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Reading Roman Numerals

Roman numerals use combinations of seven symbols (I, V, X, L, C, D, M) to represent numbers, with their values adding up. In some cases, like IV for 4 and IX for 9, a smaller value symbol can be placed before a larger one to subtract and make a composite value. This document provides examples of how Roman numerals are used to represent years like 1954 as MCMLIV and 2014 as MMXIV.

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50 views

Reading Roman Numerals

Roman numerals use combinations of seven symbols (I, V, X, L, C, D, M) to represent numbers, with their values adding up. In some cases, like IV for 4 and IX for 9, a smaller value symbol can be placed before a larger one to subtract and make a composite value. This document provides examples of how Roman numerals are used to represent years like 1954 as MCMLIV and 2014 as MMXIV.

Uploaded by

MarkAntonius
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Reading Roman numerals[edit]

MMXIV
"2014" as a Roman numeral
Roman Numerals, as used today, are based on seven symbols:
[1]

Symbol Value
I 1
V 5
X 10
L 50
C 100
D 500
M 1,000
Numbers are formed by combining symbols and adding the values. So II is two ones, i.e. 2,
and XIII is a ten and three ones, i.e. 13. There is no zero in this system, so 207, for example,
is CCVII, using the symbols for two hundreds, a five and two ones. 1066 is MLXVI, one
thousand, fifty and ten, a five and a one.
Symbols are placed from left to right in order of value, starting with the largest. However, in a few
specific cases,
[2]
to avoid four characters being repeated in succession (such asIIII or XXXX)
these can be reduced using subtractive notation as follows:
[3][4]

the numeral I can be placed before V and X to make 4 units (IV) and 9 units (IX respectively)
X can be placed before L and C to make 40 (XL) and 90 (XC respectively)
C can be placed before D and M to make 400 (CD) and 900 (CM) according to the same
pattern
[5]

An example using the above rules would be 1904: this is composed of 1 (one thousand), 9 (nine
hundreds), 0 (zero tens), and 4 (four units). To write the Roman numeral, each of the non-zero digits
should be treated separately. Thus 1,000 = M, 900 = CM, and 4 = IV. Therefore, 1904
is MCMIV.
Below are some examples of the modern use of Roman Numerals.
1954 as MCMLIV (Trailer for the movie The Last Time I Saw Paris)
[6]

1990 as MCMXC (The title of musical project Enigma's debut album MCMXC a.D., named
after the year of its release.)
2014 as MMXIV - the year of the games of the XXII (22nd) Olympic Winter Games (in Sochi)

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