 363 Müll.—
II. In mathematics, where the cardinal number is six (cf. as !*?), bes = 4, Gr. δίμοιρος, Vitr. 3, 1, p. 61 Rod. and bes alter = (6+4)/6 = 1 2/3, Gr. ἐπιδίμοιρος, id. ib.

Origins

From a derivative of *duō (“two”) (compare bis) + as.

Quick answers

What does bes mean in Latin?
bes, a noun, means “two-thirds, or a two-thirds part of any unit; bes, a coin worth two-thirds of an as”.
What is the genitive of bes?
The genitive singular is bessis. bes is masculine, third declension.
How do you pronounce bes?
In classical Latin, [ˈbɛs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈbɛs].