faculty of speech

ōrātĭo, ōnis, f. [oro], a speaking, speech, discourse, language

In gen., the connection of words to express thought:

non est autem in verbo modus hic, sed in oratione, id est, in continuatione verborum,

Cic. 3, 42, 167.

Speech, the power or faculty of speech, the habit or use of language:

quae (ferae) sunt rationis et orationis expertes,

Cic. Off. 1, 16, 50:

natura vi rationis hominem conciliat homini et ad orationis et ad vitae societatem,

id. ib. 1, 4, 12.—

Speech, language, utterance; opp. to fact, action, etc.:

lenitudo orationis, mollitudo corporis,

Cic. Tusc. 5, 16, 46:

idque videns Epicurus re tollit, oratione relinquit deos,

id. N. D. 1, 44, 123:

qui sunt leves locutores... eorum orationem bene existimatum est in ore nasci, non in pectore,

Gell. 1, 15, 1:

nam quid te igitur rettulit beneficum esse oratione, si ad rem auxilium emortuum est,

Plaut. Ep. 1, 2, 19:

ut in vitā, sic in oratione, nihil est difficilius quam quid deceat videre,

Cic. Or. 21, 70: qualis homo ipse esset, talem ejus esse orationem;

orationi autem facta similia, factis vitam,

id. Tusc. 5, 16, 47:

partes igitur orationis secundum dialecticos duae, nomen et verbum,

parts of speech, Prisc. 2, 4, 15.—

Hence, a mode of speaking; a kind, manner, style of speech; language:

quin tu istanc orationem hinc veterem atque antiquam amoves. Nam proletario sermone nunc utere,

Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 155: nam opulenti cum loquuntur pariter atque ignobiles, eadem dicta eademque oratio aequa non aeque valet, Enn. ap. Gell. 11, 4, 3: quam tibi ex ore orationem duriter dictis dedit, id. ap. Non. p. 512, 8:

aliam nunc mihi orationem despoliato praedicas,

Plaut. As. 1, 3, 52: Creta est profecto horum hominum oratio, quam orationem [p. 1275] hanc aures dulce devorant, id. Poen. 5, 2, 9:

(Andria et Perinthia) non ita sunt dissimili argumento, sed tamen Dissimili oratione,

Ter. And. prol. 11.—Esp. (in gram.): oratio obliqua, indirect speech, the use of dependent clauses in citing the language of others:

quam (orationem) obliquam Pompeius Trogus exposuit (opp. to conciones directae),

Just. 38, 3, 11.—Hence,

Mode of speech, language, use of language, style:

mollis est enim oratio philosophorum,

Cic. Or. 19, 64:

(fabulae) tenui oratione et scripturā levi,

Ter. Phorm. prol. 5:

ut Stoicorum est astrictior oratio aliquantoque contractior, quam aures populi requirunt, sic illorum (Peripateticorum) liberior et latior, quam patitur consuetudo judiciorum et fori,

Cic. Brut. 31, 120:

orationem Latinam efficies profecto legendis nostris pleniorem,

id. Off. 1, 1, 2; cf. id. ib. 1, 1, 1.—

Esp., the language of any people or nation:

Timaeus in historiis quas oratione Graecā composuit,

Gell. 11, 1, 1:

semper cum Graecis Latina (exempla) conjunxi... ut par sis in utriusque orationis facultate,

Cic. Off. 1, 1, 1.—

In partic., formal language, artificial discourse, set speech (opp. to sermo, ordinary speech, conversational language):

mollis est oratio philosophorum et umbratilis, nec verbis instructa popularibus nec vincta numeris, sed soluta liberius: itaque sermo potiusquam oratio dicitur. Quamquam enim omnis locutio oratio est, tamen unius oratoris locutio hoc proprio dignata nomine est,

