pŏ-tĭor

A, a, indecl. n. (sometimes joined with littera), the first letter of the Latin alphabet, corresponding to the a, a of the other Indo-. European languages:

A primum est: hinc incipiam, et quae nomina ab hoc sunt, Lucil. ap. Terent. Scaur. p. 2255 P.: sus rostro si humi A litteram impresserit,

Cic. Div. 1, 13, 23:

ne in A quidem atque S litteras exire temere masculina Graeca nomina recto casu patiebantur,

Quint. 1, 5, 61.

The sound of the A is short or long in every part of the word; as, ăb, păter, ită; ā, māter, frustrā. During a short period (between about 620 and 670 A. U. C. = from 134 to 84 B.C.) long a was written aa, probably first by the poet L. Attius, in the manner of the Oscan language; so we find in Latin inscriptions: AA. CETEREIS (i.e.a ceteris), CALAASI, FAATO, HAACE, MAARCIVM, PAAPVS, PAASTORES, VAARVS; and in Greek writing, MAAPKOPs PsIOS MAAPKEAAOS, KOINTON MAAPKION (like Osc. aasas = Lat. āra, Osc. Paapi = Lat. Pāpius, Osc. Paakul = Lat. Pāculus, Pācullus, Pācuvius, etc.), v. Ritschl, Monum. Epigr. p. 28 sq., and cf. Mommsen, Unterital. Dialekte, p. 210 sq. (The Umbrian language has gone a step farther, and written long a by aha, as Aharna, Naharcom, trahaf, etc.; cf. Aufrecht and Kirchhoff, Umbrische Sprachdenkm. p. 76 sq.) Vid. also the letters E and U.

In etymological and grammatical formation of words, short a very often (sometimes also long a) is changed into other vowels.

Short a is changed,

, into long a —

In consequence of the suppression of the following consonants at the end or in the middle of the word: ŭb, ā; vădis, vūs; ăg-, ăg-men, exāmen; tăg-, contūmino; căd-, cāsus. Hence also in the abl. sing. of the first decl., and in the particles derived from it. in consequence of the suppression of the original ablat. end. - d: PRAEDAD (Col. Rostr.), praedā; SENTENTIAD (S. C. de Bacch.), sententiā; EXTBAD (ib.), extrā; SVPRAD (ib.), suprā. —Hence,

In perfect forms: scăb-o, scābi; căveo, cūvi; făv-eo, fāvi; păv-eo, pāvi (for scăbui, căvui, făvui, păvui).

In other forms: ăgo, ambūges; păc-, păc-iscor, pâcis (pâx); săg-ax, sūgus, sāga; măc-er, mâcero; făg- (phagein), fūgus. (Contrary to analogy, ă remains short in dănunt, from dă-in-unt, V. Ritschl, l.l.p. 17.)

Short a is changed into é or ē—

Into é.

Most frequently in the second part of compounds, particularly before two consonants: facio, confectus; jacio, conjectus; rapio, dereptus; dăm-, damno, condemno; fāl-, fallo, fefelli; măn-, mando, commendo; scando, ascendo; ăp-, aptus, ineptus; ăr-, ars, iners, sollers; ăn-, annus, perennis; căpio, auceps; căput, triceps; ăgo, remex; jăcio, objex. And thus in Plautus, according to the best MSS., dispenno, dispessus from pando, compectus from compăciscor, anteceptus from capio (on the other hand, in Vergil, according to the best MS., aspurgo, attractare, deiractare, kept their a unchanged).

Sometimes ă is changed into ĕ also before one consonant (but in this case it is usually changed into ĭ; v. infra, 3. a. a.): grădior, ingrĕdior; pătior, perpĕtior; părio, repĕrio; păro, vitupĕro; ăp-, coepi (i. e. co-ŭpi); căno, tubicĕn, tibicĕn; in the reduplicated carcĕr (from carcar) farfŏrus (written also farfārus); and so, according to the better MSS., aequipĕro from păro, and defĕtigo from fătigo.

In words taken from the Greek: talanton, talŏntum; phalara, phalŏrae; sisaron, sisŏr (but, according to the best MSS., cumŭra from kamara, not camŏra).

Short a is changed to ē in some perfect forms: ăgo, ēgi; fūcio, féci; jăci, jĕci; frag-, frango, frēgi; căpio, cēpi, and păg-, pango, pēgi (together with pepĭgi and panxi, v. pango).

Short a is changed to ĭ, a (most frequently in the second part of compounds)

before one consonant: ăgo, abĭgo; făcio, confĭcio; cădo, concĭdo; sălio, assĭlio; răpio, abrĭpio; păter, Juppĭter (in Umbrian lang. unchanged, Jupater), Marspĭter; Diespĭter, Opĭter; rătus, irrĭtus; ămicus, inìmicus (but ŭ remains unchanged in adŭmo, impătiens, and in some compounds of a later period of Roman literature, as praejacio, calefacio, etc.). —

Sometimes also before two consonants (where it is usually changed into ĕ; v. supra, 2. a. b.): tăg-, tango, contingo; păg-, pango, compingo (unchanged in some compounds, as peragro, desacro, depango, obcanto, etc.).

ă is changed into ĭ in the reduplicated perfect forms: cădo, cecĭdi; căno, cecĭni; tăg-, tango, tetĭgi; păg-, pango, pepĭgi.

Likewise in some roots which have ă: păg-, pignus; străg- (strangulo, strangô), stringo.

In words taken from the Greek: mêchanê, machĭna; patanê, patĭna; bukanê, bucĭna; trutanê, trutĭna; balaneion, balĭneum; Katana, Catĭna (written also Catana); Akragas, Agrĭgentum.

Short a is changed into short or long o.

Into ŏ: scăbo, scobs; păr, pars, portio; dăm-, dŏmo; Fabii, Fŏvii (v. Paul. ex Fest. p. 87); marmaron, marmŏr; Mars, redupl. Marmar, Marmor (Carm. Fratr. Arv.).

Into ō: dă-, dōnum, dōs; ăc-, ăcuo, ōcior (v. this art.).

Short a is changed into ŭ —

In the second part of compounds, particularly before l, p, and b: calco, inculco; salsus, insulsus; salto, exsulto; capio, occŭpo; răpio, surrupio and surruptus (also written surripio and surreptus); tăberna, contŭbernium; —before other consonants: quătio, conoŭtio; as, decussis; Mars, Mamŭrius, Mamŭralia; and once also condumnari (Tab. Bant. lin. 8, immediately followed by condemnatus, v. Klenze, Philol. Abhandl. tab. I., and Mommsen, Unterital. Dial. p. 149).

In words of Greek origin: Hekabê, Hecŭba; skutalê, scutŭla; kraipalê, crapŭla; passalos, pessŭlus; aphlaston, aplustre; thriambos, triumphus.

ă is perhaps changed into ŭ in ulciscor, compared with alc-, ulexô (arc-, arceo).

Long a is sometimes changed into ē or ō.

Into é: hālo, anhélo; fās-, féstus, profēstus; nām, némpe.

Into ō: gnā-, gnārus, ignārus, ignōro. (But in general long a remains unchanged in composition: lābor, delūbor; gnàvus, ignūnus; fàma, infūmis.)

Contrary to the mode of changing Greek a into Latin e, i, o, u (v. supra), Latin a has sometimes taken the place of other Greek vowels in words borrowed from the Greek, as: lonchê, lancea; kulix, călix; Ganumêoês, Caiāmitus.

The repugnance of the Latin Language to the Greek combined vowels ao has caused the translocation of them in Alumento for Daomeoôn (Paul. ex Fest. p. 18 Müll.).— Greek a is suppressed in Hercules from Hêraklês (probably in consequence of the inserted u; in late Latin we find Heracla and Heracula, cf. Ritschl, in Rhein. Mus. Neue Folge, vol. 12, p. 108).

Latin ă was early combined with the vowels i and u, forming the diphthongs ai and au; by changing the i into e, the diphthong ai soon became ae. So we find in the oldest inscriptions: AIDE, AIDLLIS, AIQVOM, GNAIVOD, HAICE, DVELONAI, TABELAI, DATAI, etc., which soon gave place to aedem, aedilis, aequom, Gnaeo, haec, Bellonae, tabellae, datae, etc. (the Col. Rostr. has PRAESENTE, PRAEDAD, and the S. C. de Bacch. AEDEM. The triphthong aei, found in CONQVAEISIVEI (?), is very rare; Miliar. Popil. lin. 11, v. Ritschl, l. l. p. 21). In some poets the old gen. sing. of the first decl. (- ai) is preserved, but is dissyllabic, āī. So in Ennius: Albūī Longūī, terrūī frugiferāī, frondosāī, lunāī, viāī; in Vergil: aulāī, aurāī, aquāī, pictāī; in Ausonius: herāī.

ue as well as au are changed into other vowels.

The sound of ae, e, and oe being very similar, these vowels are often interchanged in the best MSS., So we find caerimonia and cerimonia, caepa and cēpa, saeoulum and séculum; scaena and scēna; caelum and coelum, haedus and hoedus, macstus and moestus; cena, coena, and caena, etc.

In composition and reduplications ae becomes í: aequus, iníquus; quaero, inquíro; laedo, illído; taedet, pertisum (noticed by Cic.); aestumo, exístumo; cuedo, cecídi, concído, homicida.

ae is also changed into í in a Latinized word of Greek origin: Achaios (AchaiWos), Achíous.

