description

gĕnus, ĕris, n. [= genos, root GEN, gigno, gens], birth, descent, origin; and concr., a race, stock, etc. (cf.: familia, gens, stirps).

Lit.

In gen.: bono genere gnati, Cato ap. Gell. 10, 3, 17; cf.:

ii, qui nobili genere nati sunt,

Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 70, § 180:

amplissimo genere natus,

Caes. B. G. 4, 12, 4:

genere regio natus,

Cic. Rep. 1, 33:

C. Laelius, cum ei quidam malo genere natus diceret, indignum esse suis majoribus, at hercule, inquit, tu tuis dignus,

id. de Or. 2, 71, 286:

genere et nobilitate et pecunia sui municipii facile primus,

id. Rosc. Am. 6, 15:

esse genere divino,

id. Rep. 2, 2:

contempsisti L. Murenae genus, extulisti tuum,

id. Mur. 7, 15:

hic sacra, hic genus, hic majorum multa vestigia,

id. Leg. 2, 1, 3; cf. id. Brut. 58, 212; id. Rep. 1, 18:

adulescens, cujus spei nihil praeter genus patricium deesset,

Liv. 6, 34, 11:

in famam generis ac familiae,

Quint. 3, 11, 12; 5, 10, 24:

genus Lentulorum,

id. 6, 3, 67:

Atys, genus unde Atii duxere Latini,

Verg. A. 5, 568:

fortuna non mutat genus,

Hor. Epod. 4, 6:

virginem plebei generis petiere juvenes, alter virgini genere par, alter, etc.,

Liv. 4, 9, 4:

qui sibi falsum nomen imposuerit, genus parentesve finxerit, etc.,

Plaut. Sent. 5, 25, 11.— Plur.:

summis gnati generibus,

Plaut. Most. 5, 2, 20.—

In partic., birth, for high or noble birth (mostly poet.):

cum certi propter divitias aut genus aut aliquas opes rem publicam tenent, est factio,

Cic. Rep. 3, 14: pol mihi fortuna magis nunc defit quam genus, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 19, 44 (Trag. v. 394 Vahl.):

et genus et virtus, nisi cum re vilior alga est,

Hor. S. 2, 5, 8; cf.:

et genus et formam regina pecunia donat,

id. Ep. 1, 6, 37:

non, Torquate, genus, non te facundia, non te Restituet pietas,

id. C. 4, 7, 23:

jactes et genus et nomen inutile,

id. ib. 1, 14, 13; cf.:

cui genus et quondam nomen natique fuissent,

Verg. A. 5, 621:

nunc jam nobis patribus vobisque plebei promiscuus consulatus patet, nec generis, ut ante, sed virtutis est praemium,

Liv. 7, 32, 14; cf. id. 4, 4, 7.

Transf.

Like gens and stirps, a descendant, offspring, child; and collect., descendants, posterity, race ( poet.): neve tu umquam in gremium extollas liberorum ex te genus, Enn. ap. Cic. Or. 46, 155 (Trag. v. 347 Vahl.):

credo equidem, genus esse deorum,

Verg. A. 4, 12:

Uraniae genus, Hymen,

i. e. her son, Cat. 61, 2:

audax Iapeti,

i. e. his son Prometheus, Hor. C. 1, 3, 27:

Jovis,

i. e. Perseus, Ov. M. 4, 609; cf. also Prop. 2, 2, 9; Hor. C. 2, 14, 18:

genus Adrasti,

i. e. Diomede, grandson of Adrastus, Ov. F. 6, 433;

so of a grandson,

id. M. 2, 743; cf.

nepotum,

Hor. C. 3, 17, 4:

Tantali genus,

id. ib. 2, 18, 37:

Danai,

id. ib. 2, 14, 18:

Messi clarum genus Osci,

id. S. 1, 5, 54:

ab alto Demissum genus Aenea,

i. e. Octavianus, as the adopted son of Julius Cœsar, id. ib. 2, 5, 63:

sive neglectum genus et nepotes Respicis auctor,

i. e. the Romans, id. C. 1, 2, 35; cf. ib. 3, 6, 18:

regium genus,

id. ib. 2, 4, 15. —

Of an assemblage of objects (persons, animals, plants, inanimate or abstract things) which are related or belong together in consequence of a resemblance in natural qualities; a race, stock, class, sort, species, kind (in this signif. most freq. in all periods and kinds of writing).

