AS. A word purely Latin. It has two significations. First, it signifies
weight, and in this sense, the Roman as, is the same thing as the Roman
pound, which was composed of twelve ounces. It was divided also into many
other parts (as may be seen in the law, Servum de hoeredibus, Inst. Lib.
xiii. Pandect,) viz. uncia, 1 ounce; sextans, 2 ounces; quodrans, 3 ounces;
triens, 4 ounces quincunx, 5 ounces; semis, 6 ounces; septunx, 7 ounces;
bes, 8 ounces, dodrans, 9 ounces; dextans, 10 ounces; deunx, 11 ounces.
2. From this primitive and proper sense of the word another was
derived: that namely of the totality of a thing, Solidum quid. Thus as
signified the whole of an inheritance, so that an heir ex asse, was an heir
of the whole inheritance. An heir ex triente, ex semisse, ex besse, or ex
deunce, was an heir of one-third, one-half, two-thirds, or eleven-twelfths.