Döderlein's Hand-book of Latin Synonymes

Maledictum; Probrum; Convicium. Maledictum is any utterance of what is injurious to another, whether to bring him ill-luck by cursing, or disgrace by verbal injuries, like κακηγορία; probrum (from προφέρω) an invective, like ὄνειδος, consisting of attacks and assertions wounding the honor of another; convicium (καταικία) the abusive word, like λοιδορία, consisting of single words and appellations wounding the honor of another. For example, fur! is a convicium, fur es, a probrum; each of them a maledictum. (iv. 198.)

Malefactum, Maleficium, see Delictum.

Malitia; Malignitas; Malevolentia; Malus; Nequam; Pravus. 1. Malitia denotes the baseness which shows itself in the love of lying and deceiving, from want of conscience; malignitas, the ill-will which grudges good to another, and wishes it only to itself, from pure selfishness; malevolentia, the ill-will which wishes evil to another rather than good, from personal aversion. Malitia is a way of thinking and acting deserving of punishment as endangering the security of society; malignitas is a despicable disposition, which implies the want of philanthropy; lastly, malevolentia, a detestable quality, as connected with deriving pleasure from the misfortunes of others. 2. Malus homo is a morally bad man, but nequam a good-for-nothing man, whose faultiness shows itself in aversion to useful labor, and a propensity to roguish tricks, in opp. to frugi. Plaut. Pseud, i. 5. 53. Cic. Font. 13. Or. ii. 61. Fin. ii. 8. Sen. Contr. iii. 21; pravus (πέραῖος) a man whose character has taken a vicious direction, in a physical, or intellectual, or moral point of view in opp. to rectus. Plaut. Bacch. iii. 3, 8. Cic. Fin. ii. 8. Acad. i. 10. Quintil. viii. 3, 48. Nec parricidam nequam dixeris hominem, nec meretrici forte deditum nefarium; quod alterum parum, alterum nimium est. Afric. ap. Gell. vii. 11. (i. 62.)

Malignitas, see Invidia.

Mamma; Mamilla; Uber; Papilla. 1. Mamma and uber denote the breast in the female body; mamma (μάμμη) denotes the visible breast as a fleshy part of the body, particularly of a female body; whereas uber (οὐαρόν) the nourishing breast as filled with milk, which is only found in the female body, like οὖθαρ. 2. Papilla and mamilla denote the nipples of the breast, common to the male and female; papilla (redupl. of πάλλα) with reference to their spherical shape, without distinction of the sexes, like μαζός; mamilla (redupl. from ἀμέλγω) with reference to their adaptation for suckling, and therefore belonging only to the female sex, like τίτθη, and teats. (iv. 133.)

Manare, see Fluere.

Mancipare, see Vendere.

Mancipium, see Servus.

Mandare, see Jubere.

Mane; Crepusculo; Diluculo. Mane (from μηνύειν) denotes in the morning, in the early course of the bright day, in opp. to the night, and the forenoon hours, like ὄρθρῳ; crepusculo (from creperus, κρύψαι) in the twilight, in opp. to the bright day; diluculo, in the twilight, in opp. to the dark night, like λυκόφως.

Manere; Morari; Tardare; Detinere. 1. Manere (from μένειν) denotes remaining, in opp. to going away; whereas morari (from βραδύς) denotes tarrying, as an interruption of motion, in opp. to going forwards. Cic. Sen. 23. Commorandi natura deversorium nobis, non habitandi dedit. Hence in Tac. H. ii. 48. Irent propere neu remanendo iram victoris asperarent, – the reading remorando deserves the preference. 2. Morari aliquem means, to prevail upon any one to stay of his own free will by proposing conditions, like διατρίβειν; tardare, to prevent a person’s hastening on his way by opposing difficulties, like βραδύνειν; detinere, to hinder him from going forwards by force, like κατέχειν. Tardare has generally an action for its object2; detinere, a person; morari, either. (iii. 298.)

