Döderlein's Hand-book of Latin Synonymes

Demoliri, see Destruere.

Demori, see Mors.

Denegare, see Negare.

Densus, see Angustus.

Denuo, see Iterum.

Deplorare, see Lacrimare.

Depravare; Corrumpere. Depravare denotes to make anything relatively worse, provided it is still susceptible of amendment, as being merely perverted from its proper use; whereas corrumpere denotes to make anything absolutely bad and useless, so that it is not susceptible of amendment, as being completely spoilt. (v. 321.)

Deridere, see Ridere.

Desciscere, see Turbæ.

Deserere, see Relinquere.

Desertum, see Solitudo.

Desiderare, see Requirere.

Desidia, see Ignavia.

Desinere; Desistere. Desinere denotes only a condition in reference to persons, things, and actions, as, to cease; whereas desistere, an act of the will, of which persons only are capable, as to desist. (iii. 101.)

Desolatus, see Relinquere.

Desperans, see Exspes.

Despicere, see Spernere.

Destinare; Obstinare; Decernere; Statuere; Constituere. 1. Destinare and obstinare denote forming a resolution as a psychological, whereas decernere and statuere as a political, act. 2. Destinare means to form a decided resolution, by which a thing is set at rest; obstinare, to form an unalterable resolution, whereby a man perseveres with obstinacy and doggedness. 3. Decernere denotes the final result of a formal consultation, or, at least, of a deliberation approaching the nature and seriousness of a collegial discussion; statuere, to settle the termination of an uncertain state, and constituere is the word employed, if the subject or object of the transaction is a multitude. Cic. Fr. Tull. Hoc judicium sic expectatur, ut non unæ rei statui, sed omnibus constitui putetur. (iv. 178.)

Destinatio, see Pervicacia.

Destituere, see Relinquere.

Destruere; Demoliri. Destruere means to pull down an artificially constructed, demoliri, a solid, building. (vi. 2.)

Deterior; Pejor. Deterior (a double comparative from de) means, like χείρων, that which has degenerated from a good state, that which has become less worthy; whereas pejor (from πεζός), like κακίων, that which has fallen from bad to worse, that which is more evil than it was. Hence Sallust. Or. Phil. 3. Æmilius omnium flagitiorum postremus, qui pejor an ignavior sit deliberari non potest: – in this passage deterior would form no antithesis to ignavior. The deterrimi are the objects of contempt, the pessimi of abhorrence; Catullus employs the expression pessimas puellas, ‘the worst of girls,’ in a jocular sense, in a passage where this expression has a peculiar force; whereas deterrimus could, under no circumstances, be employed as a jocular expression, any more than the words wretched, depraved. (i. 53.)

Detestari, see Abominari.

Detinere, see Manere.

Detrectatio, see Invidia.

Detrimentum, see Damnum.

Deus, see Numen.

Deversorium; Hospitium; Caupona; Taberna; Popina; Ganeum. Deversorium is any house of reception on a journey, whether one’s own property, or that of one’s friends, or of inn-keepers; hospitium, an inn for the reception of strangers; caupona (from καρποῦσθαι?) a tavern kept by a publican. These establishments afford lodging as well as food; whereas tabernæ, popinæ, ganea, only food, like restaurateurs; tabernæ (from trabes?), for the common people, as eating-houses; popinæ (from popa, πέψαι), for gentlefolks and gourmands, like ordinaries; ganea (from ἀγανός?), for voluptuaries. (vi. 101.)

Devincire, see Ligare.

Dicare, see Sacrare.