In gen.

Of living things: ne genus humanum temporis longinquitate occideret, propter hoc marem cum femina esse coniunctum, Cic. ap. Col. 12, 1 (Fragm. Cic. 1, 5 Baiter):

quod ex infinita societate generis humani ita contracta res est, etc.,

of the human race, Cic. Lael. 5, 20; cf. id. Rep. 1, 2 fin.:

o deorum quicquid in caelo regit Terras et humanum genus,

Hor. Epod. 5, 2;

for which: consulere generi hominum,

Cic. Rep. 3, 12; cf.:

cum omni hominum genere,

id. ib. 2, 26; Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 7:

solivagum genus,

Cic. Rep. 1, 25: potens vir cum inter sui corporis homines tum etiam ad plebem, quod haudquaquam inter id genus contemptor ejus habebatur, i. e. among the Plebeians, Liv. 6, 34, 5: Graium genus, the Grecian race, Enn. ap. Prob. ad Verg. E. 6, 31 (Ann. v. 149 Vahl.):

virtus est propria Romani generis atque seminis,

Cic. Phil. 4, 5, 13; cf. id. Ac. 2, 27, 86:

Ubii, paulo quam sunt ejusdem generis et ceteris humaniores,

Caes. B. G. 4, 3, 3; cf.

also: impellit alios (Aeduos) iracundia et temeritas, quae maxime illi hominum generi est innata,

race of men, id. ib. 7, 42, 2; so, like gens, of nations, peoples, tribes: ferox, Sall. Fragm. ap. Arus. Mess. s. v. insolens, p. 241 Lind. (Hist. 1, 14 Gerl.); Liv. 34, 7, 6:

implacidum (Genauni),

Hor. C. 4, 14, 10:

durum ac velox (Ligures),

Flor. 2, 3, 4:

omne in paludes diffugerat,

id. 3, 10, 14:

Graecorum,

Cic. Fl. 4, 9:

Numidarum,

Liv. 30, 12, 18:

genus omne nomenque Macedonum,

id. 13, 44, 6; Nep. Reg. 2:

Italici generis multi mortales,

Sall. J. 47, 1:

Illyriorum,

Liv. 27, 32, 4; 27, 48, 10; 42, 47 fin.:

Scytharum,

Just. 2, 3, 16; Tac. H. 2, 4; Suet. Ner. 37; Vell. 2, 118, 1.—In plur.:

conventus is, qui ex variis generibus constaret,

Caes. B. C. 2, 36, 1:

olim isti fuit generi quondam quaestus apud saeclum prius... est genus hominum, qui se primos esse omnium rerum volunt,

class of men, profession, Ter. Eun. 2, 2, 15 and 17:

firmi et stabiles et constantes (amici), cujus generis est magna penuria,

Cic. Lael. 17, 62:

saepius genus ejus hominis (sc. procuratoris rei publicae) erit in reliqua nobis oratione tractandum,

id. Rep. 2, 29 fin.; cf.:

genus aliud tyrannorum,

id. ib. 1, 44:

judicum genus et forma,

id. Phil. 5, 5, 13:

istius generis asoti,

id. Fin. 2, 8, 23; cf.:

omnium ejus generis poëtarum haud dubie proximus,

Quint. 10, 1, 85:

liberrimum hominum,

id. 10, 12, 2, § 22:

irritabile vatum,

Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 102:

hoc omne (ambubajarum, etc.),

id. S. 1, 2, 2:

hominum virile, muliebre,

Cic. Inv. 1, 24, 35:

equidem fabulam et fictam rem ducebam esse, virorum omne genus in aliqua insula conjuratione muliebri ab stirpe sublatum esse,