The diphthong au is often changed to ó and ú (the latter particularly in compounds): caudex, códex; Claudius, Clodius; lautus, lotus; plaustrum, plōstrum; plaudo, plōdo, explōdo; paululum, pōlulum; faux, suffōco; si audes (acc. to Cic. or acc. to others, si audies), sódes, etc.; claudo, inclūdo; causa, accūso. Hence in some words a regular gradation of au, o, u is found: claudo, clōdicare, clúdo; raudus, ródus, rúdus; caupo, cópa, cūpa; naugae, nōgae (both forms in the MSS. of Plautus), nūgae; fraustra, frode, frude (in MSS. of Vergil); cf. Ritschl, in Wintercatalog 1854-55, and O. Ribbeck, in Jahn's Neue Jahrb. vol. 77, p. 181 sq.—The change of au into oē and ō appears only in audio, (oboedio) obēdio.

Au sometimes takes the place of av-: faveo, fautum, favitor, fautor; navis, navita, nauta; avis, auceps, auspex. So Latin aut corresponds to Sanscr. avo. (whence - vā, Lat. - ve), Osc. avti, Umbr. ute, ote; and so the Lat. preposition ab, through av, becomes au in the words aufero and aufugio (prop. av-fero, av-fugio, for ab-fero, ab-fugio). Vid. the art. ab init.

In primitive roots, which have their kindred forms in the sister-languages of the Latin, the original a, still found in the Sanscrit, is in Latin either preserved or more frequently changed into other vowels.

Original a preserved: Sanscr. mātri, Lat. màter; S. bhrātri, L. fràter; S. nāsā, L. nàsus and nàris; S. ap, L. aqua; S. apa, L. ab; S. nāma, L. năm; S. ćatur, [p. 2] L. quattuor (in Greek changed: thettares); S. capūla, L. căput (in Greek changed: kephalê, etc.).

Original a is changed into other Latin vowels—

Into e: S. ad, L. ed (ĕdo); S. as, L. es (esse); S. pat, L. pet (peto); S. pād, L. pĕd (pès); S. dant, L. dent (dens); S. ǵan, L. gen (gigno); S. mā, L. mè-tior; S. saptan, L. septem; S. daśan, L. decem; S. śata, L. centum; S. aham, L. ŏgo; S. pāra, L. per; S. paśu, L. pŏcus; S. asva, L. ŏquus, etc.

Into i: S. an-, a- (neg. part.), L. in-: S. ana (prep.), L. in; S. antar, L. inter; S. sama, L. similis; S. agni, L. ignis; S. abhra, L. imber; S. panéa, L. quinque, etc.

Into o: S. avi, L. ŏvi (ovis); S. vać, L. vōc (voco); S. pra, L. pro; S. pā, L. po (pŏtum); S. nāma, L. nōmen; S. api, L. ŏb; S. navan, L. nŏvem; S. nava, L. nŏvus, etc.

Into u: S. marmara, L. murmur.

Into ai, ae: S. prati, L. (prai) prae; S. śaśpa, L. caespes.

Into different vowels in the different derivatives: S. mā, L. mê-tior, mŏdus; S. praó, L. prŏcor, prŏcus; S. vah, L. vĕho, via.

Sometimes the Latin has preserved the original a, while even the Sanscrit has changed it: Lat. pa-, pater, Sanscr. pd, pitri.

As an abbreviation A. usually denotes the praenomen Aulus; A. A. = Auli duo, Inscr. Orell. 1530 (but A. A. = Aquae Aponi, the modern Abano, ib. 1643 sq.; 2620; 3011). The three directors of the mint were designated by III. VIRI A. A. A. F. F. (i. e. auro, argento, aeri flando, feriundo), ib. 569; 2242; 2379; 3134 al.;

so also A. A. A.,

ib. 3441 (cf. Cic. Fam. 7, 13 fin., and v. the art. Triumviri); A. D. A. agris dandis adsignandis, and A. I. A. agris judicandis adsignandis; A. O. amico optimo; A. P. a populo or aediliciae potestatis; A. P. R. aerario populi Romani. —Upon the voting tablets in judicial trials A. denoted absoluo; hence A. is called littera salutaris, Cic. Mil. 6, 15; v. littera. In the Roman Comitia A. (= antiquo) denoted the rejection of the point in question; v. antiquo. In Cicero's Tusculan Disputations the A. designated one of the disputants = adulescens or auditor, opp. to M. for magister or Marcus (Cicero); but it is to be remarked that the letters A and M do not occur in the best MSS. of this treatise; cf. edd. ad Cic. Tusc. 1, 5, 9.—In dates A. D. = ante diem; v. ante; A. U. C. = anno urbis conditae; A. P. R. C. anno post Romam conditam.

a, prep.=ab, v. ab.

ā, interj.=ah, v. ah.

A, a, indecl. n. (sometimes joined with littera), the first letter of the Latin alphabet, corresponding to the a, a of the other Indo-. European languages:

A primum est: hinc incipiam, et quae nomina ab hoc sunt, Lucil. ap. Terent. Scaur. p. 2255 P.: sus rostro si humi A litteram impresserit,

Cic. Div. 1, 13, 23:

ne in A quidem atque S litteras exire temere masculina Graeca nomina recto casu patiebantur,

Quint. 1, 5, 61.

The sound of the A is short or long in every part of the word; as, ăb, păter, ită; ā, māter, frustrā. During a short period (between about 620 and 670 A. U. C. = from 134 to 84 B.C.) long a was written aa, probably first by the poet L. Attius, in the manner of the Oscan language; so we find in Latin inscriptions: AA. CETEREIS (i.e.a ceteris), CALAASI, FAATO, HAACE, MAARCIVM, PAAPVS, PAASTORES, VAARVS; and in Greek writing, MAAPKOPs PsIOS MAAPKEAAOS, KOINTON MAAPKION (like Osc. aasas = Lat. āra, Osc. Paapi = Lat. Pāpius, Osc. Paakul = Lat. Pāculus, Pācullus, Pācuvius, etc.), v. Ritschl, Monum. Epigr. p. 28 sq., and cf. Mommsen, Unterital. Dialekte, p. 210 sq. (The Umbrian language has gone a step farther, and written long a by aha, as Aharna, Naharcom, trahaf, etc.; cf. Aufrecht and Kirchhoff, Umbrische Sprachdenkm. p. 76 sq.) Vid. also the letters E and U.

In etymological and grammatical formation of words, short a very often (sometimes also long a) is changed into other vowels.

Short a is changed,

, into long a —

In consequence of the suppression of the following consonants at the end or in the middle of the word: ŭb, ā; vădis, vūs; ăg-, ăg-men, exāmen; tăg-, contūmino; căd-, cāsus. Hence also in the abl. sing. of the first decl., and in the particles derived from it. in consequence of the suppression of the original ablat. end. - d: PRAEDAD (Col. Rostr.), praedā; SENTENTIAD (S. C. de Bacch.), sententiā; EXTBAD (ib.), extrā; SVPRAD (ib.), suprā. —Hence,

In perfect forms: scăb-o, scābi; căveo, cūvi; făv-eo, fāvi; păv-eo, pāvi (for scăbui, căvui, făvui, păvui).

In other forms: ăgo, ambūges; păc-, păc-iscor, pâcis (pâx); săg-ax, sūgus, sāga; măc-er, mâcero; făg- (phagein), fūgus. (Contrary to analogy, ă remains short in dănunt, from dă-in-unt, V. Ritschl, l.l.p. 17.)

Short a is changed into é or ē—

Into é.

Most frequently in the second part of compounds, particularly before two consonants: facio, confectus; jacio, conjectus; rapio, dereptus; dăm-, damno, condemno; fāl-, fallo, fefelli; măn-, mando, commendo; scando, ascendo; ăp-, aptus, ineptus; ăr-, ars, iners, sollers; ăn-, annus, perennis; căpio, auceps; căput, triceps; ăgo, remex; jăcio, objex. And thus in Plautus, according to the best MSS., dispenno, dispessus from pando, compectus from compăciscor, anteceptus from capio (on the other hand, in Vergil, according to the best MS., aspurgo, attractare, deiractare, kept their a unchanged).

Sometimes ă is changed into ĕ also before one consonant (but in this case it is usually changed into ĭ; v. infra, 3. a. a.): grădior, ingrĕdior; pătior, perpĕtior; părio, repĕrio; păro, vitupĕro; ăp-, coepi (i. e. co-ŭpi); căno, tubicĕn, tibicĕn; in the reduplicated carcĕr (from carcar) farfŏrus (written also farfārus); and so, according to the better MSS., aequipĕro from păro, and defĕtigo from fătigo.

In words taken from the Greek: talanton, talŏntum; phalara, phalŏrae; sisaron, sisŏr (but, according to the best MSS., cumŭra from kamara, not camŏra).

Short a is changed to ē in some perfect forms: ăgo, ēgi; fūcio, féci; jăci, jĕci; frag-, frango, frēgi; căpio, cēpi, and păg-, pango, pēgi (together with pepĭgi and panxi, v. pango).

Short a is changed to ĭ, a (most frequently in the second part of compounds)

before one consonant: ăgo, abĭgo; făcio, confĭcio; cădo, concĭdo; sălio, assĭlio; răpio, abrĭpio; păter, Juppĭter (in Umbrian lang. unchanged, Jupater), Marspĭter; Diespĭter, Opĭter; rătus, irrĭtus; ămicus, inìmicus (but ŭ remains unchanged in adŭmo, impătiens, and in some compounds of a later period of Roman literature, as praejacio, calefacio, etc.). —

Sometimes also before two consonants (where it is usually changed into ĕ; v. supra, 2. a. b.): tăg-, tango, contingo; păg-, pango, compingo (unchanged in some compounds, as peragro, desacro, depango, obcanto, etc.).