Cic. Or. 19, 64; cf.:

et quoniam magna vis orationis est eaque duplex, altera contentionis, altera sermonis, contentio disceptationibus tribuatur judiciorum, contionum, senatus, sermo in circulis, disputationibus, congressionibus familiarium versetur, sequatur etiam convivia,

id. Off. 1, 37, 132.—Hence,

A set speech, harangue, discourse, oration:

(oratio) ut gravis, ut suavis, ut erudita sit, ut liberalis, ut polita, ut sensus, ut doloris habeat quantum opus sit, non est singulorum articulorum: in toto spectantur haec corpore, etc.,

Cic. de Or. 3, 25, 96; cf.

the context: illam orationem disertam sibi et oratoriam videri, fortem et virilem non videri,

id. ib. 1, 54, 231:

hanc habere orationem mecum principio institit,

Ter. Hec. 3, 3, 21:

pleraeque scribuntur orationes habitae jam, non ut habeantur,

Cic. Brut. 24, 91:

non est haec oratio habenda apud imperitam multitudinem,

id. Mur. 29, 61:

ignarus faciundae ac poliendae orationis,

id. de Or. 1, 14, 63:

in orationibus hisce ipsis judiciorum, contionum, senatus,

id. ib. 1, 16, 73:

quanta illa, di immortales, fuit gravitas, quanta in oratione majestas! sed adfuistis, et est in manibus oratio,

id. Lael. 25, 96:

qui orationem adversus rem publicam habuissent, eorum bona in publicum adducebat,

Caes. B. C. 2, 18, 5:

ab adulescentiā confecit orationes,

Nep. Cat. 3, 3:

Catonis aliae acerbae orationes extant, etc.,

Liv. 39, 42, 6:

oratio plebi acceptior,

id. 3, 69:

accurata et polita,

Cic. Brut. 95, 326:

longa,

Liv. 34, 5:

acris et vehemens,

Quint. 5, 13, 25:

admirabilis,

Cic. de Or. 3, 25, 94:

angusta et concisa, opp. collata et diffusa,

id. Or. 56, 187:

aspera, tristis, horrida, neque perfecta neque conclusa, opp. laevis et structa et terminata,

id. ib. 5, 20:

circumcisa et brevis,

Plin. Ep. 1, 20, 4:

rotunda et undique circumcisa,

Quint. 8, 5, 27:

cohaerens,

Cic. de Or. 3, 44, 173:

concinna,

id. ib. 3, 25, 98:

stabilis, opp. volubilis,

id. Or. 56, 187.—

Transf.

The power of oratory, eloquence:

tantam vim habet illa, quae recte a bono poëtā dicta est, flexamina atque omnium regina rerum oratio, ut non modo inclinantem excipere aut stantem inclinare, sed etiam adversantem ac repugnantem ut imperator fortis ac bonus capere possit,

Cic. de Or. 2, 44, 187:

satis in eo fuisse orationis atque ingenii,

id. Brut. 45, 165:

non enim verendum est ne te in tam bonā causā deficiat oratio,

Lact. 2, 3.—

Prose (opp. to poetry):

et in poëmatis et in oratione,

Cic. Or. 21, 70.—

(In gram.) A sentence, a clause expressing a complete sense:

oratio est ordinatio dictionum congrua sententiam perfectam demonstrans,

Prisc. 2, 4, 15:

oratio dicitur liber rhetoricus, necnon unaquaeque dictio hoc saepe nomine nuncupatur cum plenam ostendit sententiam,

id. ib.: defectio litterae, et syllabae, et dictionis, et orationis, id. 17, 1, 5.—

(Under the empire.) An imperial message, rescript:

orationes ad senatum missae,

Suet. Ner. 15:

oratio principis per quaestorem ejus audita est,

Tac. A. 16, 27:

orationesque in senatu recitaret etiam quaestoris vice,

Suet. Tit. 6; cf. id. Aug. 65.—

A prayer, an address to the Deity (eccl. Lat.):

respice ad orationem servi tui,

Vulg. 3 Reg. 8, 28:

per orationes Dominum rogantes,

id. 2 Macc. 10, 16:

pernoctans in oratione Dei,

id. Luc. 6, 12.—Also absol., prayer, the habit or practice of prayer:

perseverantes in oratione,

Vulg. Act. 1, 14:

orationi instate,

id. Col. 4, 2; cf. Gell. 13, 22, 1.

