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THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA
PATRISTIC STUDIES
VOL. Ill
A STUDY OF THE VOCABULARY AND
RHETORIC OF THE LETTERS
OF SAINT AUGUSTINE
91 Dissertation
*
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SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF LETTERS OF THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY
OF AMERICA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
*
BY
SISTER WILFRID PARSONS, A. M.
(Of the Sisters of Notre Dame of Namur)
THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA
WASHINGTON, D. C.
1923
V
APR 5 1929
^SOGWAL SEM^
THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA
PATRISTIC STUDIES
t
VOL. Ill
A STUDY OF THE VOCABULARY AND
RHETORIC OF THE LETTERS
OF SAINT AUGUSTINE
a snesntation
SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF LETTERS OF THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY
OF AMERICA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
T
SISTER WILFRID PARSONS, A. M.
(Of the Sisters of Notre Dame of Namur)
THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA
Washington, D. C.
1923
V
SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY.
I. Texts and Translations.
S. Aureli Augustini Opera Omnia. Paris, 1SS6 (in Migne: Patrologia
Latina, Vol. 33).
Goldbacher, A., Sancti Aureli Augustini Hipponiensis Episcopi Epistulae.
Vienna, 1895-1911. (In Tempsky, F., Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasti-
corum Latinorum, Vols. 34, 1, 2; 44, 57.)
Schaff, P., A select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the
Christian Church, Vol. I. Buffalo, 1887-1893.
II. Life and Times of St. Augustine.
Bollandistes, Les, Bibliotheca Hagiographica Latina. Brussels, 1898-1901.
(Vol. 125, 8.)
Bouchier, E. S., Life and Letters in Roman Africa. Oxford, 1913.
Glover, T. R., Life and Letters in the Fourth Century. Cambridge, 1901.
Gibb and Montgomery, Confessions of St. Augustine. Cambridge, 1908.
Hatzfeld, A., Saint Augustin (Les Saints, II). 3rd ed., Paris, 1897.
Hertling, G. von, Augustin. Mainz, 1902.
Leclercq, H., L’Afrique Cliretienne. Paris, 1904.
Rogers, M., L’Enseignement des Lettres Classiques d’Ausone a Alcuin.
Thhse, Paris, 1908.
Tillemont,, Lenain de, Memoires pour servir h PHistoire Ecclesiastique.
Vol. 13, Vie de S. Augustin. Paris, 1710.
Weiskotten, H., Vita S. Augustini scripta a Possidio Episcopo. Oxford,
1919.
III. Works on Language and Literature.
Appel, E., Exegetisch-kritische Beitrage zu Corippus. Munich, 1904.
Bayard, L., Le Latin de S. Cyprien. Paris, 1902.
Bardenheuer, O., Geschichte der altchristlichen Literatur. Freiburg im
Breisgau, 1912.
Bardenheuer, O., Patrologie. Freiburg, 1910.
Bonnet, M., Le Latin de Gr6goire de Tours. Paris, 1890.
Brenous, Etude sur les Hellenismes dans la Syntaxe Latine. Paris, 1895.
Campbell, J. M., The Influence of the Second Sophistic on the Panegyrical
Sermons of St. Basil, the Great. The Catholic University of America
Patristic Studies (in press).
Cooper, F. T., Word Formation in the Roman Sermo Plebeius. New York,
1895.
Degenhart, F., Studien zu Julianus Pomerius. Eichstatt, 1905.
De Labriolle, P., Histoire de la Litterature Latine Chr^tienne. Paris, 1920.
Delachaux, A., La Latinitd d’Ausone. Neuchatel, 1909.
Draeger, A., Historisohe Syntax der Lateinischen Sprache. Leipzig, 1878.
Ernout, A., Les Elements Dialectaux du Vocabulaire Latin. Paris, 1909.
Freund, W., Triennium Philologicum. Leipzig, 1882.
Goelzer, H., (1) Etude Lexicographique et Grammaticale de la Latinit6 de
S. Jerome. Paris, 1884.
ill
IV
Goelzer, H., (2) Le Latin de S. Avit. Paris, 1909.