ă is changed into ĭ in the reduplicated perfect forms: cădo, cecĭdi; căno, cecĭni; tăg-, tango, tetĭgi; păg-, pango, pepĭgi.

Likewise in some roots which have ă: păg-, pignus; străg- (strangulo, strangô), stringo.

In words taken from the Greek: mêchanê, machĭna; patanê, patĭna; bukanê, bucĭna; trutanê, trutĭna; balaneion, balĭneum; Katana, Catĭna (written also Catana); Akragas, Agrĭgentum.

Short a is changed into short or long o.

Into ŏ: scăbo, scobs; păr, pars, portio; dăm-, dŏmo; Fabii, Fŏvii (v. Paul. ex Fest. p. 87); marmaron, marmŏr; Mars, redupl. Marmar, Marmor (Carm. Fratr. Arv.).

Into ō: dă-, dōnum, dōs; ăc-, ăcuo, ōcior (v. this art.).

Short a is changed into ŭ —

In the second part of compounds, particularly before l, p, and b: calco, inculco; salsus, insulsus; salto, exsulto; capio, occŭpo; răpio, surrupio and surruptus (also written surripio and surreptus); tăberna, contŭbernium; —before other consonants: quătio, conoŭtio; as, decussis; Mars, Mamŭrius, Mamŭralia; and once also condumnari (Tab. Bant. lin. 8, immediately followed by condemnatus, v. Klenze, Philol. Abhandl. tab. I., and Mommsen, Unterital. Dial. p. 149).

In words of Greek origin: Hekabê, Hecŭba; skutalê, scutŭla; kraipalê, crapŭla; passalos, pessŭlus; aphlaston, aplustre; thriambos, triumphus.

ă is perhaps changed into ŭ in ulciscor, compared with alc-, ulexô (arc-, arceo).

Long a is sometimes changed into ē or ō.

Into é: hālo, anhélo; fās-, féstus, profēstus; nām, némpe.

Into ō: gnā-, gnārus, ignārus, ignōro. (But in general long a remains unchanged in composition: lābor, delūbor; gnàvus, ignūnus; fàma, infūmis.)

Contrary to the mode of changing Greek a into Latin e, i, o, u (v. supra), Latin a has sometimes taken the place of other Greek vowels in words borrowed from the Greek, as: lonchê, lancea; kulix, călix; Ganumêoês, Caiāmitus.

The repugnance of the Latin Language to the Greek combined vowels ao has caused the translocation of them in Alumento for Daomeoôn (Paul. ex Fest. p. 18 Müll.).— Greek a is suppressed in Hercules from Hêraklês (probably in consequence of the inserted u; in late Latin we find Heracla and Heracula, cf. Ritschl, in Rhein. Mus. Neue Folge, vol. 12, p. 108).

Latin ă was early combined with the vowels i and u, forming the diphthongs ai and au; by changing the i into e, the diphthong ai soon became ae. So we find in the oldest inscriptions: AIDE, AIDLLIS, AIQVOM, GNAIVOD, HAICE, DVELONAI, TABELAI, DATAI, etc., which soon gave place to aedem, aedilis, aequom, Gnaeo, haec, Bellonae, tabellae, datae, etc. (the Col. Rostr. has PRAESENTE, PRAEDAD, and the S. C. de Bacch. AEDEM. The triphthong aei, found in CONQVAEISIVEI (?), is very rare; Miliar. Popil. lin. 11, v. Ritschl, l. l. p. 21). In some poets the old gen. sing. of the first decl. (- ai) is preserved, but is dissyllabic, āī. So in Ennius: Albūī Longūī, terrūī frugiferāī, frondosāī, lunāī, viāī; in Vergil: aulāī, aurāī, aquāī, pictāī; in Ausonius: herāī.

ue as well as au are changed into other vowels.

The sound of ae, e, and oe being very similar, these vowels are often interchanged in the best MSS., So we find caerimonia and cerimonia, caepa and cēpa, saeoulum and séculum; scaena and scēna; caelum and coelum, haedus and hoedus, macstus and moestus; cena, coena, and caena, etc.

In composition and reduplications ae becomes í: aequus, iníquus; quaero, inquíro; laedo, illído; taedet, pertisum (noticed by Cic.); aestumo, exístumo; cuedo, cecídi, concído, homicida.

ae is also changed into í in a Latinized word of Greek origin: Achaios (AchaiWos), Achíous.

The diphthong au is often changed to ó and ú (the latter particularly in compounds): caudex, códex; Claudius, Clodius; lautus, lotus; plaustrum, plōstrum; plaudo, plōdo, explōdo; paululum, pōlulum; faux, suffōco; si audes (acc. to Cic. or acc. to others, si audies), sódes, etc.; claudo, inclūdo; causa, accūso. Hence in some words a regular gradation of au, o, u is found: claudo, clōdicare, clúdo; raudus, ródus, rúdus; caupo, cópa, cūpa; naugae, nōgae (both forms in the MSS. of Plautus), nūgae; fraustra, frode, frude (in MSS. of Vergil); cf. Ritschl, in Wintercatalog 1854-55, and O. Ribbeck, in Jahn's Neue Jahrb. vol. 77, p. 181 sq.—The change of au into oē and ō appears only in audio, (oboedio) obēdio.

Au sometimes takes the place of av-: faveo, fautum, favitor, fautor; navis, navita, nauta; avis, auceps, auspex. So Latin aut corresponds to Sanscr. avo. (whence - vā, Lat. - ve), Osc. avti, Umbr. ute, ote; and so the Lat. preposition ab, through av, becomes au in the words aufero and aufugio (prop. av-fero, av-fugio, for ab-fero, ab-fugio). Vid. the art. ab init.

In primitive roots, which have their kindred forms in the sister-languages of the Latin, the original a, still found in the Sanscrit, is in Latin either preserved or more frequently changed into other vowels.

Original a preserved: Sanscr. mātri, Lat. màter; S. bhrātri, L. fràter; S. nāsā, L. nàsus and nàris; S. ap, L. aqua; S. apa, L. ab; S. nāma, L. năm; S. ćatur, [p. 2] L. quattuor (in Greek changed: thettares); S. capūla, L. căput (in Greek changed: kephalê, etc.).

Original a is changed into other Latin vowels—

Into e: S. ad, L. ed (ĕdo); S. as, L. es (esse); S. pat, L. pet (peto); S. pād, L. pĕd (pès); S. dant, L. dent (dens); S. ǵan, L. gen (gigno); S. mā, L. mè-tior; S. saptan, L. septem; S. daśan, L. decem; S. śata, L. centum; S. aham, L. ŏgo; S. pāra, L. per; S. paśu, L. pŏcus; S. asva, L. ŏquus, etc.

Into i: S. an-, a- (neg. part.), L. in-: S. ana (prep.), L. in; S. antar, L. inter; S. sama, L. similis; S. agni, L. ignis; S. abhra, L. imber; S. panéa, L. quinque, etc.

Into o: S. avi, L. ŏvi (ovis); S. vać, L. vōc (voco); S. pra, L. pro; S. pā, L. po (pŏtum); S. nāma, L. nōmen; S. api, L. ŏb; S. navan, L. nŏvem; S. nava, L. nŏvus, etc.

Into u: S. marmara, L. murmur.

Into ai, ae: S. prati, L. (prai) prae; S. śaśpa, L. caespes.

Into different vowels in the different derivatives: S. mā, L. mê-tior, mŏdus; S. praó, L. prŏcor, prŏcus; S. vah, L. vĕho, via.

Sometimes the Latin has preserved the original a, while even the Sanscrit has changed it: Lat. pa-, pater, Sanscr. pd, pitri.

As an abbreviation A. usually denotes the praenomen Aulus; A. A. = Auli duo, Inscr. Orell. 1530 (but A. A. = Aquae Aponi, the modern Abano, ib. 1643 sq.; 2620; 3011). The three directors of the mint were designated by III. VIRI A. A. A. F. F. (i. e. auro, argento, aeri flando, feriundo), ib. 569; 2242; 2379; 3134 al.;

so also A. A. A.,

ib. 3441 (cf. Cic. Fam. 7, 13 fin., and v. the art. Triumviri); A. D. A. agris dandis adsignandis, and A. I. A. agris judicandis adsignandis; A. O. amico optimo; A. P. a populo or aediliciae potestatis; A. P. R. aerario populi Romani. —Upon the voting tablets in judicial trials A. denoted absoluo; hence A. is called littera salutaris, Cic. Mil. 6, 15; v. littera. In the Roman Comitia A. (= antiquo) denoted the rejection of the point in question; v. antiquo. In Cicero's Tusculan Disputations the A. designated one of the disputants = adulescens or auditor, opp. to M. for magister or Marcus (Cicero); but it is to be remarked that the letters A and M do not occur in the best MSS. of this treatise; cf. edd. ad Cic. Tusc. 1, 5, 9.—In dates A. D. = ante diem; v. ante; A. U. C. = anno urbis conditae; A. P. R. C. anno post Romam conditam.

a, prep.=ab, v. ab.

ā, interj.=ah, v. ah.

pŏtis (in the positive rarely declined, and in the neutr. pŏte), adj. ( comp. pŏ-tĭor, ius; sup. pŏtissĭmus, a, um; class. only in the comp.) [Sanscr. patis, lord; Gr. posis, husband; des-potês, lord; Lat. compotis (compos) potiri].

