Quindicesima

Quindicesima is the feminine form of the Italian ordinal for the number fifteen. It is used in standard Italian to indicate the fifteenth item in a sequence when the noun it modifies is feminine, for example quindicesima pagina (the fifteenth page) or quindicesima regione (the fifteenth region).

Etymology and form: The term derives from the numeral quindici (fifteen) combined with the feminine ordinal suffix -esima. In Italian, ordinal adjectives agree with the noun in gender and number, yielding quindicesima for singular feminine, quindicesime for plural feminine, and the corresponding masculine forms quindicesimo and quindicesimi when the noun is masculine.

Grammatical usage: Quindicesima functions as an adjective placed after a feminine noun or as part of a longer phrase indicating order within a sequence. It is common in everyday language, academic writing, publishing, calendars, and bureaucratic or legal contexts where precise enumeration is required.

Contexts and examples: The term appears in references to sections, pages, chapters, events, or episodes when the referenced item is feminine. Examples include la quindicesima pagina, la quindicesima sezione, or la quindicesima edizione, though in spoken language speakers often use generic ordinal forms (la quindicesima pagina) in context.

Music and specialized usage: In Italian-language music theory, higher-order intervals are named with terms such as undicesima through quindicesima; quindicesima denotes the fifteenth interval. This usage describes intervals that extend beyond a single octave and may be described as two octaves apart, depending on the theoretical framework.

See also: Italian ordinal numbers, Italian grammar, musical interval nomenclature.