Grandgent, C. H., Introduction to Vulgar Latin. Boston, 1907.
Haberda, A., Meletemata Serviana. Brunn, 1895.
Harendza, G., De oratorio genere dicendi quo Hieronymus in Epistulis
usus sit. Warsaw, 1905.
Hatfield, A., A Study of Juvencus. Bonn, 1890.
Hoppe, H., De Sermone Tertullianeo. Marburg, 1897.
Jebb, R. C., Attic Orators from Antiphon to Isaeus.. London, 1893.
Juret, Etude Grammaticale sur le Latin de Filastrius. Erlangen, 1904.
Kaulen, F., Sprachliches Handbuch zur biblischen Vulgata. Freiburg,
1904.
Koffmane, G., Geschichte des Kirchenlateins. Breslau, 1881.
Krebs-Schmalz, Antibarbarus der Lateinischen Sprache. Basel, 1905.
Lease, E. B., A Syntactic, Stylistic and Metrical Study of Prudentius.
Baltimore, 1895.
Limburg, H., Quo iure Lactantius appellatur Cicero Christianus. Mon-
astir, 1896.
M6ridier, L., La Seconde Sophistique. Paris, 1906.
Moore, C. H., Julius Firmicus Maternus. Munich, 1896.
Mueller, M., De Apollinaris Sidonii latinitate observationes ad etymolo-
giam, syntaxim, vocabulorum apparatum spectantes. Halle, 1888.
Neue-Wagener, Formenlehre der Lateinischen Sprache. Leipzig, 1902-1905.
Norden, E., Die Antike Kunstprosa. Leipzig, 1909.
Puech, A., Prudence: Etude sur la Po6sie Latine Chretienne. Paris, 1888.
Quillacq, J. A., Quomodo Latina Lingua usus sit S. Hilarius. Tours, 1903.
RSgnier, A., De la Latinit6 des Sermons de S. Augustin. Paris, 1S86.
Ronsch, H., I tala und Vulgata. Marburg, 1869.
Sapir, E., Language. New York, 1921.
Schanz, M., Romische Literaturgeschichte. Munich, 1920.
Sittl, K., Lokale Verschiedenheiten der Lateinischen Sprache. Erlangen,
1882.
Stix, J., Zum Gebrauch des HI. Hilarius von Poitiers in seiner Schrift de
Trinitate. Rottweill, 1891.
Stolz-Schmalz, Lateinische Granmnatik. Munich, 1901.
Trahey, J., De Sermone Ennodiano. Notre Dame, Ind., 1904.
Villemain, M., Tableau de PEloquence Chretienne au IVe SRcle. Paris,
1849.
Volkmann-Hammer-Gleditsch, Rhetorik und Metrik. Munich, 1901.
Volkmann, R., Die Rhetorik der Griechen und Romer. Leipzig, 18S5.
Weissenbach, J., De Eloquentia Patrum. Augsburg, 1775.
Werner, F., Die Latinitat der Getica des Jordanes. Halle, 190S.
Zink, M., Der Mytholog Fulgentius. Wurzburg, 1867.
Zurek, J., De S. S. Augustini Praeceptis Rhetoricis. Vienna, 1904.
(All citations in the course of this dissertation will be made by author
and page only.)
CHRONOLOGY.
Augustine’s Life.
354. Nov. 13, Augustine born at
Tagaste.
Studied the rudiments at
Tagaste; grammar and
rhetoric at Madaura.
370. Returned to Tagaste.
371. Death of his father Patricius.
Augustine went to Carthage
to continue his studies.
372. Birth of Adeodatus.
Augustine became a Mani-
chaean.
373. Read Cicero’s Hortensius.
374. Returned to Tagaste, taught
rhetoric.
383. Went to Rome to teach rhet¬
oric.
384. Went to Milan to teach
rhetoric.
386. His conversion and retire¬
ment to Cassiciacum.
387. His baptism, April 24.
Death of St. Monica.
Death of Adeodatus.
388. Returned to Carthage.
Returned to Tagaste.
Wrote treatise on Music.
Sold his property and de¬
cided on a monastic life.