Manere; Exspectare; Præstolari; Opperiri. 1. Manere (from μένειν) denotes a mere physical act to remain in a place, till something has happened; whereas exspectare, præstolari, and opperiri, denote a mental act, to wait for, to wait in conscious expectation of some event, or of some person. 2. Exspectare denotes waiting for, almost as a mere mental act, as a feeling, without practical reference or accessory meaning; whereas præstolari and opperiri, with the accessory notion that the person waiting intends, after the arrival of the object waited for, to do something. 3. The præstolans (from παραστέλλεσθαι) waits for a person in order to perform services for him; the opperiens, for an occurrence, in order not to be taken by surprise. The præstolans stands in subordinate relation to the person waited for; the opperiens, in co-ordinate, whether as friend or foe. Lastly, præstolari is a prose expression; opperiri, a poetical, or at least, a select expression. For the German distinction between warten and harren, the former denoting calm, passionless waiting for, the latter, eager, impatient longing for, the Latins have no correspondent synonymes. (iii. 57.)

Manes, see Spectrum.

Manicæ, see Vincula.

Manifesto, see Aperire.

Mannus, see Equus.

Mansuetudo; Clementia. Mansuetudo (from manui suetus) is the mildness and magnanimity of a private individual, who does not take vengeance for a mortification suffered, in opp. to iracundia; whereas clementia (from ἀκαλός, κηλεῖν, and mens,) the mercifulness and humanity of the ruler, or the judge, who does not inflict upon the malefactor the punishment which he deserves, in opp. to crudelitas. Sen. Clem. 2. Cic. Lig. 3. Att. viii. 9. Plin. Pan. 3. (v. 11.)

Mansuetus, see Cicur.

Manubiæ, see Præda.

Mare; Æquor; Pontus; Pelagus. 1. Mare (from μύρω) denotes the sea, as a mass of water, in opp. to terra and aër, like ἅλς, θάλασσα; æquor, pelagus, and pontus, with reference to its dimensions; æquor and pelagus, with reference to its horizontal dimension, the surface of the sea, like πέλαγος, whence πελαγίζειν, to float on the sea; pontus (from πεσεῖν, πίτνειν,) with reference to its perpendicular dimension, the depth of the sea, like πόντος, whence ποντίζειν, to sink into the sea. Colum. viii. 17. Ut in solo piscinæ posita libella septem pedibus sublimius esset maris æquor. Ovid, Met. ii. 872. Mediique per æquora ponti fert prædam. 2. Æquor (from æquus) denotes the surface of the sea in a merely physical sense; whereas pelagus (from πλάξ) with the accessory notion of its great extent and immensity. (iv. 72.)

Margo; Ora. Margo (ἀμέργων) denotes the brink, the natural boundary of a surface, considered almost as a mere mathematical line, and only improperly as including an exterior portion of the surface; whereas ora (ὤα, οὖρος, ὅρος) denotes the brim, or border, the artificial edging of a surface, generally for the sake of ornament, and therefore necessarily including a certain portion of the surface. Hence we say, ora togæ, but not margo; and, on the other hand, margo fluminis and ripæ, if the mere line of shore is meant, without any portion of the bank. (iii. 212.)

Marita, see Femina.

Mas, see Homo.

Matrimonium, see Conjugium.

Maxilla, see Mala.

Meare, see Ire.

Mederi; Medicari; Sanare; Medicamen; Medicina; Remedium. 1. Mederi and the poetical word medicari (μέδειν) denote healing, as the act of the physician, who heals with humane sympathy, judgment, and art, synonymously with curare, like ἰᾶσθαι; sanare, as the effect of the physic, which in a mechanical way makes the sick well again, synonymously with restituere, like ἀκεῖσθαι. 2. Medicamentum means a remedy, with reference to its material substance, as it is prepared by the apothecary, like φάρμακον; medicina, with reference to its healing virtues, as ordered by the physician; each with reference to an illness; whereas remedium denotes a remedy for any of the evils to which we are subject, like ἄκος. Cic. N. D. ii. 53. Medicamentorum salutarium plenissimæ terræ: comp. with Divin. ii. 51. Quam a medico petere medicinam. (v. 198.)