Liv. 34, 2, 3:

cedat consulari generi praetorium,

Cic. Planc. 6, 15:

ad militare genus = ad milites,

Liv. 24, 32, 2:

alia militaris generis turba,

id. 44, 45, 13:

castellani, agreste genus,

id. 34, 27, 9 Weissenb. ad loc.— Sing. with plur. predicate:

Ministrantibus sibi omni genere turpium personarum,

Capitol. Ver. 4.—In plur.:

eorum hominum... genera sunt duo,

Caes. B. G. 6, 13, 1:

tria auditorum,

Quint. 3, 4, 6.— Repeated in the relative-clause:

duo genera semper in hac civitate fuerunt... quibus ex generibus,

Cic. Sest. 45, 96.—In the acc., of description (v. Roby's Gram. 2, p. 42 sq.):

quot et quod genus pastores habendi,

of what kind, Varr. R. R. 2, 10, 1:

quod genus ii sunt, etc.,

Auct. Her. 2, 30, 48; cf. in the foll.—

Of animals, plants, etc.: genus altivolantum, the race of birds, Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 48, 107 (Ann. v. 84 Vahl.); cf.: genu' pennis condecoratum, id. Fragm. ap. Varr. L. L. 5, § 59:

lanigerum, id. Fragm. ap. Paul. ex Fest. s. v. Cyprio, p. 59 Müll.: squamigerum,

Lucr. 1, 162; cf.

piscium,

Hor. C. 1, 2, 9:

silvestre,

Lucr. 5, 1411:

omne ferarum,

id. 5, 1338:

acre leonum,

id. 5, 862:

malefici generis plurima animalia,

Sall. J. 17, 6:

diversum confusa genus panthera camelo,

Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 195:

animantūm propagare genus,

to propagate the race, Lucr. 1, 195:

ad genus faciendum,

Just. 2, 9 fin.:

juxta genus suum,

Vulg. Gen. 1, 11 saep.— Plur.:

quae vero et quam varia genera bestiarum vel cicurum vel ferarum!

Cic. N. D. 2, 39, 99:

piscium genera,

Quint. 5, 10, 21.—In the acc., of description:

porticus avibus omne genus oppletae,

Varr. R. R. 3, 5, 11:

pascuntur omne genus objecto frumento,

id. ib. 3, 6:

boves et id genus pecua,

App. M. 2, p. 115, 4; id. Flor. p. 37. —

Of inanim. and abstr. things, kind, sort, description, class, order, character:

genus ullum materiaï,

Lucr. 2, 304:

cum is (sol) quoque efficiat, ut omnia floreant et in suo quaeque genere pubescant,

Cic. N. D. 2, 15, 41:

naves omni genere armorum ornatissimae,

Caes. B. G. 3, 14, 2:

cibi genus,

id. ib. 4, 1, 9:

cum omni genere commeatus,

Liv. 30, 36, 2:

frugum,

id. 38, 15, 9:

hoc sphaerae genus,

Cic. Rep. 1, 14:

hoc triplex rerum publicarum genus,

id. ib. 2, 23:

regale civitatis,

id. ib.; cf.:

totum regiae civitatis,

id. ib. 2, 29:

novum imperii,

id. ib. 2, 32:

ipsum istud genus orationis exspecto,

id. ib. 1, 24 fin.; cf.: dulce orationis, id. Or. 13, 42:

qua re esset hoc bellum genere ipso necessarium,

id. de Imp. Pomp. 10, 27; cf.:

genus hoc erat pugnae, quo, etc.,

Caes. B. G. 1, 48, 4:

potestas annua (consulum) genere ipso ac jure regia,

Cic. Rep. 2, 32:

genus vitae... genus aetatis,

id. Off. 1, 32, 117:

optimum emendandi,

Quint. 10, 4, 2:

dicendi,

Cic. Off. 1, 1, 3; Quint. 8, 3, 56; 12, 10, 69:

simplex rectumque loquendi,

id. 9, 3, 3:

omnis generis tormenta,

Liv. 32, 16, 10:

praeda ingens omnis generis,

id. 27, 5, 9; so,

omnis generis, with tela,

id. 38, 26, 4;

with naves,

id. 34, 8, 5;

with eloquentia,

id. 39, 40, 7, etc.—Repeated in the relative-clause:

erat haec (ratio) ex eodem genere, quod ego maxime genus ex sociorum litteris reperire cupiebam,

Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 74, § 183.—In plur.:

Caesar haec genera munitionis instituit,

Caes. B. G. 7, 72, 1:

disserere de generibus et de rationibus civitatum,

Cic. Rep. 2, 11; cf. id. ib. 1, 26;

28: genera juris institutorum, morum consuetudinumque describere,

id. ib. 3, 10:

genera furandi,

id. Verr. 2, 2, 7, § 18.—In the acc., of description: omne, hoc, id, quod genus, for omnis, ejus, hujus, cujus generis, of every, of this, of which kind:

sub urbe hortum omne genus, coronamenta omne genus,

Cato, R. R. 8, 2; Varr. R. R. 1, 29, 1:

omne genus simulacra feruntur,

Lucr. 4, 735:

si hoc genus rebus non proficitur,

Varr. R. R. 2, 1, 23; id. L. L. 9, § 110 Müll.; Lucr. 6, 917 and Hor. S. 2, 6, 44:

in id genus verbis,

Varr. L. L. 10, § 79; 8, 7, 108, § 17:

in id genus libris,

Gell. 3, 8, 1:

scis me ante orationes aut aliquid id genus solitum scribere,

Cic. Att. 13, 12, 3:

vitanda sunt illa, quae propinqua videntur: quod genus, fidentiae contrarium est diffidentia, etc.,

for example, id. Inv. 2, 54, 165; so ib. 2, 52, 157; 2, 54, 162; 2, 57, 172; Lucr. 4, 271; 6, 1058:

lege jus est id quod populi jussu sanctum est, quod genus: ut in jus eas cum voceris,

Auct. Her. 2, 13, 19; cf.

ib. sqq.— In gen.: i. q. res or aliquid: ut in omni genere hujus populi (Graeci) consuetudinem videretur imitatus,

in all respects, in everything, Cic. Rep. 2, 20; cf.:

innumerabiles res sunt, in quibus te quotidie in omni genere desiderem,

id. Q. Fr. 2, 2 fin.:

incredibile est, quam me in omni genere delectarit,

id. Att. 16, 5, 2:

medici assiduitas et tota domus in omni genere diligens,

id. ib. 12, 33, 2;

7, 1, 2: qui in aliquo genere aut inconcinnus aut multus est, is ineptus dicitur,

in any respect whatever, id. de Or. 2, 4, 17:

qua de re et de hoc genere toto pauca cognosce,

id. Q. Fr. 1, 2, 2, § 4.—Adverb.: in genus, in general, generally:

sermones in genus communes,

Gell. 4, 1 fin. —

In partic.

In philos. lang., opp. partes, and comprising them within itself, a general term, logical genus:

genus est id, quod sui similes communione quadam, specie autem differentes, duas aut plures complectitur partes,

Cic. de Or. 1, 42, 189; cf.: genus est, quod plures partes amplectitur, ut animal;

pars est, quae subest generi, ut equus. Sed saepe eadem res alii genus, alii pars est: nam homo animalis pars est, Thebani aut Trojani genus,

id. de Inv. 1, 22, 32: genus est, quod partes aliquas amplectitur, ut cupiditas;

pars est, quae subest generi, ut cupiditati amor, avaritia,

id. ib. 1, 28, 42; cf.