Posit., able, capable; possible (mostly ante-class. and poet.): divi qui potes pro illo quod Samothraces theoi dunatoi, Varr L. L. 5, § 58 Müll.; Macr. S. 3, 4:

nisi qui colaphos perpeti Potis parasitus,

Plaut. Capt. 1, 1, 21.—Usually in the connection potis or pote est, he, she, or it is able, may, or can:

at ea supterfugere potis es pauca,

Plaut. Capt. 5, 2, 17: neque sanguis ullo potis est pacto profluens consistere, old poet ap. Cic. Tusc. 2, 16, 38: istam non potis est vis saeva exstinguere venti, Poët. ap. Gell. 19, 9, 12:

at non Evandrum potis est vis ulla tenere,

Verg. A. 11, 148:

quod nunquam potis est sejungi,

Lucr. 1, 452:

nec potis est cerni,

id. 5, 719; Cat. 76, 24:

qui potis est?

how is it possible? id. 72, 7.—With plur.: si speres quicquam prodesse potis sunt, Enn. ap. Fest. p. 333 Müll. (Ann. v. 410 Vahl.):

duae plus satis dare potis sunt,

Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 17:

quid pastores potis sint,

Varr. R. R. 2, 2.—Without est: quis potis ingentes oras evolvere belli? Enn. ap. Diom. p. 381 P. (Ann. v. 178 Vahl.); Verg. A. 3, 671; Hor. C. 3, 17, 13.—Form pote:

si non aliud pote est,

Cat. 43, 16. Without est:

nec devitari letum pote,

Lucr. 3, 1079: viget, veget, utpote plurimum, Varr. ap Non. 2, 876:

nec non emptor pote ex empto vendito illum damnare,

id. R. R. 2, 2:

nec eniti remis pote,

Val. Fl. 4, 680; Prop. 2, 1, 46:

qui pote? vis dicam? nugaris,

Pers. 1, 56:

in te dici pote, Id, quod,

Cat. 98, 1:

nec peccatum a me quisquam pote dicere quicquam,

id. 67, 11:

hoc facito, sive id non pote sive pote,

be it impossible or possible, id. 76, 16:

quid pote simplicius?

what can be more simple? Mart. 9, 16, 2:

nihil pote supra,

nothing could exceed it, Ter. Ad. 2, 3, 11; Auct. ap. Cic. Brut. 46, 172; Cic. Att. 13, 38, 1:

quantum pote,

as soon as possible, id. ib. 4, 13, 1: quam pote, as much as possible (post-class.):

aufugiamus istinc quam pote longissime,

App. M. 1, p. 107, 9; 2, p. 119, 33.—

Comp.: pŏtĭor, us, that may be preferred, preferred; better, preferable (class.).

Of persons:

numquam edepol erit ille potior Harpax, quam ego,

Plaut. Ps. 4, 1, 17; 1, 3, 95:

quem aequiust potiorem habere quam te?

id. Stich. 1, 2, 40: qui plus pollet potiorque est patre, old poet ap. Cic. Tusc. 4, 32, 69; id. Fam. 10, 3, 2:

itaque cives potiores quam peregrini,

id. Lael. 5, 19:

Sosim et Moericum quibus tantam crederem rem, potiores habui,

Liv. 26, 31, 4:

at tu, qui potior nunc es,

happier in love, preferred, Tib. 1, 6, 33 (5, 69):

ut in judicio possessionis potior esset,

Dig. 18, 1, 34.—

Of things, better, stronger, preferable, more useful or important:

nulla potior serenda,

Varr. R. R. 1, 15:

sucus,

Plin. 36, 22, 43, § 158:

novistine locum potiorem rure beato?

Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 14:

sententia,

id. Epod. 16, 17:

mors civibus Romanis semper fuit servitute potior,

Cic. Phil. 10, 9, 19:

illi turpis vita integrā famā potior fuit,

Sall. J. 67, 3:

nihil mihi potius fuit quam ut Massinissam convenirem,

I had nothing more important, nothing more urgent to do, Cic. Rep. 6, 9, 9:

illa semper potiora duxisti, quae, etc.,

id. de Or. 3, 22, 82:

semper se rei publicae commoda privatis necessitatibus habuisse potiora,

Caes. B. C. 1, 8.— Subst.:

ut probetis potiora,

Vulg. Phil. 1, 10: hem, mater mea, tibi rem potiorem video (sc. verbis), I see a fact stronger than words, i. e. a clearer proof, Plaut. Aul. 4, 7, 12.—

Sup.: pŏtissĭmus, a, um, the chief, principal, most prominent, most important.

Of persons ( poet. and in post-Aug. prose):

item huic ultro fit, ut Meret, potissimus nostrae domi ut sit,

Plaut. Men. 2, 3, 9:

tantis potissimus umbris,

Stat. Th. 4, 627:

potissimos libertorum veneno interficere,

Tac. A. 14, 65.—

Of things (class.):

utrum potius, aut quid potissimum sit, quaeritur,

Cic. Inv. 1, 12, 17:

cura,

Stat. S. 4, 4, 20:

nobilitas,

Plin. 14, 2, 4, § 25:

opusculum,

Plin. Ep. 4, 14, 10:

causa,

Tac. A. 4, 16.—Hence, adv., only in the comp. and sup.

Comp.: pŏtĭus, rather, preferably, more (class.; cf.: satius, prius): quo nos vocabis nomine? Ar. Libortos. Le. Non patronos? Ar. Id potius, Plaut. As. 3, 3, 62:

sed scin', quid volo potius, sodes, facias?

Ter. Hec. 5, 1, 27; id. And. 5, 3, 2:

nec vero imperia expetenda: ac potius non accipienda interdum,

Cic. Off. 1, 20, 68.— With quam, Plaut. Aul. 4, 2, 11:

Galliam potius esse Ariovisti quam populi Romani,

Caes. B. G. 1, 45.—When the predicates are compared, the verb in the following clause is always in the subj.:

perpessus est omnia potius quam conscios indicaret,

rather than, Cic. Tusc. 2, 22, 52:

in oratione non vis potius quam delectatio postulatur,

Cic. de Or. 2, 78, 317:

privabo potius illum debito testimonio quam id cum meā laude communicem,

id. Ac. 2, 1, 3:

scribam aliquid potius, quam committam ut litterae non reddantur,

id. Att. 5, 6, 2:

nos potius nostro delicto plectemur, quam res publica nostra peccata luat,

Liv. 8, 7, 17:

per interregem comitia habenda potius, quam consulum alter a bello avocaretur,

id. 22, 23, 10; 9, 14, 16.— So with quam ut:

se miliens morituros potius quam ut tantum dedecoris admitti patiantur,

Liv. 4, 2, 8: audeo dicere hoc malo domitos ipsos potius cultores agrorum fore, quam ut armati, etc., id. 2, 34, 11; 6, 28, 8; 9, 14, 7.—But after verbs of willing, wishing (sometimes of declaring), the inf. is used:

dictatore obstinato tollere potius totum e re publicā consulatum, quam promiscuum facere,

Liv. 7, 21, 1; 23, 9, 8; 21, 13, 8: v. Weissenb. ad Liv. 2, 15, 2; Fest. s. v. olivitam, p. 202 Müll.; v. Muuml;ll. ad. loc. p. 203, a. —In an inverted order:

quam potius,

Verg. Copa, 5: quid mihi negotii est eum istis nugacibus, quam potius potamus mulsum? C. Titius ap. Macr. S. 2, 12.—Sometimes potius is to be supplied:

tacita, bona est mulier semper, quam loquens,

Plaut. Rud. 4, 4, 70; id. Men. 5, 1, 26:

tamen statuit congredi, quam cum tantis copiis refugere,

Nep. Dat. 8, 1.—Pleon., with words which already express comparison.— Comp., Ter. Hec. 4, 1, 19:

Uticae potius quam Romae esse malle,

Cic. Lig. 2, 5:

favorabiliores rei potius, quam actores habentur,

Dig. 50, 17, 167.—

Esp., introducing a repetition of a thought in a corrected or strengthened form: aut potius, vel potius, or rather, or I may better say, etc.:

efficiet enim ratio ut... mors aut malum non sit, aut sit bonum potius,

Cic. Tusc. 1, 11, 23:

quam fuit imbecillus P. Africani filius, quam tenui aut nullā potius valetudine,

id. Sen. 11, 35:

erravit aut potius insanivit Apronius?

id. Verr. 2, 3, 48, § 113:

Cato magnus hercule homo, vel potius summus et singularis vir,

id. Brut. 85, 293; Dig. 1, 5, 16.—

Sup.: pŏtissĭmē ( pŏtissŭ-), and more freq. pŏtissĭmum ( pŏtissŭ-), chiefly, principally, especially, in preference to all others, above all, most of all (class.).—Form potissime, Cels. 3, 6.—Form potissimum:

responde, quo leto censes me ut peream potissimum?

Plaut. Merc. 2, 4, 15; Ter. And. 2, 6, 23:

exsistat aliquis et potissimum Caecus ille,

Cic. Cael. 14, 33; id. Mur. 2, 4:

nos id potissimum consecuti sumus,

id. Tusc. 5, 4, 11:

tanta erat contentio, qui potissimum ex magno numero conscenderent, ut,

Caes. B. C. 2, 43:

quid agam? aut quo potissimum infelix accedam?

Sall. J. 14, 15; Auct. Her. 3, 2, 2; Lact. 2, 18, 3.

pŏtis (in the positive rarely declined, and in the neutr. pŏte), adj. ( comp. pŏ-tĭor, ius; sup. pŏtissĭmus, a, um; class. only in the comp.) [Sanscr. patis, lord; Gr. posis, husband; des-potês, lord; Lat. compotis (compos) potiri].

