What is the Latin word for count?

The usual Latin words for “count” are fōrmula, sēdēs, dūcō; also putō, pōnō, numerō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“count” in Latin

fōrmulashape, outline; form; beauty; pattern, mould; paradigm sēdēsseat, chair; place, residence, settlement, habitation, abode dūcōto lead, guide, conduct, lead away; to take; to draw, pull putōto clean, cleanse; to trim, prune, lop; to arrange, settle pōnōto place; to put; to lay; to ordain; to appoint; to make (something); to set up; to pitch (camp)numerōto count, enumerate; to pay, count out; to reckon, esteem arbitrorto judge, arbitrate; to witness, observe; to believe, think iūdicōto examine judicially, judge, pass judgement, decide; condemn; to judge; proclaim; determine, conclude; adjudge exīstimōto value, or esteem, estimate, reckon, consider; to think, suppose, judge or consider collocōto place, put, set in order, assign, arrange; to put together, assemble; to settle

The English word count itself goes back to Latin putus, through computō.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

count s.

Computation, Vid:

Charge in an indictment, formula (the prescribed legal form; of which several might be used, but not “in publicis judiciis,” in Quintilian’s time; ☞ Quint., 3, 10, 1; privata judicia unum judicem habere multis et diversis formulas solent). There are many counts in the indictment, *multis et diversis formulis accusatur aliquis or actio alicui intenditur. There are two counts in the indictment; one charging the prisoner with sacrilege, another with manslaughter, aliquis sacrilegii et homicidii simul accusatur (Quint. 3, 10, 1; where others read, simul et homicidii). ☞ An action in which the indictment had different counts, was causa conjuncta (opposed to causa simplex; Quint., 3, 10, 1). COUNT (as title of honour), *comes: the title of count, *nomen comitis: the rank of count, *comitis dignitas: to confer upon anybody the title of count, *aliquem comitis nomine et dignitate ornare: the seat, residence, etc., of a count, sedes or domicilium comitis.

count v.

numerum inire. To count anything, aliquid numerare (general term also = to reckon among): dinumerare (to count the whole number, one by one; to count all through): numerum alicujus rei inire, or exsequi, or efficere (to count over); computare (to reckon): enumerando percensere (to reckon them all through, naming each): to count the stars, stellas dinumerare: to count on one’s fingers, numerare digitis or per digitos; computare digitis: to count the number of troops, numerum copiarum inire: not to be able to count up all a person’s services, promerita enumerando percensere non posse: it is correctly counted, numerus convenit: to count (= have) many friends, multos amicos numerare (Ov., Trist., 1, 9, 5), or habere: veterans who count thirty years of service, veterani tricena stipendia numerantes (Tac., Ann., 1, 35, 2) or meriti: to count anything by such or such a thing, aliquid numerare ex aliqua re (as Cic., De Or., 2, 32, in.; ea, si ex reis numeres innumerabilia sunt, si ex rebus, etc.): the Gauls do not count by days, but by nights, Galli non dierum numerum, sed noctium computant; or Galli spatia omnis temporis non numero dierum, sed noctium finiunt.

Esteem, consider, look upon as, ducere: putare: ponere: numerare: arbitrari: judicare, existimare. ☞ All these, except ponere, have two accusatives, when the person or thing really is, or is believed by us to be, what we consider him. But to express that we treat him like such or such a person, put him in the situation of such a person relatively to ourselves, then we use either aliquem pro (after habere, putare; seldom after ducere), or (in) numero, with genitive plur. (after habere, ducere, existimare), or with “in,” and ablative sing. or plur. (after putare, ponere, numerare; also after habere). If an adjective is used predicatively with “count,” it should be translated either by “in,” with ablative of substantive (after ponere, ducere); or by dative of substantive (after habere, ducere); or by genitive of adjective, used substantively with esse and habeo, etc. (Vid: examples below). To count a person one’s enemy, habere aliquem hostem (so far as he really is so): habere aliquem pro hoste, or in hostium numero (so far as one looks upon and treats him as such): to count anybody a god, habere aliquem deum: numerare aliquid (e.g., caelum) deum: to count anything a favor, ponere aliquid in beneficio: habere aliquid beneficii loco et gratiae (Cic.): to count anything an evil, habere aliquid in malis: to count it an insult, ignominiae loco ferre aliquid: to count a man happy, aliquem beatum habere: to count it honorable, aliquid honori habere or ducere; aliquid in laude ponere, or laudi ducere; aliquid in gloria ducere or ponere: it has ever been counted wise, semper sapientis est habitum (e.g., tempori cedere). To count anybody your friend, aliquem in tuorum numerum ascribere: one’s friend, numerare aliquem inter suos: to count as or for nothing, aliquid pro nihilo ducere; nullo loco habere or numerare.

To reckon or depend upon, spem in aliquo ponere or collocare; auxilium or salutem ab aliquo exspectare: you may count upon me, tibi non deero: to count on anything, aliquid pro certo expectare. I count upon you, *spero fore ut venias (i. e., reckon on your coming): fac mihi non desis (on your assistance): not to count on anything, in aliqua re nihil spei reponere posse. [Vid :, also To CONFIDE IN; RECKON ON.]

To calculate, rationes or calculos subducere; rationem inire et subducere: from the context, subducere only (as Cic., Att., 5, 21, 12).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for count?: The usual Latin words for “count” are fōrmula, sēdēs, dūcō; also putō, pōnō, numerō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.