Dicere; Aio; Inquam; Asseverare; Affirmare; Contendere; Fari; Fabulari. 1. Dicere denotes to say, as conveying information, in reference to the hearer, in opp. to tacere, like the neutral word loqui. Cic. Rull. ii. 1. Ver. ii. 1, 71, 86. Plin. Ep. iv. 20. vii. 6, like λέγειν; but aio expresses an affirmation, with reference to the speaker, in opp. to nego. Cic. Off. iii. 23. Plaut. Rud. ii. 4, 14. Terent. Eun. ii. 2, 21, like φάναι. 2. Ait is in construction with an indirect form of speech, and therefore generally governs an infinitive; whereas inquit is in construction with a direct form of speech, and therefore admits an indicative, imperative, or conjunctive. 3. Aio denotes the simple affirmation of a proposition by merely expressing it, whereas asseverare, affirmare, contendere, denote an emphatic affirmation; asseverare is to affirm in earnest, in opp. to a jocular, or even light affirmation, jocari. Cic. Brut. 85; affirmare, to affirm as certain, in opp. to doubts and rumors, dubitare, Divin. ii. 3, 8; contendere, to affirm against contradiction, and to maintain one’s opinion, in opp. to yielding it up, or renouncing it. 4. Dicere (δεῖξαι) denotes to say, without any accessory notion, whereas loqui (λακεῖν), as a transitive verb, with the contemptuous accessory notion that that which is said is mere idle talk. Cic. Att. xiv. 4. Horribile est quæ loquantur, quæ minitentur. 5. Loqui denotes speaking in general; fabulari, a good-humored, or, at least, pleasant mode of speaking, to pass away the time, in which no heed is taken of the substance and import of what is said, like λαλεῖν; lastly, dicere, as a neuter verb, denotes a speech prepared according to the rules of art, a studied speech, particularly from the rostrum, like λέγειν. Liv. xlv. 39. Tu, centurio, miles, quid de imperatore Paulo senatus decreverit potius quam quid Sergio Galba fabuletur audi, et hoc dicere me potius quam illum audi; ille nihil præterquam loqui, et id ipsum maledice et maligne didicit. Cic. Brut. 58. Scipio sane mihi bene et loqui videtur et dicere. Orat. iii. 10. Neque enim conamur docere eum dicere qui loqui nesciat. Orat. 32. Muren. 34, 71. Suet. Cl. 4. Qui tam ἀσαφῶς loquatur, qui possit quum declamat σαφῶς dicere quæ dicenda sunt non video. 6. Fari (φάναι) denotes speaking, as the mechanical use of the organs of speech to articulate sounds and words, nearly in opp. to infantem esse; whereas loqui (λακεῖν), as the means of giving utterance to one’s thoughts, in opp. to tacere. And as fari may be sometimes limited to the utterance of single words, it easily combines with the image of an unusual, imposing, oracular brevity, as in the decrees of fate, fati; whereas loqui, as a usual mode of speaking, is applicable to excess in speaking, loquacitas. (iv. 1.)

Dicterium, see Verbum.

Dicto audientem esse, see Parere.

Dies; Tempus; Tempestas; Die; Interdiu. 1. Dies (from ἔνδιος) denotes time in its pure abstract nature, as mere extension and progression; whereas tempus and tempestas, with a qualifying and physical reference, as the weather and different states of time; tempus denotes rather a mere point of time, an instant, an epoch; tempestas, an entire space of time, a period. Hence dies docebit refers to a long space of time, after the lapse of which information will come, like χρόνος; whereas tempus docebit refers to a particular point of time which shall bring information, like καιρός. (iv. 267.) 2. Die means by the day, in opp. to by the hour or the year; whereas interdiu and diu, by day, in opp. to noctu; but interdiu stands in any connection; diu only in direct connection with noctu. (iv. 288.)

Dies festi, see Solemnia.

In singulos dies, see Quotidie.

Differre; Proferre; Procrastinare; Prorogare. 1. Differre denotes delay in a negative sense, whereby a thing is not done at present, but laid aside; whereas proferre and procrastinare, delay in a positive sense, as that which is to take place at a future time; proferre refers to some other time in general; procrastinare, to the very next opportunity. 2. Differre denotes an action, the beginning of which is put off; prorogare, a condition or state, the ending of which is put off, as to protract. (vi. 102.)