Posit., able, capable; possible (mostly ante-class. and poet.): divi qui potes pro illo quod Samothraces theoi dunatoi, Varr L. L. 5, § 58 Müll.; Macr. S. 3, 4:

nisi qui colaphos perpeti Potis parasitus,

Plaut. Capt. 1, 1, 21.—Usually in the connection potis or pote est, he, she, or it is able, may, or can:

at ea supterfugere potis es pauca,

Plaut. Capt. 5, 2, 17: neque sanguis ullo potis est pacto profluens consistere, old poet ap. Cic. Tusc. 2, 16, 38: istam non potis est vis saeva exstinguere venti, Poët. ap. Gell. 19, 9, 12:

at non Evandrum potis est vis ulla tenere,

Verg. A. 11, 148:

quod nunquam potis est sejungi,

Lucr. 1, 452:

nec potis est cerni,

id. 5, 719; Cat. 76, 24:

qui potis est?

how is it possible? id. 72, 7.—With plur.: si speres quicquam prodesse potis sunt, Enn. ap. Fest. p. 333 Müll. (Ann. v. 410 Vahl.):

duae plus satis dare potis sunt,

Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 17:

quid pastores potis sint,

Varr. R. R. 2, 2.—Without est: quis potis ingentes oras evolvere belli? Enn. ap. Diom. p. 381 P. (Ann. v. 178 Vahl.); Verg. A. 3, 671; Hor. C. 3, 17, 13.—Form pote:

si non aliud pote est,

Cat. 43, 16. Without est:

nec devitari letum pote,

Lucr. 3, 1079: viget, veget, utpote plurimum, Varr. ap Non. 2, 876:

nec non emptor pote ex empto vendito illum damnare,

id. R. R. 2, 2:

nec eniti remis pote,

Val. Fl. 4, 680; Prop. 2, 1, 46:

qui pote? vis dicam? nugaris,

Pers. 1, 56:

in te dici pote, Id, quod,

Cat. 98, 1:

nec peccatum a me quisquam pote dicere quicquam,

id. 67, 11:

hoc facito, sive id non pote sive pote,

be it impossible or possible, id. 76, 16:

quid pote simplicius?

what can be more simple? Mart. 9, 16, 2:

nihil pote supra,

nothing could exceed it, Ter. Ad. 2, 3, 11; Auct. ap. Cic. Brut. 46, 172; Cic. Att. 13, 38, 1:

quantum pote,

as soon as possible, id. ib. 4, 13, 1: quam pote, as much as possible (post-class.):

aufugiamus istinc quam pote longissime,

App. M. 1, p. 107, 9; 2, p. 119, 33.—

Comp.: pŏtĭor, us, that may be preferred, preferred; better, preferable (class.).

Of persons:

numquam edepol erit ille potior Harpax, quam ego,

Plaut. Ps. 4, 1, 17; 1, 3, 95:

quem aequiust potiorem habere quam te?

id. Stich. 1, 2, 40: qui plus pollet potiorque est patre, old poet ap. Cic. Tusc. 4, 32, 69; id. Fam. 10, 3, 2:

itaque cives potiores quam peregrini,

id. Lael. 5, 19:

Sosim et Moericum quibus tantam crederem rem, potiores habui,

Liv. 26, 31, 4:

at tu, qui potior nunc es,

happier in love, preferred, Tib. 1, 6, 33 (5, 69):

ut in judicio possessionis potior esset,

Dig. 18, 1, 34.—

Of things, better, stronger, preferable, more useful or important:

nulla potior serenda,

Varr. R. R. 1, 15:

sucus,

Plin. 36, 22, 43, § 158:

novistine locum potiorem rure beato?

Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 14:

sententia,

id. Epod. 16, 17:

mors civibus Romanis semper fuit servitute potior,

Cic. Phil. 10, 9, 19:

illi turpis vita integrā famā potior fuit,

Sall. J. 67, 3:

nihil mihi potius fuit quam ut Massinissam convenirem,

I had nothing more important, nothing more urgent to do, Cic. Rep. 6, 9, 9:

illa semper potiora duxisti, quae, etc.,

id. de Or. 3, 22, 82:

semper se rei publicae commoda privatis necessitatibus habuisse potiora,

Caes. B. C. 1, 8.— Subst.:

ut probetis potiora,

Vulg. Phil. 1, 10: hem, mater mea, tibi rem potiorem video (sc. verbis), I see a fact stronger than words, i. e. a clearer proof, Plaut. Aul. 4, 7, 12.—

Sup.: pŏtissĭmus, a, um, the chief, principal, most prominent, most important.

Of persons ( poet. and in post-Aug. prose):

item huic ultro fit, ut Meret, potissimus nostrae domi ut sit,

Plaut. Men. 2, 3, 9:

tantis potissimus umbris,

Stat. Th. 4, 627:

potissimos libertorum veneno interficere,

Tac. A. 14, 65.—

Of things (class.):

utrum potius, aut quid potissimum sit, quaeritur,

Cic. Inv. 1, 12, 17:

cura,

Stat. S. 4, 4, 20:

nobilitas,

Plin. 14, 2, 4, § 25:

opusculum,

Plin. Ep. 4, 14, 10:

causa,

Tac. A. 4, 16.—Hence, adv., only in the comp. and sup.

Comp.: pŏtĭus, rather, preferably, more (class.; cf.: satius, prius): quo nos vocabis nomine? Ar. Libortos. Le. Non patronos? Ar. Id potius, Plaut. As. 3, 3, 62:

sed scin', quid volo potius, sodes, facias?

Ter. Hec. 5, 1, 27; id. And. 5, 3, 2:

nec vero imperia expetenda: ac potius non accipienda interdum,

Cic. Off. 1, 20, 68.— With quam, Plaut. Aul. 4, 2, 11:

Galliam potius esse Ariovisti quam populi Romani,

Caes. B. G. 1, 45.—When the predicates are compared, the verb in the following clause is always in the subj.:

perpessus est omnia potius quam conscios indicaret,

rather than, Cic. Tusc. 2, 22, 52:

in oratione non vis potius quam delectatio postulatur,

Cic. de Or. 2, 78, 317:

privabo potius illum debito testimonio quam id cum meā laude communicem,

id. Ac. 2, 1, 3:

scribam aliquid potius, quam committam ut litterae non reddantur,

id. Att. 5, 6, 2:

nos potius nostro delicto plectemur, quam res publica nostra peccata luat,

Liv. 8, 7, 17:

per interregem comitia habenda potius, quam consulum alter a bello avocaretur,

id. 22, 23, 10; 9, 14, 16.— So with quam ut:

se miliens morituros potius quam ut tantum dedecoris admitti patiantur,

Liv. 4, 2, 8: audeo dicere hoc malo domitos ipsos potius cultores agrorum fore, quam ut armati, etc., id. 2, 34, 11; 6, 28, 8; 9, 14, 7.—But after verbs of willing, wishing (sometimes of declaring), the inf. is used:

dictatore obstinato tollere potius totum e re publicā consulatum, quam promiscuum facere,

Liv. 7, 21, 1; 23, 9, 8; 21, 13, 8: v. Weissenb. ad Liv. 2, 15, 2; Fest. s. v. olivitam, p. 202 Müll.; v. Muuml;ll. ad. loc. p. 203, a. —In an inverted order:

quam potius,

Verg. Copa, 5: quid mihi negotii est eum istis nugacibus, quam potius potamus mulsum? C. Titius ap. Macr. S. 2, 12.—Sometimes potius is to be supplied:

tacita, bona est mulier semper, quam loquens,

Plaut. Rud. 4, 4, 70; id. Men. 5, 1, 26:

tamen statuit congredi, quam cum tantis copiis refugere,

Nep. Dat. 8, 1.—Pleon., with words which already express comparison.— Comp., Ter. Hec. 4, 1, 19:

Uticae potius quam Romae esse malle,

Cic. Lig. 2, 5:

favorabiliores rei potius, quam actores habentur,

Dig. 50, 17, 167.—

Esp., introducing a repetition of a thought in a corrected or strengthened form: aut potius, vel potius, or rather, or I may better say, etc.:

efficiet enim ratio ut... mors aut malum non sit, aut sit bonum potius,

Cic. Tusc. 1, 11, 23:

quam fuit imbecillus P. Africani filius, quam tenui aut nullā potius valetudine,

id. Sen. 11, 35:

erravit aut potius insanivit Apronius?

id. Verr. 2, 3, 48, § 113:

Cato magnus hercule homo, vel potius summus et singularis vir,

id. Brut. 85, 293; Dig. 1, 5, 16.—

Sup.: pŏtissĭmē ( pŏtissŭ-), and more freq. pŏtissĭmum ( pŏtissŭ-), chiefly, principally, especially, in preference to all others, above all, most of all (class.).—Form potissime, Cels. 3, 6.—Form potissimum:

responde, quo leto censes me ut peream potissimum?

Plaut. Merc. 2, 4, 15; Ter. And. 2, 6, 23:

exsistat aliquis et potissimum Caecus ille,

Cic. Cael. 14, 33; id. Mur. 2, 4:

nos id potissimum consecuti sumus,

id. Tusc. 5, 4, 11:

tanta erat contentio, qui potissimum ex magno numero conscenderent, ut,

Caes. B. C. 2, 43:

quid agam? aut quo potissimum infelix accedam?

Sall. J. 14, 15; Auct. Her. 3, 2, 2; Lact. 2, 18, 3.

pŏtis (in the positive rarely declined, and in the neutr. pŏte), adj. ( comp. pŏ-tĭor, ius; sup. pŏtissĭmus, a, um; class. only in the comp.) [Sanscr. patis, lord; Gr. posis, husband; des-potês, lord; Lat. compotis (compos) potiri].

