Delphi Complete Works of Varro

by Marcus Terentius Varro

  31. The intercisi dies ‘divided days’ are those on which legal business is wrong in the morning and in the evening, but right in the time between the slaying of the sacrificial victim and the offering of the vital organs; whence they are intercisi because the fas ‘right’ intercedit ‘comes in between’ at that time, or because the nefas ‘wrong’ is intercisum ‘cut into’ by the fas. The day which is called thus: “When the high-priest has officiated in the Comitium, Right,” is named from the fact that on this day the high-priest pronounces the proper formulas for the sacrifice in the presence of the assembly, up to which time legal business is wrong, and from that time on it is right: therefore after this time of day actions are often taken under the law.

  32. The day which is called “When the dung has been carried out, Right,” is named from this, that on this day the dung is swept out of the Temple of Vesta and is carried away along the Capitoline Incline to a certain spot. The Dies Alliensis ‘Day of the Allia’ is called from the Allia River; for there our army was put to flight by the Gauls just before they besieged Rome.

  33. With this I have finished my account of what pertains to the names of individual days. The names of the months are in general obvious, if you count from March, as the ancients arranged them; for the first month, Martius, is from Mars. The second, Aprilis, as Fulvius writes and Junius also, is from Venus, because she is Aphrodite; but I have nowhere found her name in the old writings about the month, and so think that it was called April rather because spring aperit ‘opens’ everything. The third was called Mains ‘May’ from the maiores ‘elders,’ the fourth Iunius ‘June’ from the iuniores ‘younger men.’

  34. Thence the fifth is Quintilis ‘July’ and so in succession to December, named from the numeral. Of those which were added to these, the prior was called Ianuarius ‘January’ from the god who is first in order; the latter, as the same writers say, was called Februarius ‘February’ from the di inferi ‘gods of the Lower World,’ because at that time expiatory sacrifices are made to them; but I think that it was called February rather from the dies februatus ‘Purification Day,’ because then the people februatur ’is purified,’ that is, the old Palatine town girt with flocks of people is passed around by the naked Luperci.

  35. As to what pertains to Latin names of time ideas, let that which has been said up to this point be enough. Now I shall speak of what concerns those things which might be observed as taking place at some special time — such as the following: legisti ‘thou didst read,’ cursus ‘act of running,’ ludens ‘playing.’ With regard to these there are two things which I wish to say in advance: how great their number is, and what features are less perspicuous than others.

  36. The inflections of words are of four kinds: one which indicates the time and does not have leges ‘thou wilt gather or read,’ lege ‘read thou,’ from lego ‘I gather or read’; a second, which has case and does not indicate time, as from lego lectio ‘collection, act of reading,’ lector ‘reader’; the third, which has both, time and case, as from lego legens ‘reading,’ lecturus ‘being about to read’; the third, which has neither, as from lego lecte ‘choicely,’ lectissime ‘most choicely.’ Therefore if the primitives of these words amount to one thousand, as Cosconius writes, then from the inflections of these words the different forms can be five hundred thousand in number for the reason that from each and every primitive word about five hundred forms are made by derivation and inflection.

  37. Primitive is the name applied to words like lego ‘I gather,’ scribo ‘I write,’ sto ‘I stand,’ sedeo ‘I sit,’ and the rest which are not from some other word, but have their own roots. On the other hand derivative words are those which do develop from some other word, as from lego come legis ‘thou gatherest,’ legit ‘he gathers,’ legam ‘I shall gather,’ and in this fashion from this same word come a great number of words. Therefore, if one has shown the origins of the primitive words, and if these are one thousand in number, he will have revealed at the same time the sources of five hundred thousand separate words; but if without showing the origin of a single primitive word he has shown how the rest have developed from the primitives, he will have said quite enough about the origins of words, since the original elements from which the words are sprung are few and the words which have sprung from them are countless.

  38. There are besides an enormous number of words derived from these same original elements by the addition of a few prefixes, because by the addition of prefixes with or without change a word is repeatedly transformed; for as there is processit ‘he marched forward’ and recessit ‘drew back,’ so there is accessit ‘approached’ and abscessit ‘went off,’ likewise incessit ‘advanced’ and excessit ‘withdrew,’ so also successit ‘went up’ and decessit ‘went away,’ discessit ‘departed’ and concessit ‘gave way.’ But if there were only these ten prefixes, from the thousand primitives five million different forms can be made inasmuch as from one word there are five hundred derivational forms and when these are multiplied by ten through union with a prefix five thousand different forms are produced out of one primitive.