* * *

ē-lŏquor, ēlŏcūtus (or ēloquūtus), 3, v. dep. a., to speak out, speak plainly, to utter; to pronounce, declare, state, express:

eloqui hoc est, omnia quae mente conceperis promere atque ad audientes perferre,

Quint. 8 prooem. § 15 (class.).

In gen. (so most freq. in Plautus).

With acc.:

id quod sentit eloqui non posse,

Cic. Tusc. 1, 3, 6; so,

praeclare cogitata mentis,

id. Brut. 72 fin.:

audita,

Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 45:

nomen meum,

id. ib. prol. 18:

argumentum hujus tragoediae,

id. ib. 51;

96: rem, ut facta est,

id. ib. 4, 5, 8 et saep.: ille unum elocutus, ut memoria tenerent milites, etc., * Caes. B. C. 2, 34, 5:

Gratum elocuta consiliantibus Junone divis "Ilion, Ilion," etc.,

Hor. C. 3, 3, 17 et saep.—

Absol., Plaut. Aul. 2, 1, 48; id. Curc. 2, 3, 29:

perge eloqui,

Ter. Ph. 4, 3, 36:

eloquar an sileam?

Verg. A. 3, 39 et saep.—

In partic., to speak in an oratorical or eloquent manner (only absol.): et Graece ab eloquendo rhêtôr et Latine eloquens dictus est, etc., Cic. Or. 19; cf. Quint. 10, 1, 3:

eloqui copiose melius est, quam vel acutissime sine eloquentia cogitare,

Cic. Off. 1, 44, 156; cf.:

composite, ornate, copiose eloqui,

id. de Or. 1, 11, 48:

eloquendi facultas,

Quint. 10, 1, 69 et saep.—Hence, ēlŏquens, entis, P. a.

Speaking, endowed with the faculty of speech:

cum res muta fit eloquens,

Auct. Her. 4, 53.—

Eloquent (for syn. cf.:

facundus, disertus, etc.): Is est eloquens, qui et humilia subtiliter et magna graviter et mediocria temperate potest dicere, etc.,

Cic. Or. 29, 100 sq.; cf. id. ib. 36, 19:

M. Antonius disertos ait se vidisse multos, eloquentem omnino neminem,

id. ib. 5, 18 sq.; id. de Or. 1, 21; Quint. 8 prooem. § 13; 12, 1, 21; cf. Plin. Ep. 5, 20, 5:

rhetor,

Cic. N. D. 2, 1:

senator (Cato),

Quint. 11, 1, 36:

vir,

Vulg. Act. 18, 24 et saep.— Comp., Quint. 12, 6, 6; App. Mag. p. 8 Bip.— Sup., Quint. 1, 1, 21; 4, 2, 58; 5, 13, 3; 8 prooem. § 13; Cic. Brut. 39, 145; Tac. Agr. 10 al.— Adv.: ēlŏquen-ter, eloquently: eloquenter, logiôs, Gloss. — Comp.:

eloquentius quam prius scribitur,

Plin. Ep. 3, 18, 6.— Sup.:

eloquentissime respondere,

Plin. Ep. 2, 11, 17; 6, 21, 4.

► ēlŏcūtus, a, um, in pass. signif.:

an quaedam extrinsecus sint elocuta,

Dig. 3, 2, 13, § 6.

mūtus, a, um, adj. [root mu-, to shut; Sanscr. mūkas, dumb; Gr. mutis, muaô; cf. Lat. mussare], dumb, mute (class.; cf.: infans, elinguis).