Posit., able, capable; possible (mostly ante-class. and poet.): divi qui potes pro illo quod Samothraces theoi dunatoi, Varr L. L. 5, § 58 Müll.; Macr. S. 3, 4:

nisi qui colaphos perpeti Potis parasitus,

Plaut. Capt. 1, 1, 21.—Usually in the connection potis or pote est, he, she, or it is able, may, or can:

at ea supterfugere potis es pauca,

Plaut. Capt. 5, 2, 17: neque sanguis ullo potis est pacto profluens consistere, old poet ap. Cic. Tusc. 2, 16, 38: istam non potis est vis saeva exstinguere venti, Poët. ap. Gell. 19, 9, 12:

at non Evandrum potis est vis ulla tenere,

Verg. A. 11, 148:

quod nunquam potis est sejungi,

Lucr. 1, 452:

nec potis est cerni,

id. 5, 719; Cat. 76, 24:

qui potis est?

how is it possible? id. 72, 7.—With plur.: si speres quicquam prodesse potis sunt, Enn. ap. Fest. p. 333 Müll. (Ann. v. 410 Vahl.):

duae plus satis dare potis sunt,

Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 17:

quid pastores potis sint,

Varr. R. R. 2, 2.—Without est: quis potis ingentes oras evolvere belli? Enn. ap. Diom. p. 381 P. (Ann. v. 178 Vahl.); Verg. A. 3, 671; Hor. C. 3, 17, 13.—Form pote:

si non aliud pote est,

Cat. 43, 16. Without est:

nec devitari letum pote,

Lucr. 3, 1079: viget, veget, utpote plurimum, Varr. ap Non. 2, 876:

nec non emptor pote ex empto vendito illum damnare,

id. R. R. 2, 2:

nec eniti remis pote,

Val. Fl. 4, 680; Prop. 2, 1, 46:

qui pote? vis dicam? nugaris,

Pers. 1, 56:

in te dici pote, Id, quod,

Cat. 98, 1:

nec peccatum a me quisquam pote dicere quicquam,

id. 67, 11:

hoc facito, sive id non pote sive pote,

be it impossible or possible, id. 76, 16:

quid pote simplicius?

what can be more simple? Mart. 9, 16, 2:

nihil pote supra,

nothing could exceed it, Ter. Ad. 2, 3, 11; Auct. ap. Cic. Brut. 46, 172; Cic. Att. 13, 38, 1:

quantum pote,

as soon as possible, id. ib. 4, 13, 1: quam pote, as much as possible (post-class.):

aufugiamus istinc quam pote longissime,

App. M. 1, p. 107, 9; 2, p. 119, 33.—

Comp.: pŏtĭor, us, that may be preferred, preferred; better, preferable (class.).

Of persons:

numquam edepol erit ille potior Harpax, quam ego,

Plaut. Ps. 4, 1, 17; 1, 3, 95:

quem aequiust potiorem habere quam te?

id. Stich. 1, 2, 40: qui plus pollet potiorque est patre, old poet ap. Cic. Tusc. 4, 32, 69; id. Fam. 10, 3, 2:

itaque cives potiores quam peregrini,

id. Lael. 5, 19:

Sosim et Moericum quibus tantam crederem rem, potiores habui,

Liv. 26, 31, 4:

at tu, qui potior nunc es,

happier in love, preferred, Tib. 1, 6, 33 (5, 69):

ut in judicio possessionis potior esset,

Dig. 18, 1, 34.—

Of things, better, stronger, preferable, more useful or important:

nulla potior serenda,

Varr. R. R. 1, 15:

sucus,

Plin. 36, 22, 43, § 158:

novistine locum potiorem rure beato?

Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 14:

sententia,

id. Epod. 16, 17:

mors civibus Romanis semper fuit servitute potior,

Cic. Phil. 10, 9, 19:

illi turpis vita integrā famā potior fuit,

Sall. J. 67, 3:

nihil mihi potius fuit quam ut Massinissam convenirem,

I had nothing more important, nothing more urgent to do, Cic. Rep. 6, 9, 9:

illa semper potiora duxisti, quae, etc.,

id. de Or. 3, 22, 82:

semper se rei publicae commoda privatis necessitatibus habuisse potiora,

Caes. B. C. 1, 8.— Subst.:

ut probetis potiora,

Vulg. Phil. 1, 10: hem, mater mea, tibi rem potiorem video (sc. verbis), I see a fact stronger than words, i. e. a clearer proof, Plaut. Aul. 4, 7, 12.—

Sup.: pŏtissĭmus, a, um, the chief, principal, most prominent, most important.

Of persons ( poet. and in post-Aug. prose):

item huic ultro fit, ut Meret, potissimus nostrae domi ut sit,

Plaut. Men. 2, 3, 9:

tantis potissimus umbris,

Stat. Th. 4, 627:

potissimos libertorum veneno interficere,

Tac. A. 14, 65.—

Of things (class.):

utrum potius, aut quid potissimum sit, quaeritur,

Cic. Inv. 1, 12, 17:

cura,

Stat. S. 4, 4, 20:

nobilitas,

Plin. 14, 2, 4, § 25:

opusculum,

Plin. Ep. 4, 14, 10:

causa,

Tac. A. 4, 16.—Hence, adv., only in the comp. and sup.

Comp.: pŏtĭus, rather, preferably, more (class.; cf.: satius, prius): quo nos vocabis nomine? Ar. Libortos. Le. Non patronos? Ar. Id potius, Plaut. As. 3, 3, 62:

sed scin', quid volo potius, sodes, facias?

Ter. Hec. 5, 1, 27; id. And. 5, 3, 2:

nec vero imperia expetenda: ac potius non accipienda interdum,

Cic. Off. 1, 20, 68.— With quam, Plaut. Aul. 4, 2, 11:

Galliam potius esse Ariovisti quam populi Romani,

Caes. B. G. 1, 45.—When the predicates are compared, the verb in the following clause is always in the subj.:

perpessus est omnia potius quam conscios indicaret,

rather than, Cic. Tusc. 2, 22, 52:

in oratione non vis potius quam delectatio postulatur,

Cic. de Or. 2, 78, 317:

privabo potius illum debito testimonio quam id cum meā laude communicem,

id. Ac. 2, 1, 3:

scribam aliquid potius, quam committam ut litterae non reddantur,

id. Att. 5, 6, 2:

nos potius nostro delicto plectemur, quam res publica nostra peccata luat,

Liv. 8, 7, 17:

per interregem comitia habenda potius, quam consulum alter a bello avocaretur,

id. 22, 23, 10; 9, 14, 16.— So with quam ut:

se miliens morituros potius quam ut tantum dedecoris admitti patiantur,

Liv. 4, 2, 8: audeo dicere hoc malo domitos ipsos potius cultores agrorum fore, quam ut armati, etc., id. 2, 34, 11; 6, 28, 8; 9, 14, 7.—But after verbs of willing, wishing (sometimes of declaring), the inf. is used:

dictatore obstinato tollere potius totum e re publicā consulatum, quam promiscuum facere,

Liv. 7, 21, 1; 23, 9, 8; 21, 13, 8: v. Weissenb. ad Liv. 2, 15, 2; Fest. s. v. olivitam, p. 202 Müll.; v. Muuml;ll. ad. loc. p. 203, a. —In an inverted order:

quam potius,

Verg. Copa, 5: quid mihi negotii est eum istis nugacibus, quam potius potamus mulsum? C. Titius ap. Macr. S. 2, 12.—Sometimes potius is to be supplied:

tacita, bona est mulier semper, quam loquens,

Plaut. Rud. 4, 4, 70; id. Men. 5, 1, 26:

tamen statuit congredi, quam cum tantis copiis refugere,

Nep. Dat. 8, 1.—Pleon., with words which already express comparison.— Comp., Ter. Hec. 4, 1, 19:

Uticae potius quam Romae esse malle,

Cic. Lig. 2, 5:

favorabiliores rei potius, quam actores habentur,

Dig. 50, 17, 167.—

Esp., introducing a repetition of a thought in a corrected or strengthened form: aut potius, vel potius, or rather, or I may better say, etc.:

efficiet enim ratio ut... mors aut malum non sit, aut sit bonum potius,

Cic. Tusc. 1, 11, 23:

quam fuit imbecillus P. Africani filius, quam tenui aut nullā potius valetudine,

id. Sen. 11, 35:

erravit aut potius insanivit Apronius?

id. Verr. 2, 3, 48, § 113:

Cato magnus hercule homo, vel potius summus et singularis vir,

id. Brut. 85, 293; Dig. 1, 5, 16.—

Sup.: pŏtissĭmē ( pŏtissŭ-), and more freq. pŏtissĭmum ( pŏtissŭ-), chiefly, principally, especially, in preference to all others, above all, most of all (class.).—Form potissime, Cels. 3, 6.—Form potissimum:

responde, quo leto censes me ut peream potissimum?

Plaut. Merc. 2, 4, 15; Ter. And. 2, 6, 23:

exsistat aliquis et potissimum Caecus ille,

Cic. Cael. 14, 33; id. Mur. 2, 4:

nos id potissimum consecuti sumus,

id. Tusc. 5, 4, 11:

tanta erat contentio, qui potissimum ex magno numero conscenderent, ut,

Caes. B. C. 2, 43:

quid agam? aut quo potissimum infelix accedam?

Sall. J. 14, 15; Auct. Her. 3, 2, 2; Lact. 2, 18, 3.

pŏtis (in the positive rarely declined, and in the neutr. pŏte), adj. ( comp. pŏ-tĭor, ius; sup. pŏtissĭmus, a, um; class. only in the comp.) [Sanscr. patis, lord; Gr. posis, husband; des-potês, lord; Lat. compotis (compos) potiri].

Posit., able, capable; possible (mostly ante-class. and poet.): divi qui potes pro illo quod Samothraces theoi dunatoi, Varr L. L. 5, § 58 Müll.; Macr. S. 3, 4:

nisi qui colaphos perpeti Potis parasitus,

Plaut. Capt. 1, 1, 21.—Usually in the connection potis or pote est, he, she, or it is able, may, or can:

at ea supterfugere potis es pauca,

Plaut. Capt. 5, 2, 17: neque sanguis ullo potis est pacto profluens consistere, old poet ap. Cic. Tusc. 2, 16, 38: istam non potis est vis saeva exstinguere venti, Poët. ap. Gell. 19, 9, 12:

at non Evandrum potis est vis ulla tenere,

Verg. A. 11, 148:

quod nunquam potis est sejungi,

Lucr. 1, 452:

nec potis est cerni,

id. 5, 719; Cat. 76, 24:

qui potis est?

how is it possible? id. 72, 7.—With plur.: si speres quicquam prodesse potis sunt, Enn. ap. Fest. p. 333 Müll. (Ann. v. 410 Vahl.):

duae plus satis dare potis sunt,

Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 17:

quid pastores potis sint,

Varr. R. R. 2, 2.—Without est: quis potis ingentes oras evolvere belli? Enn. ap. Diom. p. 381 P. (Ann. v. 178 Vahl.); Verg. A. 3, 671; Hor. C. 3, 17, 13.—Form pote:

si non aliud pote est,

Cat. 43, 16. Without est:

nec devitari letum pote,

Lucr. 3, 1079: viget, veget, utpote plurimum, Varr. ap Non. 2, 876:

nec non emptor pote ex empto vendito illum damnare,

id. R. R. 2, 2:

nec eniti remis pote,

Val. Fl. 4, 680; Prop. 2, 1, 46:

qui pote? vis dicam? nugaris,

Pers. 1, 56:

in te dici pote, Id, quod,

Cat. 98, 1:

nec peccatum a me quisquam pote dicere quicquam,

id. 67, 11:

hoc facito, sive id non pote sive pote,

be it impossible or possible, id. 76, 16:

quid pote simplicius?

what can be more simple? Mart. 9, 16, 2:

nihil pote supra,

nothing could exceed it, Ter. Ad. 2, 3, 11; Auct. ap. Cic. Brut. 46, 172; Cic. Att. 13, 38, 1:

quantum pote,

as soon as possible, id. ib. 4, 13, 1: quam pote, as much as possible (post-class.):

aufugiamus istinc quam pote longissime,

App. M. 1, p. 107, 9; 2, p. 119, 33.—

Comp.: pŏtĭor, us, that may be preferred, preferred; better, preferable (class.).

Of persons:

numquam edepol erit ille potior Harpax, quam ego,

Plaut. Ps. 4, 1, 17; 1, 3, 95:

quem aequiust potiorem habere quam te?

id. Stich. 1, 2, 40: qui plus pollet potiorque est patre, old poet ap. Cic. Tusc. 4, 32, 69; id. Fam. 10, 3, 2:

itaque cives potiores quam peregrini,

id. Lael. 5, 19:

Sosim et Moericum quibus tantam crederem rem, potiores habui,

Liv. 26, 31, 4:

at tu, qui potior nunc es,

happier in love, preferred, Tib. 1, 6, 33 (5, 69):

ut in judicio possessionis potior esset,

Dig. 18, 1, 34.—

Of things, better, stronger, preferable, more useful or important:

nulla potior serenda,

Varr. R. R. 1, 15:

sucus,

Plin. 36, 22, 43, § 158:

novistine locum potiorem rure beato?

Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 14:

sententia,

id. Epod. 16, 17:

mors civibus Romanis semper fuit servitute potior,

Cic. Phil. 10, 9, 19:

illi turpis vita integrā famā potior fuit,

Sall. J. 67, 3:

nihil mihi potius fuit quam ut Massinissam convenirem,

I had nothing more important, nothing more urgent to do, Cic. Rep. 6, 9, 9:

illa semper potiora duxisti, quae, etc.,

id. de Or. 3, 22, 82:

semper se rei publicae commoda privatis necessitatibus habuisse potiora,

Caes. B. C. 1, 8.— Subst.:

ut probetis potiora,

Vulg. Phil. 1, 10: hem, mater mea, tibi rem potiorem video (sc. verbis), I see a fact stronger than words, i. e. a clearer proof, Plaut. Aul. 4, 7, 12.—

Sup.: pŏtissĭmus, a, um, the chief, principal, most prominent, most important.

Of persons ( poet. and in post-Aug. prose):

item huic ultro fit, ut Meret, potissimus nostrae domi ut sit,

Plaut. Men. 2, 3, 9:

tantis potissimus umbris,

Stat. Th. 4, 627:

potissimos libertorum veneno interficere,

Tac. A. 14, 65.—

Of things (class.):

utrum potius, aut quid potissimum sit, quaeritur,

Cic. Inv. 1, 12, 17:

cura,

Stat. S. 4, 4, 20:

nobilitas,

Plin. 14, 2, 4, § 25:

opusculum,

Plin. Ep. 4, 14, 10:

causa,

Tac. A. 4, 16.—Hence, adv., only in the comp. and sup.

Comp.: pŏtĭus, rather, preferably, more (class.; cf.: satius, prius): quo nos vocabis nomine? Ar. Libortos. Le. Non patronos? Ar. Id potius, Plaut. As. 3, 3, 62:

sed scin', quid volo potius, sodes, facias?

Ter. Hec. 5, 1, 27; id. And. 5, 3, 2:

nec vero imperia expetenda: ac potius non accipienda interdum,

Cic. Off. 1, 20, 68.— With quam, Plaut. Aul. 4, 2, 11:

Galliam potius esse Ariovisti quam populi Romani,

Caes. B. G. 1, 45.—When the predicates are compared, the verb in the following clause is always in the subj.:

perpessus est omnia potius quam conscios indicaret,

rather than, Cic. Tusc. 2, 22, 52:

in oratione non vis potius quam delectatio postulatur,

Cic. de Or. 2, 78, 317:

privabo potius illum debito testimonio quam id cum meā laude communicem,

id. Ac. 2, 1, 3:

scribam aliquid potius, quam committam ut litterae non reddantur,

id. Att. 5, 6, 2:

nos potius nostro delicto plectemur, quam res publica nostra peccata luat,

Liv. 8, 7, 17:

per interregem comitia habenda potius, quam consulum alter a bello avocaretur,

id. 22, 23, 10; 9, 14, 16.— So with quam ut:

se miliens morituros potius quam ut tantum dedecoris admitti patiantur,

Liv. 4, 2, 8: audeo dicere hoc malo domitos ipsos potius cultores agrorum fore, quam ut armati, etc., id. 2, 34, 11; 6, 28, 8; 9, 14, 7.—But after verbs of willing, wishing (sometimes of declaring), the inf. is used:

dictatore obstinato tollere potius totum e re publicā consulatum, quam promiscuum facere,

Liv. 7, 21, 1; 23, 9, 8; 21, 13, 8: v. Weissenb. ad Liv. 2, 15, 2; Fest. s. v. olivitam, p. 202 Müll.; v. Muuml;ll. ad. loc. p. 203, a. —In an inverted order:

quam potius,

Verg. Copa, 5: quid mihi negotii est eum istis nugacibus, quam potius potamus mulsum? C. Titius ap. Macr. S. 2, 12.—Sometimes potius is to be supplied:

tacita, bona est mulier semper, quam loquens,

Plaut. Rud. 4, 4, 70; id. Men. 5, 1, 26:

tamen statuit congredi, quam cum tantis copiis refugere,

Nep. Dat. 8, 1.—Pleon., with words which already express comparison.— Comp., Ter. Hec. 4, 1, 19:

Uticae potius quam Romae esse malle,

Cic. Lig. 2, 5:

favorabiliores rei potius, quam actores habentur,

Dig. 50, 17, 167.—

Esp., introducing a repetition of a thought in a corrected or strengthened form: aut potius, vel potius, or rather, or I may better say, etc.:

efficiet enim ratio ut... mors aut malum non sit, aut sit bonum potius,

Cic. Tusc. 1, 11, 23:

quam fuit imbecillus P. Africani filius, quam tenui aut nullā potius valetudine,

id. Sen. 11, 35:

erravit aut potius insanivit Apronius?

id. Verr. 2, 3, 48, § 113:

Cato magnus hercule homo, vel potius summus et singularis vir,

id. Brut. 85, 293; Dig. 1, 5, 16.—

Sup.: pŏtissĭmē ( pŏtissŭ-), and more freq. pŏtissĭmum ( pŏtissŭ-), chiefly, principally, especially, in preference to all others, above all, most of all (class.).—Form potissime, Cels. 3, 6.—Form potissimum:

responde, quo leto censes me ut peream potissimum?

Plaut. Merc. 2, 4, 15; Ter. And. 2, 6, 23:

exsistat aliquis et potissimum Caecus ille,

Cic. Cael. 14, 33; id. Mur. 2, 4:

nos id potissimum consecuti sumus,

id. Tusc. 5, 4, 11:

tanta erat contentio, qui potissimum ex magno numero conscenderent, ut,

Caes. B. C. 2, 43:

quid agam? aut quo potissimum infelix accedam?

Sall. J. 14, 15; Auct. Her. 3, 2, 2; Lact. 2, 18, 3.

pŏtis (in the positive rarely declined, and in the neutr. pŏte), adj. ( comp. pŏ-tĭor, ius; sup. pŏtissĭmus, a, um; class. only in the comp.) [Sanscr. patis, lord; Gr. posis, husband; des-potês, lord; Lat. compotis (compos) potiri].

