tertio quoque verbo

[Lavrentivs]

(Cic. Fam. 5.2.8.)

tertium quoque, it seems, means ``every other´´, but I'd like a full explanation; my hypothesis is that it means ``third again´´ -- well, it seems obvious now, but I'd like someone to confirm it.

[Patruus]

I would take it to mean "with every third word" - cf. Bradley's Arnold Ex. 48A:6 -
Tu me altero quoque verbo collaudas. [Key]
You pay me compliments in every other word.

[adrianus]

Modus numerandi Romanorum ab eo nostro differt. Ei homines utramque finem includunt.
The Romans count differently from us by counting both ends. We say "every second // every other"; they say "every third".

A&G §631d: "The point of departure was, by Roman custom, counted in the reckoning, the second day being three days before, etc."

[Lavrentivs]

Ita autem Patrui "altero quoque" "omnes" erit, ut mihi videtur.

[Patruus]

cf. the penultimate footnote on this page -
http://books.google.com/books?id=5XFXAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA210