Commands: Singular versus Plural

[Neuraleanus]

Here's a copy of a comment that I posted on the Roman_Commands list:

I'm just getting into studying latin, and after reading the beginning of Wheelock's latin, I've noticed that we've been mixing the number tense of some of our commands. For example, referring to the latin drill on Matt Amt's site, move is given for march, the singular. This is fine if addressing a single miles, but if addressing a conturbarnium, wouldn't movete be more appropriate? Likewise, rest is given as laxate, the plural. Would not laxa be more proper if addressing a single miles? Here's a few examples:

English Singular Imperative Plural Imperative

• March move movete
  Rest laxa laxate
  Speed up accelera accelerate
  slow down tarda tardate
  fall back (return) redi redite
  close ranks iunge iungete
  dismissed exi exite
  (I disagree with Matt Amt on this one. How does he get:

  rear half-files move up

  ?)

[richsc]

A very skilled Latin teacher took a look at the commands Legio XX uses, and commented that they were very bad Latin. She was speaking in comparison to first century Latin, not just in the plural, but in the syntax. There are too many possible reasons for the variations to want to correct the commands, which may possibly be just because of long standing traditions and not good grammer.

[Crispvs]

Our Latin commands were written by Alan Wilkins who, in addition to experimenting with artillery, teaches Latin.
The vast majority of our commands are to a group and singulars are rarely if ever heard. Normally the smallest number to be commanded would two men, for an activity like posting guards or moving out of the line to take up a position at an artillery piece.
For comparison our commands for the the actions listed above are as follows:

March - procedite
Rest / at ease - quiete
Rest / stand easy - otiose
Speed up - accelerate
Slow down - ite tardius
Fall back (return) - redite
Close ranks - densate
Dismissed - ab signis discetite
Fall out - exite
Rear half-files move up - I am not sure what this means but when we are arranged in two open order lines we use either of two commands to instruct the rear line to move forward into the spaces in the front line. These are either: novisimus ordo unum passum procedite (the two lines are normally around four feet apart) or simply: unum ordinum facite

I am at work at the moment. I will check them when I get home to check that my memory of the spelling and grammar is the same as Alan's original.

Crispvs

[richsc]

the use of singular in commands could very well be references to an entity, rather than a group, which may be the way the Roman army actually thought of itself, so be careful when making assumptions. TARDA may refer to an entire file who move as one, rather than a bunch of individuals.