also: genus est notio ad plures differentias pertinens,

id. Top. 7, 31:

nec vero sine philosophorum disciplina genus et speciem cujusque rei cernere neque eam definiendo explicare nec tribuere in partes possumus, etc.,

id. Or. 4, 16; cf. ib. 33, 117:

formae dicendi specie dispares, genere laudabiles,

id. de Or. 3, 9, 34:

perturbationes sunt genere quatuor, partibus plures,

id. Tusc. 3, 11, 24; cf. ib. 5, 25, 71:

et conjuncta quaeremus, et genera et partes generibus subjectas, et similitudines, etc.,

id. de Or. 2, 39, 166;

opp. species and pars,

Varr. R. R. 3, 3, 3.—

In gram., gender: transversi sunt (ordines) qui ab recto casu obliqui declinantur, ut albus, albi, albo;

directi sunt, qui ab recto casu in rectos declinantur, ut albus, alba, album. Transversorum ordinum partes appellantur casus, directorum genera: utrisque inter se implicatis forma,

Varr. L. L. 10, § 22 Müll.:

quod ad verborum temporalium rationem attinet, cum partes sint quatuor: temporum, personarum, generum, divisionum, etc.,

ib. 9, § 95:

in nominibus tria genera,

Quint. 1, 4, 23:

barbarismum fieri per numeros aut genera,

id. 1, 5, [p. 811] 16;

9, 3, 6: in verbis quoque quis est adeo imperitus, ut ignoret genera et qualitates, etc.,

id. 1, 4, 27.

gĕnus, ūs, v. genu.

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amnis, is, m. ( fem., Plaut. Merc. 5, 2, 18; Naev. and Att. ap. Non. 191, 33; Varr. R. R. 3, 5, 9; cf. Prisc. pp. 652 and 658 P.; Rudd. I. p. 26, n. 37; Schneid. Gram. 2, 98; abl. regularly amne;

but freq. amni in the poets,

Verg. G. 1, 203; 3, 447; Hor. S. 1, 10, 62; Col. R. R. 10, 136;

also in prose,

Liv. 21, 5; 21, 27 al.; cf. Prisc. p. 766; Rhem. Pal. 1374 P.; Rudd. I. p. 85, n. 85) [qs. for apnis from Sanscr. ap = water; n. plur. āpas. Van.; v. aqua], orig., any broad and deep-flowing, rapid water; a stream, torrent, river (hence, esp. in the poets, sometimes for a rapidly-flowing stream or a torrent rushing down from a mountain = torrens; sometimes for a large river, opp. fluvius (a common river); sometimes also for the ocean as flowing round the land; it most nearly corresponds with our stream; in prose not often used before the histt. of the Aug. per.; in Cic. only in Aratus and in his more elevated prose; never in his Epistt.).

Lit.: acervos altā in amni, Att., Trag. Rel. p. 178 Rib.: apud abundantem antiquam amnem et rapidas undas Inachi, Att. ap. Non. 192, 4 (Trag. Rel. p. 175 Rib.):

Sic quasi amnis celeris rapit, sed tamen inflexu flectitur,

Naev. Trag. Rel. p. 12 Rib.; Plaut. Poen. 3, 3, 15:

molibus incurrit validis cum viribus amnis,

Lucr. 1, 288 (v. the whole magnificent description, 1, 282- 290):

Nilus unicus in terris, Aegypti totius amnis,

id. 6, 714:

ruunt de montibus amnes,

Verg. A. 4, 164:

amnes magnitudinis vastae,

Sen. Q. N. 3, 19.—Also in distinction from the sea:

cum pontus et amnes cuncti invicem commeant,

Sen. Q. N. 4, 2.—On the contr. of the ocean, acc. to the Gr. Ôkeanos potamos (Hom. Od. 11, 639):

Oceani amnis,

the ocean-stream, Verg. G. 4, 233:

quā fluitantibus undis Solis anhelantes abluit amnis equos,

Tib. 2, 5, 60: Nox Mundum caeruleo laverat amne rotas, id. 3, 4, 18 al.—

Transf.