Difficilis, see Arduus and Austerus.

Digladiari, see Pugnare.

Dignum esse, see Merere.

Diligentia, see Opera.

Diligere; Amare; Deamare; Adamare; Caritas; Amor; Pietas. 1. Diligere (from ἀλέγειν) is love arising from esteem, and, as such, a result of reflection on the worth of the beloved object, like φιλεῖν; whereas amare is love arising from inclination, which has its ground in feeling, and is involuntary, or quite irresistible, like ἐρᾶν, ἔρασθαι; diligere denotes a purer love, which, free from sensuality and selfishness, is also more calm; amare, a warmer love, which, whether sensual or platonic, is allied to passion. Cic. Att. xiv. 17. Tantum accessit ut mihi nunc denique amare videar, ante dilexisse. Fam. xiii. 47. Brut. i. 1. Plin. Ep. iii. 9. 2. Amare means to love in general; deamare, as an intensive, to love desperately, like amore deperire; and adamare, as an inchoative, to fall in love. 3. Caritas, in an objective sense, means to be dear to some one; amor, to hold some one dear: hence the phrases, Caritas apud aliquem; amor erga aliquem. 4. Caritas, in a subjective sense, denotes any tender affection, especially that of parents towards their children, without any mixture of sensuality, and refers merely to persons, like ἀγάπη or στοργή; whereas amor denotes ardent passionate love to persons or things, like ἔρως; lastly, pietas (from ψήχω, ψίης, the instinctive love to persons and things, which we are bound to love by the holy ties of nature, the gods, those related to us by blood, one’s native country, and benefactors. Caritas rejoices in the beloved object and its possession, and shows itself in friendship and voluntary sacrifices; amor wishes evermore to get the beloved object in its power, and loves with a restless unsatisfied feeling; pietas follows a natural impulse and religious feeling. (iv. 97.)

Diluculum, see Mane.

Dimetari, Dimetiri, see Metiri.

Dimicare, see Pugnare.

Dimittere, see Mittere.

Dirimere, see Dividere.

Diripere, see Vastare.

Dirus, see Atrox.

Disceptatio; Litigatio; Controversia; Contentio; Altercatio; Jurgium; Rixa. 1. Disceptatio, litigatio, and controversia, are dissensions, the settling of which is attempted quietly, and in an orderly way; contentio, altercatio, and jurgium, such as are conducted with passion and vehemence, but which are still confined to words; rixæ (ὀρέκτης) such as, like frays and broils come to blows, or at least threaten to come to blows, and are mid-way between jurgium and pugna. Liv. xxxv. 17. Ex disceptatione altercationem fecerunt. Tac. Hist. i. 64. Jurgia primum, mox rixa inter Batavos et legionarios. Dial. 26. Cassius Severus non pugnat, sed rixatur. 2. Controversia takes place between two parties the moment they place themselves in array on opposite sides; disceptatio, when they commence disputing with each other, in order to arrive at the path of truth, or to discover what is right, but without a hostile feeling; litigatio, when a hostile feeling and a personal interest are at the bottom of the dispute. 3. Contentio would maintain the right against all opponents, and effect its purpose, whatever it may be, by the strenuous exertion of all its faculties; altercatio would not be in debt to its opponent a single word, but have the last word itself; jurgium (from ὀργή) will, without hearkening to another, give vent to its ill-humor by harsh words. Contentio presents the serious image of strenuous exertion; altercatio, the comic image of excessive heat, as in women’s quarrels; jurgium, the hateful image of rude anger. (v. 274.)

Discernere; Distinguere. Discernere (διακρίνειν) means to distinguish by discrimination and judgment; distinguere (διαστίξαι, or διατέγγειν), by signs and marks. (vi. 103.)

Disciplinæ, see Literæ.

Discrimen, see Tentare.

Disertus; Facundus; Eloquens. Disertus and facundus denote a natural gift or talent for speaking, whereas eloquens, an acquired and cultivated art. Disertus is he who speaks with clearness and precision; facundus, he who speaks with elegance and beauty; eloquens, he who combines clearness and precision with elegance and beauty. The disertus makes a good teacher, who may nevertheless be confined to a one-sided formation of intellect; the facundus is a good companion, whose excellence may nevertheless be confined to a superficial adroitness in speaking, without acuteness or depth, whereas the eloquens, whether he speaks as a statesman or as an author, must, by talent and discipline in all that relates to his art, possess a complete mastery over language, and the resources of eloquence. Cic. Orat. 5, 19. Antonius.. disertos ait se vidisse multos, eloquentem omnino neminem. Quintil. viii. pr. 13. Diserto satis dicere quæ oporteat; ornate autem dicere proprium est eloquentissimi. Suet. Cat. 53. Eloquentiæ quam plurimum adtendit, quantumvis facundus et promptus. (iv. 14.)

Dispar, see Æquus.

Dispertire, see Dividere.

Disputare, see Disserere.

Disserere; Disputare. Disserere (διερεῖν) means to express an opinion in a didactic form, and at the same time to explain the grounds of that opinion; but disputare (διαπυθέσθαι) in a polemical form, and to take into consideration the arguments against it, and with one’s opponent, whether an imaginary person or actually present, to weigh argument against argument, and ascertain on which side the balance of truth lies. The disserens takes only a subjective view of the question; but the disputans would come at a result of objective validity. Disserere, moreover, denotes a freer, disputare a more methodical discussion of the subject. Cic. Rep. iii. 16 i. 24. Fin. i. 9, 31. Orat. ii. 3, 13. (iv. 19.)

Distinguere, see Discernere.

Distribuere, see Dividere.

Diu, Diutius, Diutinus, see Pridem.

Divellere, see Frangere.

Diversus, see Varius.

Dividere; Partiri; Dirimere; Dispertire; Distribuere. 1. Dividere and dirimere mean to divide something, merely in order to break the unity of the whole, and separate it into parts, whereas partiri means to divide, in order to get the parts of the whole, and to be able to dispose of them. Hence the phrases divide et impera, and dividere sententias, but partiri prædam. 2. Divisio denotes, theoretically, the separation of a genus into its species, whereas partitio, the separation of the whole into its parts. Quintil. v. 10, 63. Cic. Top. 5. 3. Dividere refers to a whole, of which the parts are merely locally and mechanically joined, and therefore severs only an exterior connection; but dirimere refers to a whole, of which the parts organically cohere, and destroys an interior connection. Liv. xxii. 15. Casilinum urbs.. Volturno flumine dirempta Falernum ac Campanum agrum dividit: for the separation of a city into two halves by a river, is an interior separation, whereas the separation of two neighboring districts by a city, is an exterior separation. 4. Dividere means also to separate into parts, without any accessory notion, whereas dispertire, with reference to future possessors, and distribuere, with reference to the right owners, or to proper and suitable places. (iv. 156.)

Divinare; Præsagire; Præsentire; Prævidere; Vaticinari; Prædicere. 1. Divinare denotes foreseeing by divine inspiration and supernatural aid, like μαντεύεσθαι; præsagire (præ and ἡγεῖσθαι), in a natural way, by means of a peculiar organization of mind bordering on the supernatural; præsentire and prævidere, by an unusual measure of natural talent; præsentire, by immediate presentiment; prævidere, by foresight, by an acute and happy combination. 2. Divinare, etc., are merely acts of perception, whereas vaticinatio and prædictio, the open expression of what is foreseen; vaticinatio, that of the divinans and præsagiens, like προφητεία, prophecy; but prædictio, that of the præsentiens and prævidens, prediction. (vi. 105.)

Divitiæ; Opes; Gazæ; Locuples; Opulentus; Copiosus. 1. Divitiæ and gazæ denote riches quite generally, as possessions and the means of satisfying one’s wishes of any sort, whereas opes, as the means of attaining higher ends, of aggrandizing one’s self, and of acquiring and maintaining influence. Divitiæ (from δεύειν) denotes the riches of a private person, like πλοῦτος; opes (opulentus, πολύς), the instrument of the statesman, or of the ambitious in political life; gazæ, the treasure of a king or prince, like θησαυροί. 2. Dives means rich in opp. to poor, Quintil. v. 10, 26, like πλούσιος; locuples (loculos πλήθων), well-off, in opp. to egens, egenus, Cic. Planc. 35. Ros. Com. 8, like ἀφνειός; opulentus and copiosus, opulent, in opp. to inops, Cic. Parad. 6. Tac. H. iii. 6, like εὔπορος. (v. 81.)

Divortium, see Repudium.

Divus, see Numen.

Doctor; Præceptor; Magister. Doctor means the teacher, as far as he imparts theory, with reference to the student, in opp. to the mere hearer; præceptor, as far as he leads to practice, in reference to the pupil, in opp. to the mere scholar; magister, in a general sense, with reference to his superiority and ascendency in knowledge, in opp. to the laity. Cic. Orat. iii. 15. Vetus illa doctrina eadem videtur et recte faciendi et bene dicendi magistra, neque disjuncti doctores, sed iidem erant vivendi præceptores atque dicendi. And. Mur. 31. (vi. 105).

Doctrina; Eruditio. Doctrina denotes learning as a particular species of intellectual cultivation, whereas eruditio the learned result, as the crown of intellectual cultivation. Doctrina evinces a superiority in particular branches of knowledge, and stands as a co-ordinate notion with exercitatio, which is distinguished from it by involving a superiority in the ready use of learning, and can therefore, even as a mere theory, be of more evident service in practice than that which is indirectly important; eruditio stands in still closer relation to practice, and involves the co-operation of the different branches of knowledge and different studies to the ennobling of the human race; it denotes genuine zeal for the welfare of mankind in an intellectual, as humanitas does in a moral, point of view. (v. 268.)

Doctrinæ, see Literæ.

Dolor; Tristitia; Mœstitia; Luctus. 1. Dolor (from θλᾶν, ἄθλιος?) denotes an inward feeling of grief, opp. to gaudium, Cic. Phil. xiii. 20. Suet. Cæs. 22, like ἄλγος; whereas tristitia, mœror, luctus, denote an utterance or external manifestation of this inward feeling. Tristitia and mœstitia are the natural and involuntary manifestation of it in the gestures of the body and in the countenance; luctus (ἀλυκτός), its artificial manifestation, designedly, and through the conventional signs of mourning, as cutting off the hair, mourning clothes, etc., at an appointed time, like πένθος. Mœror also serves for a heightened expression of dolor, and luctus of mœror and tristitia, as far as the manifestation is added to distinguish the feeling from it. Cic. Att. xii. 28. Mærorem minui; dolorem nec potui, nec si possem vellem. Phil. xi. 1. Magno in dolore sum, vel in mœrore potius, quem ex miserabili morte C. Trebonii accepimus. Plin. Ep. v. 9. Illud non triste solum, verum etiam luctuosum, quod Julius avitus decessit. Tac. Agr. 43. Finis vitæ ejus nobis luctuosus, amicis tristis; for relations only put on mourning. Tac. Ann. ii. 82. Quanquam nec insignibus lugentium abstinebant, altius animis mœrebant. Cic. Sext. 29, 39. Luctum nos hausimus majorem dolorem ille animi non minorem. 2. Tristitia (from ταρακτός?) denotes the expression of grief in a bad sense, as gloom, fretfulness, and ill-humor, opp. to hilaratus, Cic. Att. xii. 40. Fin. v. 30. Cæcil. ap. Gell. xv. 9. Quintil. xi. 3, 67, 72, 79, 151; whereas mœstitia (from μύρω) denotes grief, as deserving of commiseration, as affliction, when a most just grief gives a tone of sadness, in opp. to lætus, Sall. Cat. f. Tac. Ann. i. 28. Tristitia is more an affair of reflection; mœstitia, of feeling. The tristis, like the truculentus, is known by his forbidding look, his wrinkled forehead, the contraction of his eyebrows; the mœstus, like the afflictus, by his lack-lustre eyes and dejected look. Tac. Hist. i. 82. Rarus per vias populus mœsta plebs; dejecti in terram militum vultus, ac plus tristitæ quam pœnitentiæ. Cic. Mur. 24, 49. Tristem ipsum, mœstos amicos: and Orat. 22, 74. (iii. 234.)