Posit., able, capable; possible (mostly ante-class. and poet.): divi qui potes pro illo quod Samothraces theoi dunatoi, Varr L. L. 5, § 58 Müll.; Macr. S. 3, 4:

nisi qui colaphos perpeti Potis parasitus,

Plaut. Capt. 1, 1, 21.—Usually in the connection potis or pote est, he, she, or it is able, may, or can:

at ea supterfugere potis es pauca,

Plaut. Capt. 5, 2, 17: neque sanguis ullo potis est pacto profluens consistere, old poet ap. Cic. Tusc. 2, 16, 38: istam non potis est vis saeva exstinguere venti, Poët. ap. Gell. 19, 9, 12:

at non Evandrum potis est vis ulla tenere,

Verg. A. 11, 148:

quod nunquam potis est sejungi,

Lucr. 1, 452:

nec potis est cerni,

id. 5, 719; Cat. 76, 24:

qui potis est?

how is it possible? id. 72, 7.—With plur.: si speres quicquam prodesse potis sunt, Enn. ap. Fest. p. 333 Müll. (Ann. v. 410 Vahl.):

duae plus satis dare potis sunt,

Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 17:

quid pastores potis sint,

Varr. R. R. 2, 2.—Without est: quis potis ingentes oras evolvere belli? Enn. ap. Diom. p. 381 P. (Ann. v. 178 Vahl.); Verg. A. 3, 671; Hor. C. 3, 17, 13.—Form pote:

si non aliud pote est,

Cat. 43, 16. Without est:

nec devitari letum pote,

Lucr. 3, 1079: viget, veget, utpote plurimum, Varr. ap Non. 2, 876:

nec non emptor pote ex empto vendito illum damnare,

id. R. R. 2, 2:

nec eniti remis pote,

Val. Fl. 4, 680; Prop. 2, 1, 46:

qui pote? vis dicam? nugaris,

Pers. 1, 56:

in te dici pote, Id, quod,

Cat. 98, 1:

nec peccatum a me quisquam pote dicere quicquam,

id. 67, 11:

hoc facito, sive id non pote sive pote,

be it impossible or possible, id. 76, 16:

quid pote simplicius?

what can be more simple? Mart. 9, 16, 2:

nihil pote supra,

nothing could exceed it, Ter. Ad. 2, 3, 11; Auct. ap. Cic. Brut. 46, 172; Cic. Att. 13, 38, 1:

quantum pote,

as soon as possible, id. ib. 4, 13, 1: quam pote, as much as possible (post-class.):

aufugiamus istinc quam pote longissime,

App. M. 1, p. 107, 9; 2, p. 119, 33.—

Comp.: pŏtĭor, us, that may be preferred, preferred; better, preferable (class.).

Of persons:

numquam edepol erit ille potior Harpax, quam ego,

Plaut. Ps. 4, 1, 17; 1, 3, 95:

quem aequiust potiorem habere quam te?

id. Stich. 1, 2, 40: qui plus pollet potiorque est patre, old poet ap. Cic. Tusc. 4, 32, 69; id. Fam. 10, 3, 2:

itaque cives potiores quam peregrini,

id. Lael. 5, 19:

Sosim et Moericum quibus tantam crederem rem, potiores habui,

Liv. 26, 31, 4:

at tu, qui potior nunc es,

happier in love, preferred, Tib. 1, 6, 33 (5, 69):

ut in judicio possessionis potior esset,

Dig. 18, 1, 34.—

Of things, better, stronger, preferable, more useful or important:

nulla potior serenda,

Varr. R. R. 1, 15:

sucus,

Plin. 36, 22, 43, § 158:

novistine locum potiorem rure beato?

Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 14:

sententia,

id. Epod. 16, 17:

mors civibus Romanis semper fuit servitute potior,

Cic. Phil. 10, 9, 19:

illi turpis vita integrā famā potior fuit,

Sall. J. 67, 3:

nihil mihi potius fuit quam ut Massinissam convenirem,

I had nothing more important, nothing more urgent to do, Cic. Rep. 6, 9, 9:

illa semper potiora duxisti, quae, etc.,

id. de Or. 3, 22, 82:

semper se rei publicae commoda privatis necessitatibus habuisse potiora,

Caes. B. C. 1, 8.— Subst.:

ut probetis potiora,

Vulg. Phil. 1, 10: hem, mater mea, tibi rem potiorem video (sc. verbis), I see a fact stronger than words, i. e. a clearer proof, Plaut. Aul. 4, 7, 12.—

Sup.: pŏtissĭmus, a, um, the chief, principal, most prominent, most important.

Of persons ( poet. and in post-Aug. prose):

item huic ultro fit, ut Meret, potissimus nostrae domi ut sit,

Plaut. Men. 2, 3, 9:

tantis potissimus umbris,

Stat. Th. 4, 627:

potissimos libertorum veneno interficere,

Tac. A. 14, 65.—

Of things (class.):

utrum potius, aut quid potissimum sit, quaeritur,

Cic. Inv. 1, 12, 17:

cura,

Stat. S. 4, 4, 20:

nobilitas,

Plin. 14, 2, 4, § 25:

opusculum,

Plin. Ep. 4, 14, 10:

causa,

Tac. A. 4, 16.—Hence, adv., only in the comp. and sup.

Comp.: pŏtĭus, rather, preferably, more (class.; cf.: satius, prius): quo nos vocabis nomine? Ar. Libortos. Le. Non patronos? Ar. Id potius, Plaut. As. 3, 3, 62:

sed scin', quid volo potius, sodes, facias?

Ter. Hec. 5, 1, 27; id. And. 5, 3, 2:

nec vero imperia expetenda: ac potius non accipienda interdum,

Cic. Off. 1, 20, 68.— With quam, Plaut. Aul. 4, 2, 11:

Galliam potius esse Ariovisti quam populi Romani,

Caes. B. G. 1, 45.—When the predicates are compared, the verb in the following clause is always in the subj.:

perpessus est omnia potius quam conscios indicaret,

rather than, Cic. Tusc. 2, 22, 52:

in oratione non vis potius quam delectatio postulatur,

Cic. de Or. 2, 78, 317:

privabo potius illum debito testimonio quam id cum meā laude communicem,

id. Ac. 2, 1, 3:

scribam aliquid potius, quam committam ut litterae non reddantur,

id. Att. 5, 6, 2:

nos potius nostro delicto plectemur, quam res publica nostra peccata luat,

Liv. 8, 7, 17:

per interregem comitia habenda potius, quam consulum alter a bello avocaretur,

id. 22, 23, 10; 9, 14, 16.— So with quam ut:

se miliens morituros potius quam ut tantum dedecoris admitti patiantur,

Liv. 4, 2, 8: audeo dicere hoc malo domitos ipsos potius cultores agrorum fore, quam ut armati, etc., id. 2, 34, 11; 6, 28, 8; 9, 14, 7.—But after verbs of willing, wishing (sometimes of declaring), the inf. is used:

dictatore obstinato tollere potius totum e re publicā consulatum, quam promiscuum facere,

Liv. 7, 21, 1; 23, 9, 8; 21, 13, 8: v. Weissenb. ad Liv. 2, 15, 2; Fest. s. v. olivitam, p. 202 Müll.; v. Muuml;ll. ad. loc. p. 203, a. —In an inverted order:

quam potius,

Verg. Copa, 5: quid mihi negotii est eum istis nugacibus, quam potius potamus mulsum? C. Titius ap. Macr. S. 2, 12.—Sometimes potius is to be supplied:

tacita, bona est mulier semper, quam loquens,

Plaut. Rud. 4, 4, 70; id. Men. 5, 1, 26:

tamen statuit congredi, quam cum tantis copiis refugere,

Nep. Dat. 8, 1.—Pleon., with words which already express comparison.— Comp., Ter. Hec. 4, 1, 19:

Uticae potius quam Romae esse malle,

Cic. Lig. 2, 5:

favorabiliores rei potius, quam actores habentur,

Dig. 50, 17, 167.—

Esp., introducing a repetition of a thought in a corrected or strengthened form: aut potius, vel potius, or rather, or I may better say, etc.:

efficiet enim ratio ut... mors aut malum non sit, aut sit bonum potius,

Cic. Tusc. 1, 11, 23:

quam fuit imbecillus P. Africani filius, quam tenui aut nullā potius valetudine,

id. Sen. 11, 35:

erravit aut potius insanivit Apronius?

id. Verr. 2, 3, 48, § 113:

Cato magnus hercule homo, vel potius summus et singularis vir,

id. Brut. 85, 293; Dig. 1, 5, 16.—

Sup.: pŏtissĭmē ( pŏtissŭ-), and more freq. pŏtissĭmum ( pŏtissŭ-), chiefly, principally, especially, in preference to all others, above all, most of all (class.).—Form potissime, Cels. 3, 6.—Form potissimum:

responde, quo leto censes me ut peream potissimum?

Plaut. Merc. 2, 4, 15; Ter. And. 2, 6, 23:

exsistat aliquis et potissimum Caecus ille,

Cic. Cael. 14, 33; id. Mur. 2, 4:

nos id potissimum consecuti sumus,

id. Tusc. 5, 4, 11:

tanta erat contentio, qui potissimum ex magno numero conscenderent, ut,

Caes. B. C. 2, 43:

quid agam? aut quo potissimum infelix accedam?

Sall. J. 14, 15; Auct. Her. 3, 2, 2; Lact. 2, 18, 3.