391. Ordained priest.
392. Opened attack on Manichaeans.
394. Opened attack on Donatists.
Contemporary History.
337-361. Constantius Emperor.
360-363. Julian Emperor, attempted
to restore paganism.
363- 364. Jovian, Emperor, pro¬
claimed universal toleration.
364. Division of the empire.
364- 375. Valentinian I, Emperor
of East.
364-378. Valens, Emperor of the
West.
367-383. Gratian j Emp. of
375-392. Valentinian II ] West
376. Visigoths crossed the Danube.
378. Battle of Adrianople.
378-388. Theodosius Emperor of
East.
381. Council of Constantinople.
385. Execution of Priscillian.
t
3S6-398. Revolt of Gildo in Africa
3S8-395. Theodosius sole Emperor.
3SS. Massacre of Thessalonica.
Penance of Theodosius.
Christianity declared state
religion.
390. Pagan worship forbidden by
law.
394. Edicts against heresy.
395. Death of Theodosius. Division
of the empire.
Arcadius Emperor in East.
Honorius Emperor in West.
Revolt of Alaric and Visi¬
goths.
V
VI
396. Consecrated bishop of Hippo
by Valerius.
397. Confessions and De Trinitate.
398. Attended Fourth Council of
Carthage.
400. De Catechizandis Rudibus.
401-415. De Genesi ad Literam.
404. Appealed to Caecilianus for
protection against Do-
natists.
411. Attended conference of Afri¬
can bishops with Donatists.
413-427. De Civitate Dei.
419. Attended Sixth Council of
Carthage.
420. Works against Priscillianists.
424. Works against Semi-Pelagians
426. Augustine’s successor chosen.
428. The Retractations.
430. Death of Augustine, August
28th.
396. Alaric defeated by Stilicho in
Greece.
406. Barbarian invasion of Gaul.
40S. Alaric invaded Italy. Rome
ransomed at a heavy price.
408-450. Theodosius II, eastern
Emperor.
409. Invasion of Spain by Van¬
dals, Alans and Suevi.
410. Sack of Rome by Alaric.
Death of Alaric.
413. Revolt and death of Hera-
clian in Africa.
Several usurpers at Rome.
423-455. Valentinian III, western
Emperor.
425. Rivalry of Aetius and Boni¬
face.
427. Revolt of Count Boniface.
428. Vandal invasion of Africa.
430. Siege of Hippo.
Desolation of Africa.
Contemporary Emperors. Contemporary Popes.
337-361.
Constantius.
352-366.
Liberius.
360-363.
Julian the Apostate.
366-384.
St.
Damasus.
363-364.
Jovian.
385-398.
St.
Siricius.
364-375.
Valentinian I, West.
398-402.
St.
Anastasius I.
364-378.
Valens, East.
402-417.
St.
Innocent I.
375-392.
Gratian.
417-418.
St.
Zozimus.
375-392.
Valentinian II.
418-422.
St.
Boniface I.
378-395.
Theodosius I.
422-432.
St.
Celestine.
395-409.
Arcadius, East.
395-423.
Honorius, West.
423-455.
Valentinian III, West.
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
PAGE
SELECT BIBLIOGR APHY.. iii
CHRONOLOGICAL OUTLINE. v
CONTENTS . vii
INTRODUCTION. 1
HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 4
PART I.—VOCABULARY
CHAPTER I. DERIVATIVES.
i. Nouns . 19
n. Adjectives . 51
hi. Verbs . 66
iv. Adverbs . 76
v. Diminutives . 86
CHAPTER II. COMPOUNDS . 92
CHAPTER III. FOREIGN LOAN-WORDS. 107
CHAPTER IV. PECULIARITIES OF INFLECTION. 126
CHAPTER V. SEMANTICS . 140
PART II-STYLE
CHAPTER I. TROPES . 185
CHAPTER II. FIGURES OF RHETORIC. 218
CHAPTER III. FIGURES OF SPEECH. 226
CONCLUSION . 269
GENERAL INDEX. 279
VITA . 281
vii
1 l
.
I
INTRODUCTION.