  39. Democritus, Epicurus, and likewise others who have pronounced the original elements to be unlimited in number, though they do not tell us whence the elements are, but only of what sort they are, still perform a great service: they show us the things which in the world consist of these elements. Therefore if the etymologist should postulate one thousand original elements of words, about which an interpretation is not to be asked of him, and show the nature of the rest, about which he does not make the postulation, the number of words which he would explain would still be enormous.

  40. Since I have given a sufficient reminder of the number of existing words, I shall speak briefly about their obscurity. Of the words which also indicate time the most difficult feature is their radicals, for the reason that these have in general no communion with the Greek language, and those to whose birth our memory reaches are not native Latin; yet of these, as I have said, we shall say what we can.

  41. I shall start first from the word ago ‘I drive, effect, do.’ Actio ‘action’ is made from agitalus ‘motion.’ From this we say “The tragic actor agit ‘makes’ a gesture,” and “The chariot-team agitantur ’is driven’”; from this, “The flock agitur ’is driven’ to pasture.” Where it is hardly possible for anything agi ‘to be driven,’ from this it is called an angiportum ‘alley’; where nothing can agi ‘be driven,’ from this it is an angulus ‘corner,’ or else because in it is a very narrow (angustus) place to which this corner belongs.

  42. There are three actiones ‘actions,’ and of these the first is the agitatus ‘motion’ of the mind, because we must first cogitare ‘consider’ those things which we are acturi ‘going to do,’ and then thereafter say them and do them. Of these three, the common folk practically never thinks that cogitatio ‘consideration’ is an action; but it thinks that the third, in which we do something, is the most important. But also when we cogitamus ‘consider’ something and agitamus ‘turn it over’ in mind, we agimus ‘are acting,’ and when we make an utterance, we agimus ‘are acting.’ Therefore from this the orator is said agere ‘to plead’ the case, and the augurs are said agere ‘to practice’ augury, although in it there is more saying than doing.

  43. Cogitare ‘to consider’ is said from cogere ‘to bring together’: the mind cogit ‘brings together’ several things into one place, from which it can choose. Thus from milk that is coactum ‘pressed,’ caseus ‘cheese’ was named; thus from men brought together was the contio ‘mass meeting’ called, thus coemptio ‘marriage by mutual sale,’ thus compitum ‘cross-roads.’ From cogitatio consideration’ came concilium ‘council,’ and from that came consilium ‘counsel’; and the concilium is said conciliari ‘to be brought into unity’ like a garment when it cogitur ’is pressed’ at the cleaner’s.

  44. Thus reminisci ‘to recall,’ when those things which have been held by mind and memory are fetched back again by considering
(cogitando). From this also comminisci ‘to fabricate a story’ is said, from con ‘together’ and mens ‘mind,’ when things which are not, are devised in the mind; and from that comes the word eminisci ‘to use the imagination,’ when the commentum ‘fabrication’ is uttered. From the same word mens ‘mind’ come meminisse ‘to remember’ and amens ‘mad,’ said of one who has departed a mente ‘from his mind.’

  45. From this moreover metus ‘fear,’ from the mens ‘mind’ somehow mota ‘moved,’ as metuisti ‘you feared,’ equal to te amovisti ‘you removed yourself.’ So, because timor ‘fear’ is cold, tremuisti ‘you shivered’ is equal to timuisti ‘you feared.’ Tremo ‘I shiver’ is said from the similarity to the behaviour of the voice, which is evident then when people shiver very much, when even the hairs on the body bristle up like the beard on an ear of barley.

  46. Curare ‘to care for, look after’ is said from cura ‘care, attention.’ Cura, because it cor urat ‘burns the heart’; curiosus ‘inquisitive,’ because such a person indulges in cura beyond the proper measure. Recordari ‘to recall to mind,’ is revocare ‘to call back’ again into the cor ‘heart.’ The curiae ‘halls,’ where the senate curat ‘looks after’ the interests of the state, and also there where there is the cura ‘care’ of the state sacrifices; from these, the curiones ‘priests of the curiae.’

