stone-deaf

surdus, a, um, adj. [Sanscr. svar, heavy; svaras, weight; cf. O. H. Germ. swārida, weight], deaf.

Lit.:

ne mi ut surdo verbera auris,

Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 204; id. Cas. 3, 3, 12:

si surdus sit, varietates vocum noscere possit?

Cic. Div. 2, 3, 9:

utinam aut hic surdus aut haec muta facta sit,

Ter. And. 3, 1, 5.— Sup., stone-deaf, Mart. Cap. 9, § 926; Aug. Ep. 39.—Prov.: surdo narrare, canere, etc., preach to deaf ears, talk to the wind:

nae ille haud scit, quam mihi nunc surdo narret fabulam,

Ter. Heaut. 2, 1, 10:

cantabant surdo,

Prop. 4 (5), 8, 47; cf.:

non canimus surdis,

Verg. E. 10, 8; and:

quae (praecepta) vereor, ne vana surdis auribus cecinerim,

Liv. 40, 8, 10; 3, 70, 7; Tib. 4, 14, 2:

narrare asello Fabellam surdo,

Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 200; cf.:

suadere surdis, quid sit opus facto,

Lucr. 5, 1050.—

Transf.

Deaf to any thing, i. e. not listening, unwilling to hear, inattentive, regardless, insensible, inexorable; also, not understanding, not apprehending:

orando surdas jam aures reddideras mihi,

Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 89; so,

aures,

Liv. 24, 32, 6; cf. Prop. 2, 16 (3, 8), 48; id. 2, 20 (3, 13), 13:

non surdus judex,

Cic. Font. 11, 25 (7, 15):

ad mea munera surdus,

Ov. H. 7, 27:

per numquam surdos in tua vota deos,

id. P. 2, 8, 28:

surdae ad omnia solacia aures,

Liv. 9, 7, 3:

surdae ad fortia consilia Vitellio aures,

Tac. H. 3, 67 init.:

surdus adversus aliquid,

Aug. Serm. 50, 13:

surdus sum,

I will not hear, Plaut. Ps. 1, 3, 24:

surdas clamare ad undas,

Ov. A. A. 1, 531:

litora,

Prop. 4 (5), 11, 6.—Hence, poet. transf.:

vota,

i. e. to which the gods are deaf, to which they will not hearken, Pers. 6, 28:

surdaeque adhibent solatia menti,

Ov. M. 9, 654:

tuas lacrimas litora surda bibent,

Prop. 4 (5), 11, 6:

leges rem surdam, inexorabilem esse,

Liv. 2, 3:

surda tellus,

not susceptible of cultivation, Plin. 18, 3, 4, § 21:

surdus timori,

not capable of fear, Sil. 11, 354:

tuis lacrimis,

Mart. 10, 13, 8:

in alicujus sermone,

Cic. Tusc. 5, 40, 116.— Comp.:

scopulis surdior Icari Voces audit adhuc integer (i. e. castus),

Hor. C. 3, 7, 21:

surdior illa freto surgente,

Ov. M. 14, 711:

surdior aequoribus,

id. ib. 13, 804:

non saxa surdiora navitis,

Hor. Epod. 17, 54.—

With gen.:

Mars genitor, votorum haud surde meorum,

Sil. 10, 554:

pactorum,

id. 1, 692:

veritatis,

Col. 3, 10, 18.—

Of things that give out a dull, indistinct sound, dull-sounding (very rare):

theatrum,

Varr. L. L. 9, § 58 Müll.:

locus,

Vitr. 3, 3:

loca,

Sen. Herc. Fur. 576:

vox,

Quint. 11, 3, 32:

surdum quiddam et barbarum,

id. 12, 10, 28.—

Pass., that is not heard, noiseless, silent, still, mute, dumb ( poet. and in post-Aug. prose):

lyra,

Prop. 4 (5), 5, 58:

buccina,

Juv. 7, 71:

plectra,

Stat. S. 1, 4, 19:

non erit officii gratia surda tui,

unsung, Ov. P. 2, 6, 31; cf.

fama,

Sil. 6, 75:

surdum et ignobile opus,

Stat. Th. 4, 359:

nomen parentum,

Sil. 8, 248:

herbae,

Plin. 22, 2, 3, § 5:

quos diri conscia facti mens surdo verbere caedit,

secret, Juv. 13, 194:

ictus,

Plin. 19, 1, 4, § 20.—

Of odor, appearance, meaning, etc., faint, dim, dull, indistinct, stupid:

spirant cinnama surdum,

Pers. 6, 36:

colos,

Plin. 37, 5, 18, § 67:

hebes unitate surdā color,

id. 37, 5, 20, § 76:

discrimen figurarum,

id. 35, 2, 2, § 4:

materia,

id. 13, 15, 30, § 98:

res surdae ac sensu carentes,

id. 20, prooem. § 1; so id. 24, 1, 1, § 3; 27, 13, 120, § 146.—Hence, * adv.: surdē, faintly, imperfectly, indistinctly: surde audire, Afran. ap. Charis. p. 194 P. (Com. Fragm. v. 348 Rib.).