Meditari, see Cogitare.

Medius; Modicus; Mediocris. Medius μέσος is purely local, in the middle, in opp. to the extremes; modicus denotes quantity, with reference to number and magnitude, as moderate, in opp. to over-measure; mediocris denotes quality, with reference to worth, as middling, in opp. to distinction; hence modicæ facultates and mediocre ingenium are identical. Cic. Rep. ii. 31. Haud mediocris vir fuit, qui modica libertate populo data facilius tenuit auctoritatem principum. (v. 202.)

Medius dies, see Meridies.

Membrum; Artus. Membrum (redupl. of μέρος) denotes a limb of the body itself, like μέλος and κῶλον; whereas artus (ῥέθος, ἄρθρον,) properly only a joint of a limb, like ἄρθρον and ἅψος. Senec. Contr. ii. 13. Differebatur distortis articulis; nondum in sua membra artus redierant. Virg. Æn. v. 422. Magnos artus membrorum. Quintil. Decl. ult. Ut per singulos artus membra laxaret. Further, membra denotes the limbs collectively, including the head and trunk, as parts of the body; whereas artus only the extremities, which per commissuras with the body, properly so called, namely, the head and trunk, hang together. Gell. N. A. i. 14. (iv. 150.)

Meminisse; Reminisci; Recordari. Meminisse denotes remembrance as a state of mind, like μεμνῆσθαι, in as far as one has retained something in memory, without ever having forgotten it, like memorem esse; whereas reminisci and recordari denote remembrance as an act of the mind, in as far as one again brings to one’s mind what had already been driven out of one’s thoughts, like ἀναμιμνήσκεσθαι. But reminisci denotes this act of the mind as momentary, like in memoriam revocare; whereas recordari denotes it as of some duration, like revocata in memoriam contemplari. Cic. Lig. 12, 35. Equidem, cum tuis omnibus negotiis interessem, memoria teneo, qualis T. Ligarius, quæstor urbanus, fuerit erga te et dignitatem tuam; sed parum est, me hoc meminisse; spero etiam te, qui oblivisci nihil soles, nisi injurias, quoniam hoc est animi, quoniam etiam ingenii tui, te aliquid de hujus illo quæstorio officio cogitantem, etiam de aliis quibusdam quæstoribus reminiscentem recordari. This passage shows, that memoria tenere is only a circumlocution for meminisse: there is another passage where recordari is employed as the consequence of reminisci, but there is no instance of the converse; for reminisci and recordari have the same relation to each other as intueri and conspicere. Cic. Sen. 21. Pueri.. ita celeriter res innumerabiles arripiunt, ut eas non tum primum accipere videantur, sed reminisci et recordari: he might have added, Quæ non satis meminerint, sed in aliquantum temporis obliti sint. Tusc. i. 24, 58. Animus, quum se collegit atque recreavit, tum agnoscit illa reminiscendo; ita nihil aliud est discere, quam recordari. Senec. Ep. 100. Magis reminiscor quam teneo. (i. 166.)

Menda, Mendum, see Vitium.

Mendicitas, see Paupertas.

Mens, see Anima.

Meracus, see Purus.

Mercari, see Emere.

Mercenarii; Operarii; Operæ. Mercenarii mean laborers as far as they work, not for their own interest, but for pay, in opp. to the proprietor, who hires their services; whereas operarii and operæ, as far as they undertake to perform for others, a mere mechanical work, in opp. to the principal or director, who gives out the plan. Mercenarii refer to the motive; operarii, to the art employed being of an inferior sort. (vi. 217.)

Merces, see Præmium.

Mercimonium, see Merx.

Merda, see Lutum.