Dolor, see Cura.

Domus, see Ædificium.

Donum; Munus; Largitio; Donarium; Donativum; Liberalitas. 1. Donum (δωτίνη) means a present, as a gratuitous gift, by which the giver wishes to confer pleasure, like δῶρον; whereas munus, as a reward for services, whereby the giver shows his love or favor, like γέρας; lastly, largitio, as a gift from self-interested motives, which under the show of beneficence would win over and bribe, generally for political ends. Suet. Cæs. 28. Aliis captivorum millia dono afferens; that is, not merely as a loan: compare with Ner. 46. Auspicanti Sporus annulum muneri obtulit; that is, as a handsome return. Tac. H. ii. 30. Id comitatem bonitatemque faventes vocabant, quod sine modo (Vitellius) donaret sua largiretur aliena. 2. Donarium denotes particularly a gift to a temple; donativum, a military gift, or earnest-money, which the new emperor at his accession to the throne distributes among the soldiers; liberalitas, a gift which the emperor bestowed, generally on a poor nobleman, for his support. (iv. 142.)

Dorsum; Tergum. Dorsum (from δέρας) denotes the back, in an horizontal direction, consequently the back of an animal, in opp. to the belly, like νῶτον; tergum (from τράχηλος), the back, in a perpendicular direction, consequently the part between the shoulders in a man, in opp. to the breast, like μετάφρενον. Hence dorsum montis denotes the uppermost surface; tergum montis, the hinder part of a mountain. (v. 15.)

Dubius; Ambiguus; Anceps. Dubius (δοιός) and ambiguus (ἀμφὶς ἔχων) denote doubt, with reference to success or failure, fortune or misfortune; anceps, with reference to existence itself, to the being or not being. Vell. Pat. ii. 79. Ea patrando bello mora fuit, quod postea dubia et interdum ancipiti fortuna gestum est. Tac. Ann. iv. 73. (v. 282.)

Dudum, see Pridem.

Dulcis, see Suavis.

Dumi; Sentes; Vepres. Dumi denotes bushes growing thickly together, which present the appearance of a wilderness; sentes, prickly and wounding bushes, thorn-bushes; vepres combines both meanings; thorn-bushes which make the ground a wilderness. (vi. 108.)

Duplex; Duplum; Geminus; Dupliciter; Bifariam. 1. Duplex (δίπλαξ) denotes double, as distinct magnitudes to be counted: duplum (διπλοῦν) as continuous magnitudes to be weighed or measured. Duplex is used as an adjective, duplum as a substantive. Quintil. viii. 6, 42. In quo et numerus est duplex et duplum virium. 2. In duplex (as in διπλοῦς), doubleness is the primary, similarity and equality the secondary notion; in geminus (as in δίδυμος), the notion of similarity and equality is the primary, that of doubleness the secondary one. In Cic. Part. 6. Verba geminata et duplicata vel etiam sæpius iterata; the word geminata refers to the repetition of the same notion by synonymes; duplicata to the repetition of the same word. 3. Dupliciter is always modal; in two different manners, with double purpose; bifariam is local, in two places, or two parts. Cic. Fam. ix. 20. Dupliciter delectatus sum literis tuis; compare with Tusc. iii. 11. Bifariam quatuor perturbationes æqualiter distributæ sunt. (v. 281.)