Lit., that does not speak, silent.—Of creatures who do not possess the faculty of speech, and can utter only inarticulate sounds:

pecudes,

Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 8, § 24:

bestiae,

id. Fin. 1, 21, 71:

agna,

Hor. S. 2, 3, 219:

armenta,

Stat. Th. 5, 334:

animalia,

Juv. 8, 56:

satius est mutum esse quam quod nemo intellegat dicere,

Cic. Phil. 3, 9, 22:

subjugale, animal,

Vulg. 2 Pet. 2, 16:

vere dici potest, magistratum legem esse loquentem, legem autem mutum magistratum,

Cic. Leg. 3, 1, 2: papae! Jugularas hominem: quid ille? Thr. Mutus illico, he was struck speechless, was silent, could not say a word more, Ter. Eun. 3, 1, 27:

ad mandata mancus est, caecus, mutus,

Plaut. Merc. 3, 4, 45: mutum dices, you shall call me dumb, i. e. I will not say a word, id. Heaut. 4, 4, 26:

omnis pro nobis gratia muta fuit,

has not spoken a word, Ov. P. 2, 7, 52:

mutus aspectus miserorum lacrimas movet,

Quint. 6, 1, 26:

numquam vox est de te mea muta,

i. e. I have never ceased to praise thee, Ov. Tr. 5, 14, 17:

dolore lyra est,

id. H. 15, 198:

spiritus,

which makes one mute, Vulg. Marc. 9, 16; 9, 24.—Of that which utters no sound, dumb, mute, silent:

tintinnabulum,

Plaut. Trin. 4, 2, 163:

imago,

Cic. Cat. 3, 5:

mare,

the silent sea, Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 69:

consonantes,

which cannot be pronounced alone, mutes, Quint. 1, 4, 6: artes, the plastic arts, arts of design, opp. to eloquence, Cic. de Or. 3, 7; also, artes, the silent arts, i. e. which do not concern themselves with language, as medicine, Verg. A. 12, 397:

scientia,

i. e. which does not impart the power of speaking, Quint. 5, 10, 119:

instrumentum fundi,

i. e. wagons, carts, Varr. R. R. 1, 17:

magistri,

i. e. books, Gell. 14, 2, 1:

lapides,

that say nothing, have no inscriptions on them, Hyg. de Lim. p. 156 Goes.: muta exta dicuntur, quibus nihil divinationis aut deorum responsi inesse animadvertunt, contra adjutoria, quae certum aliquid eventurum indicant, Paul. ex Fest. p. 157 Müll.:

simulacra muta,

dumb idols, Vulg. 1 Cor. 12, 2.—

Transf., of places where no sound is heard, silent, still:

mutum forum, elinguem curiam, tacitam et fractam civitatem videbatis,

Cic. post Red. 1, 3:

solitudo,

id. Mil. 19:

spelunca,

Stat. Ach. 1, 239.—Of times:

nullum fuit tempus, quod magis debuerit mutum esse a litteris,

in which nothing should have been written, Cic. Att. 8, 14, 1:

silentia noctis,

the deep silence of night, Ov. M. 7, 184.—Of things of which nothing is said:

mutum aevum,

not celebrated, unsung, Sil. 3, 579.—As subst.

mūtus, i, m., a dumb person, a mute (ante- and postclass): Char. Quin taces? Eut. Muto imperas, Plaut. Merc. 2, 4, 26: sicut mutus, Vulg. [p. 1182] Psa. 38, 13:

aperta erit lingua mutorum,

id. Isa. 35, 6; Lact. 4, 15, 8:

mutum neque stipulari neque promittere posse palam est,

Gai. Inst. 3, 105.—

mūtum, i, n. (sc. animal), a dumb creature, brute:

separat hoc nos A grege mutorum,

Juv. 15, 143.

mūtus, a, um, adj. [root mu-, to shut; Sanscr. mūkas, dumb; Gr. mutis, muaô; cf. Lat. mussare], dumb, mute (class.; cf.: infans, elinguis).