Merere; Dignum esse; Mereri. 1. Merere and Mereri (μείρεσθαι) suppose an activity, as to deserve; whereas dignum esse (from decet, δίκη,) only a quality, as to be worthy. 2. Merere is usually a transitive verb, as to deserve, and is in construction with an accusative, or with a sentence, as its complement; whereas mereri, an intransitive verb, as to be deserving, and is in construction with an adverb. Cic. Rosc. Com. 15. Fructum, quem meruerunt, retribuam: comp. with Catil. ii. 2, 4. Si illum, ut erat meritus, morte mulctassem. Cæs. B. G. vi. 5, with B. Civ. iii. 53. Suet. Cal. 40, with Aug. 56. 3. Merere as an intransitive, or without an object, denotes to serve as a warrior, by the ellipsis of stipendia; whereas mereri as a transitive, or with an object, means to earn something for one’s self, without any stress being laid upon the worthiness. (v. 213.)

Meretrix, see Pellex.

Meridies; Medius dies. Meridies denotes noon, as a point of time, which separates the forenoon from the afternoon; medius dies, the middle of the day, as a space of time which lies between the morning and the evening.

Merus, see Purus.

Merx; Mercimonium. Merx means wares, in as far as they are already wrought up, as an article of trade; mercimonium, in as far as they can become so, like the materials of wares. Tac. A. xi. 5. Nec quidquam publicæ mercis tam venale fuit: comp. with xv. 38. Mercimonium quo flamma alitur.

Metiri; Metari; Dimetiri; Dimetari. 1. Metiri means to measure a space in order to know its magnitude; whereas metari, to mark the boundaries of the space that has been measured, that they may be known to others. 2. By dimetiri and dimetari, the measuring and marking out of sub-divisions is especially meant; wherefore metari castra refers merely to the whole circumference of the entrenchments; when, therefore, Liv. viii. 38. uses the phrase locum castris dimetari, it is evident of itself that he expressly means, to mark the boundaries of the principia and of the prætorium, etc., that are within the camp. (ii. 169.)

Metuere, see Vereri.

Micare, see Lucere.

Minime, see Neutiquam.

Minister, see Servus.

Minutus, see Parvus.

[Mirari is indifferent: admirari usually involves praise, demirari blame.]

Misereri; Miserari; Miseret me. Misereri means to feel pity in the heart, to compassionate, like ἐλεεῖν; whereas miserari, to express pity in words, to commiserate, like οἰκτείρειν. For the German word erbarmen, to show pity by actions, the Latins have no separate word. 2. By misereor tui, pity is represented as an act of the free-will, and thereby the noble nature of the compassionate is depicted; whereas by miseret me tui, pity is represented as a suffering, which cannot be resisted, whereby all moral merit is taken away, and the greatness of another’s misfortune more strongly expressed. Miserere is a causative, like οἰκτίζειν. (ii. 171.)

Miseria, see Infortunium.

Missile; Hasta; Lancea; Jaculum; Verutum; Tragulum; Pilum. Missile is the most general name for a weapon used in fighting at a distance, from the spear to the arrow; hasta and lancea serve both for thrusting and hurling; hasta (from σχαστήριον, σχάζω,) as a genuine Roman weapon, δορύ; lancea, as a foreign weapon, supposed to have come originally from the Suevi, λόγχη; pilum, jaculum, verutum, are more for hurling; jaculum, as the most general expression, including the hunting spear, βέλος; verutum (from ὀρυχή) and tragulum (τρώγλη) military weapons for hurling, ἄκων; pilum (from πῆλαι) in the singular, as the peculiar weapon for hurling used by the Roman legion. Liv. ix. 19. Romano pilum haud paulo quam hasta vehementius ictu missuque telum.

Mitis; Lenis; Placidus. Mitis means mild, in opp. to acerbus, like μείλιχος; lenis (from lana? or from the Goth, latjan, lassus?) gentle, in opp. to vehemens, like πρᾶος; placidus, composed, in opp. to turbidus, like ἤπιος.

