“one” in Latin

Opposed to two or more, unus (used also for unicus and idem; necessarily in the plur. with substantives which have no sing.): unicus (single one, one and more): idem (when several actions or circumstances are to be referred to the same subject): alter (ἕτερος, of things which exist only in pairs; e.g., altero pede claudus): to become one of several, unum fieri ex pluribus: I will still observe one thing, unum illud addam: that is not a matter for one man, illud in unius hominis prudentiam cadere non potest (Col., 5, 1, 1): this one thing disturbs me, that, etc., me una haec res torquet, quod, etc.: the gods have not given everything to one man, non omnia eidem dii dederunt; in one word, uno verbo (if only one word follows; Vid: Cic., Phil., 2, 22, 54): ut paucis dicam (if only a few words follow): in one tenor, continenter (without interruption; ☞ continuo is wrong): usque (continually): uno tenore (in one course): not one, ne unus quidem, non ullus, nemo unus (not even a single one): non unus, unus et alter item, nonnemo (not one, but several): no one of us, nemo de nobis unus: not one of them, ii nulli: never a one, numquam ullus: one and another, unus et alter; unus alterque (two together): nonnemo, unus et item alter (several): one after the other, alius post alium, alius ex alio, alii super alios, alius atque alius, alius subinde (general term): alter post alterum (of two): deinceps (in uninterrupted succession; of space, time, and order: it is usually placed between the substantive and predicate or pronoun; e.g., horum deinceps annorum): continenter (only before and after the classical period): continue (continually, without intermission; not to be confounded with continuo = immediately thereupon, without interruption. The Latin also, expresses it by continuus =following one another; e.g., triduum continuum: dies continuos tres; singuli deinceps (each one successively): alternis (of two, alternately; e.g., alternis [sc. versibus] dicere; alternis versibus contendere): one as well as the other, uterque pariter, ambo pariter (both equally): the one... the other, alter (rarely unus)... alter; hic... ille (this... that): prior... posterior (the former... the latter): the one (party)... the others, alii... alii; alii... pars (or partim): pars... alii; quidam... alii: the one (parly)... the other... others again, alii... alii (or partim)... alii (and thus alii alternately with partim, eight times in Cic., N.D., 2, 47, 122): one... to the other, or the other (accusative), alter... alteri or alterum (of two): alius... alii or alium (of several; e.g., one helps the other, alter alterum or alius alium adjuvat): If, however, “other” be connected with a substantive, the substantive is repeated in Latin; e.g., to remove from one house to another, ex domo in domum migrare: one citizen obeys the other, civis civi paret: one hand washes the other, manus manum lavat or fricat: one fears the other, timent inter se: happy at one time, unhappy at another, alias beatus, alias miser: the one this... the other that, alius aliud; alii alia: the one so, the other differently, alius aliter: one here, another there, alius alibi: one hither, another thither, alius alio: one time so, another time differently, aliud alias: both the one party and the other are threatened with dangers, but from different quarters, aliis aliunde est periculum. If “one” refer to a substantive previously mentioned, it is rendered by unus (opposed to two or more) or alicujus (if indefinite): as, there were several elephants there; have you seen one? plures aderant elephanti; num unum vidisti? here are your books; have you read one of them? hic sunt tui libri; num aliquem ex iis legisti? If by “one” an individual is emphatically denoted and singled out from a multitude, unus is used, usually with the preposition ex or de, or the meaning is expressed by a simple ex or inter; as, there was among them one of the Nervians, named Verticus, erat intus unus Nervius, nomine Vertico: Fufius, one of my intimate friends, Fufius, unus ex meis intimis: to command one of the chief leaders of sedition to be taken away, abripi unum insignem ducem seditionum jubere: the leader himself, one of the most rash and daring, dux ipse inter stolidissimos ferocissimosque.

To denote agreement, concourse, etc., one and the same, unus, idem. (The words are found in this connection and order.) unus atque idem; unus idemque; e.g., at one time (to do several things, etc.); uno or eodem tempore; uno eodemque tempore: it is all one, idem est, par est (Vid: Cic., Muren., 19, 41): if followed by “whether... or,” nihil interest utrum... an (Vid: Cic., Rosc. Am., 41, 120): it is not one and the same thing, to rob and to fight, aliud est rapere, aliud pugnare (Liv., 1, 12; ☞ Cic., Coel., 3, 6).

