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Hoggirl
12-08-2009, 10:30 AM
We are in chapter 15 of Wheelock's - well, ds is - I am barely limping along!
Anyway, this chapter covers, among other things, genitive of the whole (or partitive genitive) as well as the genitive and ablative with cardinal numbers. So, we get that if one uses a cardinal number as a part of a whole that ex or de is used with the ablative. Such as "five of them." And, we also get the genitive of the whole. Such as "part of the city." But, what we are wondering b/c it isn't covered is what the rule would be if you had a cardinal number as a part of another cardinal number. Such as "two of the five." Perhaps we aren't there yet, or perhaps Romans never used such a contruction, but we are curious.

TIA!

Beth in Central TX
12-08-2009, 10:31 PM
This is just a guess on my part, but I would use the ablative because "of them" is implied--as in the two of the five (of them). It could be anything really, 2 of the 5 (doctors), 2 of the 5 (books), etc.; but I would use the ablative because you are implying something as part of a whole.

I could be way off base here, but I've at least bumped up your question. Hopefully, someone else who knows will chime in.

Take care,
~Beth

Hoggirl
12-08-2009, 10:44 PM
This was our guess, too. But we just wondered if there was a different rule in this situation since it seems so all-fired important to have so many rules in Latin!! LOL!