Until fairly recently the attitude of classical scholars toward
the works of the Christian writers, especially the Christian Latin
writers had been one of contemptuous neglect. Manuals of litera¬
ture, when they referred to patristic writings at all, assigned them
indiscriminately and disdainfully to the “ Latin of the Decadence,”
while the few scholars who ventured to make studies of them
offered the results with apologetic explanations of their purpose in
so doing. Late Latin was generally assumed to be a language
abounding in barbarisms, inflectional errors and syntactical mon¬
strosities, a degenerate and unworthy successor to the noble and
beautiful language of the classical period.
As a result of this attitude, which was based on inadequate
knowledge, a rich field of literary research was left untilled, a most
interesting phase of development of the Latin tongue was ignored,
a literature capable of giving joy to many readers by its originality
and spontaneity was left untouched, or at most was known to a
few theological students who were more concerned with the content
than with the form of what they read.
Happily the awakening has come in our own time. An encour¬
aging number of studies of the Latinity of various Christian
writers has already appeared and the literature of the subject is
growing every year. Students of the Latin classics are learning
that it is as far from the truth to speak of all late Latin as “ low
Latin ” or “ decadent Latin ” or “ poor Latin ” as it would be to
refer to Plautus and Terence as rudimentary Latin. The critic
who would now venture to decry the Latin of a Jerome, an Am¬
brose or an Augustine because it is not the Latin of a Cicero, a
Caesar or a Livy might with as fair a show of reason condemn
the English of Thackeray, Emerson or Kipling because it differs
from the language of Shakespeare or Milton. No one denies that
the Latin of the Fathers is quite different from that of the Golden
Age, but to stigmatize it as inferior for that reason is to show that
one is not well acquainted with it. In the hands of writers like
Jerome and Augustine, it is as flexible and expressive a medium as
it was in Cicero’s time, with an additional richness of vocabulary
l w 1
2
which testifies to the inherent if undeveloped power and fertility
of the language.
Latin did not then become or begin to become a dead language
when Christianity supplanted paganism; on the contrary, from the
moribund thing it was under the later pagan writers, it received
an infusion of new life when the poets and apologists of the new
religion began to use it. The same restoration which was brought
about in morality was also effected in literature. 1 If the rulers
of the later empire had been as successful in revivifying their poli¬
tical organization, this literary movement might have been some¬
thing more than a temporary efflorescence; but the gradual break¬
ing up of the Pax Romana had its inevitable reaction on the
development of language and literature.
Of the three periods into which Latin Literature is usually
divided: the ante-classical, the classical, and the post-classical, the
last is by far the longest. Beginning with the reign of Hadrian,
it ended only with the literature itself, and includes many pagan
writers as well as all the Christian authors. Its tendencies, if
more various, are no less clearly marked than are those of the
Silver Age. The Romans themselves referred to the new style
in writing as the Elocutio Novella, and regarded Eronto and Apu-
leius as the founders of it. Freedom from the stylistic trammels
of previous ages was its ideal, in pursuit of which an extension of
the Latin vocabulary and an emancipation from the laws of peri¬
odic structure were sought. Always a concrete and straightfor¬
ward language, rich in verbal forms, but singularly poor in nouns,
especially abstract nouns, Latin began to show unsuspected powers
of abstraction and subtlety, qualities which made it invaluable for
the purposes of Christian apologetics.
The aim of the present dissertation is to present the results of a
study of the Latinity of Augustine’s Letters as it is shown forth
in his vocabulary and in his use of rhetorical ornament. No refer¬
ence will be made to his syntax which is to form the subject of a
separate study. Vocabulary and rhetoric are more closely related
to each other than either of the two to syntax, hence in the division
of the subject, made necessary by the voluminous material, these
two have been chosen to form the subject of one dissertation.
The conclusions offered have been reached by the statistical
method. The text followed is that of Goldbacher, Vienna 1895-
1 Goelzer (1), 42.
3
1911, in the Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinornm.
Citations are made by number of letter and paragraph. In the
section on vocabulary, the references given are complete unless
otherwise noted. Only words of post-classical, ecclesiastical, or late
Latinity, or classical words of rare or poetical usage are given.