In denoting time, and (more rarely) measure, unus is usually omitted, unless an opposition of a greater number be implied; e.g., the matrons mourned for Brutus one whole year, as for a father, matronae annum, ut parentem, Brutum luxerunt: not more than one bushel, non plus modio: it seemed to be all one blaze, omnia velut continenti flamma ardere visa (Curt., 3, 8, 18; ☞ Hirt., B.G., 8, 15, extr.).

One and a half, unus dimidiatusque; sesquialter. The Latin forms many compounds with sesqui; e.g., a foot and a half in length, sesquipedalis: an inch and a half, sesquidigitus: of an inch and a half in length, sesquidigitalis: a pound and a half, sesquilibra: a bushel and a half, sesquimodius: an acre and a half, sesquijugerum: an hour and a half, sesquihora: a month and a half, sesquimensis: to be a month and a half old, sesquimense esse natu: a day and a half’s work, sesquiopera: one year and a half, sex mensium et anni spatium (Georges); unus annus cum dimidio, or et sex menses (Kraft).

indefinite pronoun,

Denoting an indefinite individual out of a definite number, anyone, aliquis; unus aliquis (emphatically implying that the individual is only one); e.g., one of you, aliquis ex vobis: one of the early kings, aliquis priorum regum: one of yours, unus aliquis ex tuis: one of the party, vir factionis. If = a certain one, a definite individual, whom one may not, or will not name, quidam; as, one of the colleagues, quidam de collegis. But if “one” is = anyone, i. e., denotes an indefinite individual out of an indefinite number, we find quispiam, also aliquis; e.g., one may perhaps say, forsitan quispiam dixerit; dixerit hic aliquis (poetically): one will perhaps call me unjust, iniquum me esse quispiam dicet: one will say perhaps, dicet aliquis forte: ☞ (a) after si, nisi, ne, num, quando, ubi, and generally, in conditional propositions, also without the conjunction, quis must be used instead of aliquis or quispiam; as, if anyone has once sworn falsely, no credit should afterward be given to him, ubi semel quis pejeraverit, ei postea credi non oportet. (b) In negative propositions, and in such as contain a negitive sense, (any) “one” is expressed by quisquam (substantively) and ullus (adjectively); e.g., is there among men anyone of whom you think better? estne quisquam omnium mortalium, de quo melius existimes tu? is there one thing of so much worth, or one thing so desirable, that, etc., an est ulla res tanti, aut commodum ullum tam expetendum, ut, etc.: just as good... as (any) one, tam... quam qui maxime; e.g., I am as good a patriot as anyone, tam sum amicus reipublicae, quam qui maxime: or by juxta ac (atque), etc.; e.g., instructed in Greek and Roman litterature as well as any one, litteris Graecis atque Latinis juxta ac doctissimo eruditus (i. e., as the most learned). Since, however, the pronouns do not express our “one” in its full extent, we must frequently express the sense by other words or phraseology: (A) by the passive; (1) personally; if one is guilty of a fault, si qua culpa committitur: one can not live happily except by living virtuously, non potest jucunde vivi, nisi cum virtute vivatur: it is foolish for one to fear what cannot be avoided, stultum est timere id quod vitari non potest; (2) impersonally; one lives, vivitur: evening is coming on; one must go home, jam advesperascit, domum revertendum est; (3) by ablatives absolute; if one assumes this case, hoc posito: (B) by the active; (1) the third person sing.; (a) of impersonal active verbs; e.g., one ought, oportet; one may, licet; (b) one says, inquit (parenthetically); e.g., it is impossible, says one, that all anger can be eradicated from the mind, non potest, inquit, omnis ira ex animo tolli: (2) the first person plur., when the speaker includes himself under the unknown subject; e.g., what one wishes one gladly believes, quae volumus, credimus libenter: (3) the second person sing. indicative, subjunctive, or imperative, in impassioned exhortations, demands, and statements; e.g., one does not see God, yet he may be recognized as God by his works, Deum non vides, tamen ut Deum agnoscis ex operibus ejus. Especially, the second person sing. in the subjunctive, where we say, one can, might, would have; e.g., one might have seen, videres: one would have believed, putares; (4) the participle present masculine in general propositions; e.g., if one aims at the first place, it is commendable to attain to the second or third only, prima sequentem, honestum est in secundis et tertiis consistere. (C) If the English “one” is in Latin the subject of the infinitive, it is not expressed separately; e.g., humanity requires that one pardon his friend, ignoscere amico humanum est. But with the infinitive esse, and with those verbs which in the passive have two nominatives (of the subject and predicate), as, videri, fieri, existimari, we find, at least, the accusative of the predicate; e.g., the greatest riches, is for one to be contented with his lot, maximae sunt divitiae, contentum suis rebus esse.