Dictionary formratio, rationis(feminine)
Translation
reason; method; account
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Grammar
Cases
| Case | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominativethe subject | ratio | rationes |
| Vocativecalling someone: O ... | ratio | rationes |
| Accusativethe direct object; after ad, in (into), per | rationem | rationes |
| Genitiveof | rationis | rationum |
| Dativeto, for | rationi | rationibus |
| Ablativeby, with, from; after a, ab, cum, de, e, ex, in (in), sine | ratione | rationibus |
Examples
separat.
Reason separates man from the beasts.
.
I did this by this method.
.
Render an account.
.
There is no reason for you to be afraid.
.
The plan of the war has changed.
, is a third declension feminine noun, plural , , , and one of the widest-ranging words in Latin. It comes from reor, ratus, "to reckon", and the first sense is literally arithmetical: a reckoning, a bill, an account to be rendered, hence and , to take account of something.
From counting it moves to system and method ( , by this method; , the plan of campaign), and from method to the faculty of reasoning itself. It is the word Cicero uses to carry the Greek logos, which is why "rational", "ratio", "ration", "rate" and, through French, "reason" all belong to it. The practical warning: a reader who translates every as "reason" will turn a passage about book-keeping or military planning into nonsense. Let the context pick which of the three senses is in play.
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Latin · Free printables
ratio: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Latin word "ratio" (reason; method; account): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
This word is taught in chapter 2, lesson 12: ratio, numquam, ideo and 11 more words.