Re: [tied] Latin

From: P&G
Message: 19990
Date: 2003-03-17

>And so context
> would tell me the difference between "duae letterae" (2 letters of the
> alphabet) and "duae letterae" (2 letters in the post),

No. Duae litterae must mean two letters of the alphabet. Two letters in
the post is Binae litterae. (Unae, binae, trinae etc with these "plural
only" words - see my previous posting). But context would also be very
helpful, and if there is no number or other word, then context is all you've
got. Think of "trousers" in English. Do we ever get confused by the
implied plural? Context (and other rules) help us.

>I could not
> say "una littera" for one letter in the post, this would mean one letter
> (of the alphabet). Right?

Right. Necessarily.