Mittere; Legare; Amittere; Dimittere; Omittere. 1. Mittere μεθεῖναι is the general expression, to send; legare (from λέγω) has a special political meaning, to delegate. The missus makes his appearance as a servant or messenger; the legatus, as a representative. 2. Amittere and dimittere mean to let go any thing already in one’s possession; amittere, against one’s will, as to lose; dimittere, after having used it, as to dismiss; whereas omittere means to let anything pass by, without taking possession of it; to speak with precision, Amittimus inviti et casu, omittimus volentes et sponte. Hence amittere occasionem means, to let slip an opportunity, so as not to be able to take advantage of it, from negligence; whereas omittere occasionem means, to renounce an opportunity, so as not to wish to take advantage of it, from attaching little value to it. Vitam amittere means, to lose one’s life; vitam omittere, to sacrifice it. (iii. 285.)

Moderatus, Modestia, see Modus.

Modicus, see Medius.

Modo-modo; Nunc-nunc. Modo-modo is properly applicable only to transactions of the past and of the future; nunc-nunc only to those of the present. This distinction is neglected, yet nunc-nunc gives a livelier color to description, and belongs to poetry, or to the more elevated style of prose; modo-modo, like ‘just now,’ is the proper prose expression, which Cicero always uses. (iv. 276.)

Modo, see Nuper.

Modus; Modestia; Moderatio; Temperatio; Continentia; Abstinentia. 1. Modus, in a moral sense, denotes the μέτριον, or the included notion of the μηδὲν ἄγαν in objective relation; modestia and moderatio, in subjective relation; Modestia is the feeling of preference for this modus; moderatio, the habit of acting in conformity to this feeling. 2. Moderatio is moderation, as springing from the understanding, from calculation and reflection, akin to prudentia; temperatio and temperantia are qualities pervading the whole man, and ennobling his whole being, akin to sapientia. Moderatio supposes, like self-government, a conflict between the passions and reason, in which reason comes off conqueror; in temperatio, as in tranquillity of mind, the reason is already in possession of superiority, whether through nature or moral worth. 3. Temperatus, temperatio, denote merely a laudable property, which may belong even to things; whereas temperans, temperantia, a virtue of which reasonable beings alone are capable. 4. Moderatio denotes moderation in action, in opp. to cupiditas; whereas continentia, moderation in enjoyment, in opp. to libido, Cic. Cat. ii. 11, 25. Verr. iv. 52. 5. Continentia denotes command over sensual desires, continence; abstinentia, over the desire for that which belongs to another, firm integrity; the translation of abstinentia by ‘disinterestedness,’ is not precise enough, for this virtue is required by morality only, abstinentia, by law also. Quintil. v. 10, 89. Cic. Sext. 16. 6. Modestia shuns overstepping the right measure, out of regard to the morals which the modus prescribes; whereas verecundia and reverentia out of regard to persons, whom the verecundus is afraid of displeasing, and whom the reverens thinks worthy of respect; lastly, pudor, out of self-respect, that one may not bring one’s self into contempt. Varro, ap. Non. Non te tui saltem pudet, si nihil mei revereare. Terent. Phorm. i. 5, 3. or ii. 1, 3. Non simultatem meam revereri? Saltem pudere? (ii. 203.)

Mœnia, see Murus.

Mœstitia, see Dolor.

Moles; Onus; Pondus; Gravitas. Moles and onus denote the heaviness of an object in its disadvantageous sense; moles (from μῶλος or μόχλος) absolutely, as unwieldiness, so far as through its greatness it is inconvenient to move, like ὄγκος; onus, relatively to its pressure, so far as it is irksome to the person carrying it, as a burden, φόρτος; whereas pondus (from pendere) in an advantageous sense, as force and strength, like weight, ἄχθος; lastly, gravitas (from γεραός) unites both senses, and sometimes denotes the irksome heaviness, sometimes the effective weightiness, like βάρος. (iv. 223.)

Molestia, see Labor.