The following abbreviations and expressions are used:
p. c. = post-classical, i. e. not used before 117 A. D., but occur¬
ring in the earlier writers of the period: Apuleius, Aulus
Gellius, etc.
eccl. = ecclesiastical, i. e. used by Christian writers only.
late = words used by pagan as well as Christian writers but not
occurring before the rise of Church Latin, i. e. not before
Tertullian.
The author desires to express her grateful appreciation of the
help and encouragement given by Dr. Roy Joseph Deferrari, head
of the Greek and Latin departments of the Catholic University of
America, who suggested the subject and directed its preparation.
HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.
The first definite appearance of a Christian Latin literature was
sufficiently late—not until the latter half of the second century
A. H. Its beginnings are shrouded in obscurity. Tertullian is
credited with being the founder of it, but it is generally admitted
that a Latin version of the Scriptures, or at least of part of them,
was in circulation long before this time. The early language of
the Church, of which the first converts had been largely Hellen¬
istic Jews, had been Greek, but as the number of gentile converts
increased, it became necessary to make provision for the many who
knew Greek but slightly or not at all. The Holy Scriptures, which
were almost the sole spiritual nourishment as well as the principal
dialectical weapon of the early Christians were thus translated at
different times from the Greek of the Geptuagint into Latin. Who
made these earliest Latin versions, or when or where they were
made are still matters of conjecture. Where there is no contem¬
porary evidence, and even quasi-contemporary witnesses declare
their uncertainty, scholars of today naturally shrink from making
a pronouncement.
St. Augustine avows his perplexity thus: 1 “ Qui scriptores ex
Hebraea lingua in Graecam verterunt, numerari possunt, Latini
autern interpretes nullo modo. Ut enim cuique primis fidei tempo-
ribus in manus venit codex Graecus et aliquantulum facultatis sibi
utriusque linguae habere videbatur ausus est interpretari.”
The expression “ primis fidei temporibus ” is too vague to be
used as a date, but the second century is generally regarded as a
conservative estimate. 2 There seems to have been an African Latin
version which may have been the first. The above passage leads to
the belief that a confusing number of versions were in use when
St. Jerome began his colossal work on the Vulgate.
It would hardly be possible to estimate the part played by the
Latin Scriptures in forming the style of Christian Latinitv. All
the Latin Fathers were so accustomed to rest the proof of their
arguments on the Bible, that even when they were not directly
1 Dootr. Chr. 2, 11.
2 De Labriolle, 65.
4
5
quoting it, their thought and expression were deeply impregnated
with it. 3 Now it must be borne in mind that the Latin version
was made from a Greek text abounding in Semitisms and that
these Semitisms, were often rendered quite literally into Latin.
Saint Augustine's early opinion of the Latinity of the Scriptures 4
and St. Jerome's unfavorable comparison 5 of the Scriptures with
the pagan classics are well known.
But foreign as they might be to a taste formed to the classics,
these early translations had a profound effect on the early Chris¬
tian writers, opening up to them new avenues of thought and
imagery, shaping their modes of expression. That breaking up of
the old sentence-rhythms, visible as early as Apuleius, became even
more marked in the Christian writers, as did also the use of forced
and unusual metaphors, multiplication of figures and the use of
short, symmetrical clauses, balanced two and two in poetical paral¬
lelism, like the verses of a psalm. All this is undoubtedly due to
the influence of the Latin Scriptures. 6
Augustine's style was not uninfluenced by the Scriptures, late
in life as he made their acquaintance. Although in the Letters he
generally prefers to quote directly and then to expound his text
in his own words, it can easily be noted how unconsciously he falls
into Biblical phraseology in the development of his ideas. What¬
ever the nature and date of the version he used, his debt to it is
incontestable.