Lit., that does not speak, silent.—Of creatures who do not possess the faculty of speech, and can utter only inarticulate sounds:

pecudes,

Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 8, § 24:

bestiae,

id. Fin. 1, 21, 71:

agna,

Hor. S. 2, 3, 219:

armenta,

Stat. Th. 5, 334:

animalia,

Juv. 8, 56:

satius est mutum esse quam quod nemo intellegat dicere,

Cic. Phil. 3, 9, 22:

subjugale, animal,

Vulg. 2 Pet. 2, 16:

vere dici potest, magistratum legem esse loquentem, legem autem mutum magistratum,

Cic. Leg. 3, 1, 2: papae! Jugularas hominem: quid ille? Thr. Mutus illico, he was struck speechless, was silent, could not say a word more, Ter. Eun. 3, 1, 27:

ad mandata mancus est, caecus, mutus,

Plaut. Merc. 3, 4, 45: mutum dices, you shall call me dumb, i. e. I will not say a word, id. Heaut. 4, 4, 26:

omnis pro nobis gratia muta fuit,

has not spoken a word, Ov. P. 2, 7, 52:

mutus aspectus miserorum lacrimas movet,

Quint. 6, 1, 26:

numquam vox est de te mea muta,

i. e. I have never ceased to praise thee, Ov. Tr. 5, 14, 17:

dolore lyra est,

id. H. 15, 198:

spiritus,

which makes one mute, Vulg. Marc. 9, 16; 9, 24.—Of that which utters no sound, dumb, mute, silent:

tintinnabulum,

Plaut. Trin. 4, 2, 163:

imago,

Cic. Cat. 3, 5:

mare,

the silent sea, Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 69:

consonantes,

which cannot be pronounced alone, mutes, Quint. 1, 4, 6: artes, the plastic arts, arts of design, opp. to eloquence, Cic. de Or. 3, 7; also, artes, the silent arts, i. e. which do not concern themselves with language, as medicine, Verg. A. 12, 397:

scientia,

i. e. which does not impart the power of speaking, Quint. 5, 10, 119:

instrumentum fundi,

i. e. wagons, carts, Varr. R. R. 1, 17:

magistri,

i. e. books, Gell. 14, 2, 1:

lapides,

that say nothing, have no inscriptions on them, Hyg. de Lim. p. 156 Goes.: muta exta dicuntur, quibus nihil divinationis aut deorum responsi inesse animadvertunt, contra adjutoria, quae certum aliquid eventurum indicant, Paul. ex Fest. p. 157 Müll.:

simulacra muta,

dumb idols, Vulg. 1 Cor. 12, 2.—

Transf., of places where no sound is heard, silent, still:

mutum forum, elinguem curiam, tacitam et fractam civitatem videbatis,

Cic. post Red. 1, 3:

solitudo,

id. Mil. 19:

spelunca,

Stat. Ach. 1, 239.—Of times:

nullum fuit tempus, quod magis debuerit mutum esse a litteris,

in which nothing should have been written, Cic. Att. 8, 14, 1:

silentia noctis,

the deep silence of night, Ov. M. 7, 184.—Of things of which nothing is said:

mutum aevum,

not celebrated, unsung, Sil. 3, 579.—As subst.

mūtus, i, m., a dumb person, a mute (ante- and postclass): Char. Quin taces? Eut. Muto imperas, Plaut. Merc. 2, 4, 26: sicut mutus, Vulg. [p. 1182] Psa. 38, 13:

aperta erit lingua mutorum,

id. Isa. 35, 6; Lact. 4, 15, 8:

mutum neque stipulari neque promittere posse palam est,

Gai. Inst. 3, 105.—

mūtum, i, n. (sc. animal), a dumb creature, brute:

separat hoc nos A grege mutorum,

Juv. 15, 143.