Moliri, see Audere.

Monere, see Hortari.

Moneta, see Pecunia.

Mons; Jugum. Mons (from minari, eminere,) denotes the mountain with reference to its dimension of height; whereas jugum, with reference to its breadth and length, sometimes as the uppermost ridge, which, according as it is flat or pointed, is with yet greater precision called either dorsum or cacumen, in opp. to radices montis; sometimes as a range of mountains, particularly in an ascending direction, by which several mountains become joined, so as to form a chain, or pile of mountains, in opp. to the mountain itself. Liv. xxii. 18. Sub jugo montis prœlium fuit: comp. with xli. 18. Petilius adversus Balistæ et Leti jugum, quod eos montes perpetuo dorso conjungit, castra habuit. Or, Tac. G. 10, with 43, and Agr. 10. Or, Virg. Ecl. v. 76, with Ovid, Met. iv. 657. (v. 225.)

Monstra, see Auguria.

Monstrare, see Ostendere.

Morari, see Tardare.

Morbidus, Morbus, see Æger.

Morigerari, see Parere.

Morosus, see Austerus.

Mors; Letum; Nex; Obitus; Interitus; Perire; Oppetere; Demori; Intermori; Emori. 1. Mors and letum denote a natural death; mors (μόρος) the usual expression in a merely physical sense, as the way to corruption, like θάνατος; letum (from λαχεῖν, λάχεσις,) the select and solemn expression, as the lot of death, like οἶτος; whereas nex (from νεκρός) a violent death, as the passive of cædes. 2. Mors, letum, nex, are proper, whereas obitus and interitus only softer, expressions. Obitus, decease, denotes, like exitus, a natural death; whereas interitus, together with perire, usually denotes, like exitium, a violent death. Plin. Ep. iii. 7. Silius ultimus ex Neronianis consularibus obiit, quo consule Nero periit. Plaut. Epid. iii. 4, 56. Malo cruciatu pereas, atque obeas cito. 3. Perire represents death as destruction and corruption; interire as a vanishing, so that the former applies more to the body, the latter to the soul. Plaut. Capt. iii. 5, 32. Qui per virtutem periit, at non interit; that is, he who dies a noble death, though his body perishes, still lives in name and posthumous renown. Further, perire denotes a sudden and violent death, particularly by self-murder; interire, a gradual and painful, but, it may be, also a peaceful, death. Tac. Ann. xv. 44. Et pereuntibus Christianis addita ludibria, ut ferarum tergis contecti laniatu canum interirent. Serv. ap. Cic. Fam. iv. 5. Si quis nostrum interiit, aut occisus est. 4. Obire mortem denotes to die, as a physical event, by which one ends all suffering; whereas oppetere mortem denotes to die, as a moral act, in as far as a man, if he does not seek death, at any rate awaits it with firmness and contempt of it. 5. Demori denotes to die off, as one belonging to a society, and thereby to occasion a vacancy; intermori, to be apparently dying, to be sick of a lingering disease, like ἐκθανεῖν; emori, to die entirely, in opp. to a mere semblance of life in misfortune, slavery, and disgrace, like πανδίκως θανεῖν. Cic. Pis. 7. Ut emori potius quam servire præstaret. (iii. 182.)

Mos, see Consuetudo.

Mostellum, see Spectrum.

Mucro, see Acies.

Mulcare, see Verberare.

Mulcere; Palpare. Mulcere (μύλλειν, μαλακός) means to stroke any thing in itself rough, as the hair, for instance, in order to make it smooth; thence, figuratively, to pacify an enraged person, like καταψῆν; whereas palpare (ψηλαφᾶν, ἁπαλός,) to stroke any thing already smooth, in order to excite a pleasant sensation; thence, figuratively, to caress and coax, like ψηλαφᾶν. (v. 109.)

Mulcta, see Vindicta.

Mulier, see Femina.

Mundus, see Purus.

Munificus, see Largus.

Munimenta, see Murus.