1. Essentials at a Glance

The Genitive of Value/Price (Genitivus Pretiī) is a specialized use of the genitive case in Latin that expresses how highly or lowly something is regarded. Instead of quoting a specific price, Latin uses set genitive forms—such as magnī, plūris, nihilī—to indicate subjective worth or esteem. Mastery of this construction helps learners understand nuanced evaluations in classical texts and distinguish it from the ablative of price used for definite monetary sums.

2. Definition & Importance

In Latin grammar, the Genitive of Value/Price denotes indefinite or subjective worth rather than a fixed cost. Expressions like magnī faciō (“I value greatly”) or nihilī pendō (“I consider worthless”) illustrate Latin Genitive of Value examples in real contexts. This construction is pivotal for reading comprehension, as authors from Plautus to Cicero and beyond use it to convey nuanced judgments—an integral element of Latin syntax that distinguishes literal price (ablative) from value-based estimation (genitive).

3. Forms & Morphology

The most common genitive of value forms are either:

Neuter genitive adjectives indicating degree (e.g., magnī, parvī, plūris, tantī).
Genitive nouns (often trivial objects or small coins) indicating low or negligible worth (e.g., nihilī, floccī, pilī).

Below is a brief reference table:

Genitive Form	Base Word	Meaning	Typical Usage
magnī	magnus, -a, -um	“of great value”	magnī aestimāre (value highly)
parvī	parvus, -a, -um	“of little value”	parvī pendere (esteem lightly)
plūris	plūs (comparative)	“of more value”	plūris est (it’s worth more)
minōris	minor (comparative)	“of less value”	minōris facere (value less)
tantī	tantus, -a, -um	“of so much value”	tantī est (it’s worth that much)
quantī	quantus, -a, -um	“of what value?”	quantī emistī? (for how much?)
nihilī	nihilum (“nothing”)	“worth nothing”	nihilī faciō (consider worthless)
floccī	floccus (“tuft of wool”)	“worth a straw”	floccī nōn faciō (don’t care)
pilī	pilus (“hair”)	“worth a hair”	pilī putāre (reckon negligible)
assis	ās, assis (small coin)	“worth a penny”	nōn assis faciō (no value)

All remain genitive singular even if the thing valued is plural, because they are idiomatic expressions of worth (often elliptically referencing pretium, “price”).

4. Usage & Examples

When Used

Verbs of valuation (e.g., aestimāre, pendere, facere, putāre, dūcere).
Impersonal expressions (interest, rēfert: mea magnī interest — “it matters greatly to me”).
Predicate with esse: tantī est — “it is of such worth.”

Classical Latin Examples

“Nōn floccī faciō.”
- Literal Meaning: “I do not value [it] at a tuft of wool.”
- Sense: “I don’t care at all.”
“Illud parvī rēfert.”
- Literal Meaning: “That matters little.”
- Sense: Conveys minor importance.
“Quantī hunc librum emistī?”
- Literal Meaning: “For how much did you buy this book?”
- Sense: quantī (gen.) asks an indefinite price.
“Est mihi tantī hanc invidiam subīre.”
- Literal Meaning: “It is worth that much to me to endure this hostility.”
- Sense: The speaker deems the sacrifice justified.
“Virtūtem plūris aestimāmus quam dīvitiās.”
- Literal Meaning: “We value virtue more than riches.”
- Sense: plūris (gen.) signals higher worth.

5. Common Pitfalls

Confusing with Ablative of Price: Use the ablative (e.g., māgnō, decem dēnāriīs) for specific sums; the genitive (e.g., magnī, tantī) for indefinite or subjective evaluation.
Misidentifying the Genitive: magnī and parvī might look like adverbs. Remember they serve as genitives of worth, not simple modifiers.
Overgeneralizing: Not all adjectives work. Only certain value-related adjectives/nouns (plūris, nihilī, floccī) appear in this idiom.
Forgetting it’s Invariable: Even with plural subjects, forms like magnī, parvī stay singular.
Missing Idiomatic Flavor: Expressions like floccī faciō are colloquial. Differentiate their tone from more formal variants (nihilī aestimō).

6. Additional Notes & Nuances

Latin’s Genitive of Value often indicates a subjective stance: “est mihi tantī” can imply “it’s worthwhile (for me).” Classical authors exploit this to discuss honor, sacrifices, or scorn.
Historically, grammarians debated whether it should be treated under “Genitive of Quality.” Modern texts usually give it a separate heading for clarity.
Watch for comparatives (plūris, minōris) in comparisons: “plūris quam cēterī” = “at a higher value than others.”
Colloquial forms (floccī, pilī, assis) appear often in comedy and letters to convey scorn or indifference.
Expressions with interest or rēfert add nuance: “mea magnī interest” = “it is of great importance to me” (two genitives in one phrase).

7. Key Takeaways

Genitive of Value = indefinite or subjective worth (“how much is it esteemed?”).
Fixed vocabulary set (e.g., tantī, quantī, plūris, nihilī) used with valuation verbs.
Different from Ablative of Price: genitive = “worth,” ablative = “for X amount.”
Idiom-rich area: floccī faciō, nihilī pendō, bonī cōnsulere.
Stay alert to context: these genitives often appear in predicate position with esse or interest.

Genitive of Value/Price in Latin