  47. Volo ‘I wish’ is said from voluntas ‘free-will’ and from volatus ‘flight,’ because the spirit is such that in an instant it pervolat ‘flies through’ to any place whither it volt ‘wishes.’ Lubere ‘o be pleasing’ is said from labi ‘to slip,’ because the mind is lubrica ‘slippery’ and prolabitur ‘slips forward,’ as of old they used to say. From lubere ‘to be pleasing’ come libido ‘lust,’ libidinosus ‘lustful,’ and Venus Libentina ‘goddess of sensual pleasure’ and Libitina ‘goddess of the funeral equipment,’ so also other words.

  48. Metuere ‘to fear,’ from a certain motus emotion’ of the spirit, when the mind shrinks back from that misfortune which it thinks will fall upon it. When from excessive violence of the emotion it is borne foras ‘forth’ so as to go out of itself, there is formido ‘terror’; when parum movetur’ the emotion is not very strong,’ it pavet ‘dreads,’ and from this comes pavor ‘dread.’

  49. Meminisse ‘to remember,’ from memoria ‘memory,’ when there is again a motion toward that which remansit ‘has remained’ in the mens ‘mind’: and this may have been said from manere ‘to remain,’ as though manimoria. Therefore the Salii, when they sing Mamurius Veturius, indicate a memoria vetus ‘memory of olden times.’ From the same is monere ‘to remind,’ because he who monet ‘reminds,’ is just like a memory. So also the monimenta ‘memorials’ which are on tombs, and in fact alongside the highway, that they may admonere ‘admonish’ the passers-by that they themselves were mortal and that the readers are too. From this, the other things that are written and done to preserve their memoria ‘memory’ are called monimenta ‘monuments.’

  50. Maerere ‘to grieve,’ was named from marcere ‘to wither away,’ because the body too would marcescere ‘waste away’; from this moreover the macri ‘lean’ were named. Laetari ‘to be happy,’ from this, that joy is spread latins ‘more widely’ because of the idea that it is a great blessing. Therefore Juventius says:

  Should all men bring their joys into a single spot, My happiness would yet surpass the total lot.

  When things are of this nature, they are said to be laeta ‘happy.’

  51. Narro ‘I narrate,’ when I make a second person narus ‘acquainted with’ something; from which comes narratio ‘narration,’ by which we make acquaintance with an occurrence. This part of acting is in the section of saying, and the words are united with time-ideas or are from them: those of this sort seem to be radicals.

  52. That man fatur ‘speaks’ who first emits from his mouth an utterance which may convey a meaning. From this, before they can do so, children are called infantes ‘non-speakers, infants’; when they do this, they are said now fari ‘to speak’; not only this word, but also, from likeness to the utterance of a child, fariolus ‘soothsayer’ and fatuus’ prophetic speaker’ are said. From the fact that the Birth-Goddesses by fando ‘speaking’ then set the life-periods for the children, fatum ‘fate’ is named, and the things that are fatales ‘fateful.’ From this same word, those who fantur ‘speak’ easily are called facundi ‘eloquent,’ and those who are accustomed fari ‘to speak’ the future through presentiment, are called fatidici ‘sayers of the fates’; they likewise are said vaticinari ‘to prophesy,’ because they do this with frenzied mind: but this will have to be taken up later, when we speak about the poets.

  53. From this the dies fasti ‘righteous days, court days,’ on which the praetors are permitted fari ‘to speak’ without sin certain words of legal force; from this the nefasti ‘unrighteous days,’ on which it is not right for them to speak them, and if they have spoken these words, they must make atonement. From this those words are called effata ‘pronounced,’ by which the augurs have effati ‘pronounced’ the limit that the fields outside the city are to have, for the observance of signs in the sky; from this, the areas of observation are said effari ‘to be pronounced’; by the augurs, the boundaries effantur ‘are pronounced’ which are attached to them.