Poet., of the constellation Eridanus:

Eridanum cernes funestum magnis cum viribus amnem,

Cic. Arat. 145 (as a transl. of the Gr. leipsanon Êridanoio, poluklaustou potamoio, Arat. Phaenom. 360): Scorpios exoriens cum clarus fugerit amnis, Germanic. Arat. 648; cf. id. ib. 362. —

Also poet. and in post-class. prose, any thing flowing, liquid, Verg. A. 12, 417; 7, 465:

amnis musti,

Pall. 11, 14, 18.—

Of a writer, whose eloquence is thus compared to a flowing stream (v. flumen, II. B. and fluo, II. 2. B. 1.): alter (Herodotus) sine ullis salebris quasi sedatus amnis (i. e. a noiseless stream flowing on in majestic size and fulness) fluit;

alter (Thucydides) incitatior fertur,

Cic. Or. 12, 39.—

Like flumen, as abstr., a current, stream: secundo amni, down or with the stream, Verg. G. 3, 447:

adverso amne,

up the stream, Curt. 10, 1 al.

amplĭfĭcātĭo, ōnis, f. [amplifico], a widening; hence,

An extending, enlarging, increasing (perh. only in Cic.):

pecuniae,

Cic. Div. 2, 14, 33:

rei familiaris,

id. Off. 1, 8, 25.— Trop.:

honoris et gloriae,

Cic. Off. 2, 12, 42.—

In rhet. t. t., an exaggerated description of an object, an amplification, Auct. ad Her. 2, 30; Cic. Part. Or. 15; Quint. 2, 5, 9; 5, 10, 99; v. amplifico, II.

argentum, i, n. [argêeis, argês, Dor. argas, white, like Tarentum, from Taras, Doed. Syn. III. p. 193; prop. white metal; cf. Sanscr. arǵunas = bright; raǵatam = silver; hence], silver, whose mineralogical description is found in Plin. 33, 6, 31, § 95.

A.. Lit.:

argenti metalla,

Plin. 33, 6, 33, § 101:

argenti aerisque metalla,

Vulg. Exod. 35, 24:

argenti vena,

Plin. 33, 6, 31, § 95: argenti fodina, v. argenti-fodina;

argenti scoria,

id. 3, 6, 5, § 105:

spuma argenti,

id. 33, 6, 35, § 106:

argenti duae differentiae (sunt),

id. 33, 10, 44, § 127:

argentum candidum, rufum, nigrum,

id. ib.:

argentum infectum,

unwrought silver, Liv. 26, 47; Dig. 34, 2, 19:

argenti montes,

Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 73: argentum purum, Foedus ap. Gell. 6, 5:

argento circumcludere cornua,

Caes. B. G. 6, 28:

Concisum argentum in titulos faciesque minutas,

Juv. 14, 291:

quod usquam est Auri atque argenti,

id. 8, 123:

argentum et aurum,

Tac. G. 5; id. A. 2, 60, id. H. 4, 53; Vulg. Gen. 24, 35:

aurum argentumque,

Tac. H. 2. 82:

aurum et argentum,

Vulg. Gen. 13, 2.—

Meton.

Wrought silver, things made of silver; silver-plate, silver-work:

tu argentum eluito,

Plaut. Ps. 1, 2, 29:

nec domus argento fulget auroque renidet,

Lucr. 2, 27; so,

ridet argento domus,

Hor. C. 4, 11, 6:

argenti quod erat solis fulgebat in armis,

Juv. 11, 109:

argentumque expositum in aedibus,

Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 15:

navis plena argenti facti atque signati,

full of wrought and stamped silver, id. ib. 2, 5, 25; so Liv. 34, 25 and 26:

argentum caelatum,

Cic. Verr. 4, 23, 52; id. Tusc. 5, 21, 61:

apponitur cena in argento puro et antiquo,

Plin. Ep. 3, 1, 9:

argentum et marmor vetus aeraque et artīs Suspice,

Hor. Ep. 1, 6, 17; so id. ib. 1, 16, 76; 2, 2, 181; id. S. 1, 4, 28:

argenti vascula puri,

Juv. 9, 141; 10, 19:

vasa omnia ex argento,

Vulg. Num. 7, 85; ib. Act. 17, 29:

leve argentum,

Juv. 14, 62:

argentum paternum,

id. 6, 355:

argentum vetus,

id. 1, 76:

argentum mittere,

id. 12, 43:

Empturus pueros, argentum, murrina, villas,

id. 7, 133 et saep.—

Silver as weighed out for money, or money coined from silver, silver, silver money; and, as the most current coin, for money in gen.:

appendit pecuniam, quadringentos siclos argenti,

Vulg. Gen. 23, 16: Ratio quidem hercle adparet; argentum oichetai, Plaut. Trin. 2, 4, 15 sq. (quoted by Cic., Pis. 25 fin.):

expetere,

id. Cist. 4, 2, 73:

adnumerare,

Ter. Ad. 3, 3, 15; so id. Heaut. 4, 4, 15; id. Ad. 3, 3, 56; 4, 4, 20; 5, 9, 20 al.:

argenti sitis famesque,

Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 23; id. S. 1, 1, 86:

quis audet Argento praeferre caput,

Juv. 12, 49:

tenue argentum venaeque secundae,

id. 9, 31:

hic modium argenti,

id. 3, 220:

venter Argenti gravis capax,

id. 11, 41:

Argentum et aurum non est mihi,

Vulg. Act. 3, 6; 20, 35 et saep.—

Argentum vivum, quicksilver, Plin. 33, 6, 32, § 100; Vitr. 7, 8, 1 sqq.; so,

argentum liquidum,

Isid. Orig. 16, 19, 2.

ăvis, is, f. ( abl. sing. avi and ave; cf. Varr. L. L. 8, § 66 Müll.; Prisc. p. 765 P.; Rhem. Palaem. p. 1374 P.; Neue, Formenl. I. pp. 218, 222; in the lang. of religion, the form avi is most common; v. infra) [cf. Sanscr. vā (which may imply av), to blow (to wave); vis, a bird; Zend, vi; with which Curt. compares oi-ônos, a large bird, and Benfey ai-etos, an eagle].

Lit., a bird; or collect., the winged tribe:

Liber captivos avis ferae consimilis est,

Plaut. Capt. 1, 2, 7:

videmus novis avibus canere undique silvas,

Lucr. 1, 256:

arguta,

Prop. 1, 18, 30:

istā enim avi (sc. aquilā) volat nulla vehementius,

Cic. Div. 2, 70, 144:

ave ad perfugia litorum tendente,

Plin. 10, 3, 3, § 9; Vulg. Gen. 1, 2; ib. Deut. 4, 17; ib. Marc. 4, 32; ib. Luc. 13, 34 et saep.—In Varr. once of bees:

de incredibili earum avium naturā audi,

Varr. R. R. 3, 16, 3.—A description of birds is found ap. Plin. lib. 10; of their habits, ap. Varr. R. R. 3, 3 sq. and ap. Col. 8, 1 sq.—

Transf.

Esp., in reference to auguries, since the Romans took their omens or auguries from birds (v. augurium and auspicium): post quam avem aspexit templo Anchises, Naev. ap. Prob. ad Verg. E. 6, 31.—Hence, avis, meton., = omen a sign, omen, portent, freq. with the epithets bona, mala, sinistra ( = bona;

v. sinister), adversa, etc.: liquido exeo foras Auspicio avi sinistrā,

Plaut. Ep. 2, 2, 2:

ducam legiones meas Avi sinistrā, auspicio liquido atque ex sententiā,

id. Ps. 2, 4, 72: solvere secundo rumore aversāque avi, poët. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 16, 29, where B. and K. read adversā:

malā ducis avi domum,

with a bad omen, Hor. C. 1, 15, 5:

este bonis avibus visi natoque mihique,

Ov. F. 1, 513; so id. M. 15, 640:

di, qui secundis avibus in proelium miserint,

Liv. 6, 12, 9:

Quā ego hunc amorem mihi esse avi dicam datum?

Plaut. Cas. 3, 4, 26:

Hac veniat natalis avi,

Tib. 2, 2, 21.—In abl., form ave:

tunc ave deceptus falsā,

Ov. M. 5, 147.—

Comically, for a man in the garb of a bird:

Sed quae nam illaec est avis, quae huc cum tunicis advenit?

Plaut. Poen. 5, 2, 15.—

Avis alba, v. albus, I. B. 3. e.