  54. From this the fana ‘sanctuaries’ are named, because the pontiffs in consecrating them have fati ‘spoken’ their boundary; from this, profanum ‘being before the sanctuary,’ which applies to something that is in front of the sanctuary and joined to it; from this, anything in the sacrifice, and especially Hercules’s tithe, is called profanatum ‘brought before the sanctuary, dedicated,’ from this fact that it fanatur ’is consecrated’ by some sacrifice, that is, that it becomes by law the property of the sanctuary. This is called polluctum ‘offered up,’ a term which is shaped from porricere ‘to lay before’: for when from articles of commerce first fruits are laid before Hercules, on his altar, then there is a polluctum ‘offering-up,’ just as, when profanatum is said, it is as if the thing had become the sanctuary’s property. So formerly all that was profanatum ‘dedicated’ used to be consumed in the sanctuary, as even now is done with that which the City Praetor offers every year, when on behalf of the state he sacrifices a heifer to Hercules.

  55. From the same word fari ‘to speak,’ the fabulae ‘plays,’ such as tragedies and comedies, were named. From this word, those persons have fassi ‘admitted’ and confessi ‘confessed,’ who have fati ‘spoken’ that which was asked of them. From this, professi ‘openly declared’; from this, fama ‘talk, rumour,’ and famosi ‘much talked of, notorious.’ From the same, falli ‘to be deceived,’ but also falsum ‘false’ and fallacia ‘deceit,’ which are so named on this account, that by fando ‘speaking’ one misleads someone and then does the opposite of what he has said. Therefore if one fallit ‘deceives’ by an act, in this there is not fallacia ‘deceit’ in its own proper meaning, but in a transferred sense, as from our pes ‘foot’ the pes ‘foot’ of a bed and of a beet are spoken of. From this, moreover, famigerabile ‘worth being talked about,’ and in this fashion other compounded words, just as there are many derived words, among which are Fatuus ‘god of prophetic speaking’ and the Fatuae ‘women of prophecy.’

  56. Loqui ‘to talk,’ is said from locus ‘place.’ Because he who is said to speak now for the first time, utters the names and other words before he can say them each in its own locus ‘place,’ such a person Chrysippus says does not loqui ‘talk,’ but quasi-talks; and that therefore, as a man’s sculptured bust is not the real man, so in the case of ravens, crows, and children making their first attempts to speak, their words are not real words, because they are not talking. Therefore he loquitur ‘talks,’ who with understanding puts each word in its own place, and he has then prolocutus ‘spoken forth,’ when he has by loquendo ‘talking’ expressed what he had in his spirit.

  57. From this, they are said eloqui ‘to speak forth’ and reloqui ‘to s
peak in reply’ in the Sabine sanctuaries, who loquuntur ‘speak’ from the chamber of the God. From this he was called loquax ‘talkative,’ who talked too much; from this, eloquens ‘eloquent,’ who talks profusely; from this, colloquium ‘conference,’ when persons come into one place for the purpose of talking; from this, they say that women go adlocutum ‘to talk to her,’ when they go to someone, to talk for purposes of consolation; from this, a word which we utter in talking has been by some called a loquela ‘talk-unit.’ To talk concinne ‘neatly’ is said from concinere ‘to harmonize,’ where the parts agree with each other in such a way that they mutually concinunt ‘harmonize’ one with another.

  58. Pronuntiare ‘to make known publicly’ is said from pro and nuntiare ‘to announce’; pro means the same as ante ‘before,’ as in proludit ‘he plays beforehand.’ Therefore actors are said pronuntiare ‘to declaim,’ because they enuntiant ‘make known’ on the proscaenium ‘stage’ the poet’s thoughts; and the word is used with the most literal meaning, when they act a new play. For a nuntius ‘messenger’ was named from novae res ‘new things,’ which is perhaps derived from a Greek word; from this, accordingly, their Neapolis ‘New City’ was called Nova-polis ‘New-polis’ by the old-time Romans.

  59. From this, moreover, novissimum ‘newest’ also began to be used popularly for extremum ‘last,’ a use which within my memory both Aelius and some elderly men avoided, on the ground that this superlative of the word was too new a formation; its origin is just like vetustius ‘older’ and veterrimum ‘oldest’ from vetus ‘old,’ thus from novum were derived novius ‘newer’ and novissimum, which means ‘last.’ So, from the same origin, novitas ‘newness’ and novicius ‘novice’ and novalis ‘ploughed anew’ in the case of a field, and a part of the buildings in the Forum was called sub Novis ‘by the New Shops’; though it has had the name for a very long time, as has the Nova Via ‘New Street,’ which has been an old street this long while.