His literary predecessors were five: Tertullian, Minucius Felix,
St. Cyprian, Arnobius, and Lactantius, all Africans like himself,
for it is a remarkable fact that northern Africa furnished most of
the Christian Latin writers during a period of more than three
centuries, making at the same time no inconsiderable contribution
to pagan literature. 7
Whether it is correct to speak of a distinctively African Latinity,
an Africitas, seems to be a vexed question. Some German scholars
like Wolfflin 8 and Sittl, 9 cited by I)e Labriolle, 10 hold that there
3 Cf. the influence of the King James Version on English literature.
4 Conf. III. 5. 9, VI. 5.
5 Ep. 22. 7.
6 Leclercq, 246.
7 De Labriolle, 79.
8 Eclogae ex Scriptis prop. 41, 48, 49.
9 Die lokalen Verschiedenheiten der lat. Sprache, 144.
10 Hid., 79.
6
was and they point to certain definite peculiarities which they call
Africanisms. Hoppe 11 maintains this view also. Others like
Kaulen, 12 and Niebuhr 13 together with French writers like Bay¬
ard, 14 He Labriolle 15 and Leclercq 16 following Erasmus seek to
demolish this contention by referring these differences of idiom to
three causes: 1) the sermo plebeius, which, they claim, operated in
precisely the same way regardless of geography wherever its wot Ic¬
ings can be observed; 2) the rhetorical influence of the Neo-
sophistic; 3) the character of the principal African Latin writers.
Kaulen 163 uses the geographical argument and reaches the conclu¬
sion that Africanism iis nothing more than the form taken by the
sermo plebeius in Africa; that it differs but little from any other
provincial dialect and that we are no more justified in claiming
a special idiom for Africa than for Gaul, Pannonia or even Italy.
Bayard prefers to attribute this Africitas to rhetorical devices or
the character of the writer, and argues that a more careful dis¬
tinction between language and style, and more accuracy in dis¬
tinguishing between the different periods of literature would show
that what were long taken for the characteristics of African style
are nothing else than the rhetorical devices common in the schools
from the time of Gorgias, in Africa as elsewhere.
In the midst of conflicting testimony the argument of Cooper 17
seems to be sane and reasonable. He refutes the opponents of
Africanism thus: “ Such a view however is not only opposed to
all linguistic principles as we see them working at the present day,
but is directly contradicted by the testimony of ancient writers.
Cicero (Brut. 46, 17) speaks of the prevalence of provincial expres¬
sions in Gallic Latin; similarly Augustine remarks (De Doctr.
Chr. 4, 24) the lack of discernment shown in African Latin in the
quality and quantity of vowel-sounds: tf Afrae aures de corruptione
vocalium vel productione non indicant/ while Spartianus (Sever.
19, 9) is authority for the statement that the speech of the emperor
Severus retained to his dying day strong evidence of his African
origin: ‘canorus voce, sed Afrum quiddam usque ad senectutem
sonans .* 99
Granted then that there was an African Latin, distinguishable
as such by both idiom and style, we find that Apuleius was the
11 Ibid., 2. 15 Ibid., 79.
12| Handbuch der Vulgata, 4. 18 Ibid., 103.
13 Vortrage II, 324. 18a Handbuch der Vulgata, 4.
u Ibid., xvi. 17 Ibid., xxv.
7
first thus to express the African temperament, ardent, vivacious,
subtle, fond of violent contrast. Tertullian, Felix, Cyprian, Arno-
bius, Lactantius, Augustine, professional rhetoricians all, followed
more or less closely the canons of style which he had established,
varied, of course, by their own training and character and the
subjects on which they wrote.
In this African school, however, we may distinguish between the
pagan and the Christian writers, for no doubt the movement would
have died almost at its inception, if the Christian apologists had
not made it their own. Of these Tertullian may be regarded as
holding first place both in time and importance. An African, a
rhetorician and a genius, it has been as uncertain a task to form a
true estimate of his style as to account for his puzzling change of
camp in the midst of his warfare in defense of orthodox Chris¬
tianity. The criticisms range all the way from “ Father of Church
Latin,” 18 to “ Tertullianum latinitatis certe pessimum aucto-
rem.” 19 In reality he was a child of his age and probably owed
something to Apuleius and to the Latin version of the Bible. But
even when due allowance has been made for these factors, his
originality is unmistakable and his contribution to the newly-
expanding Latin vocabulary very considerable. He introduced
into the language a large number of new words, many of which
filled a long-felt want and were really useful additions. He also
revived many archaic words which had been dropped from literary
circulation, naturalized many Greek words and adapted the mech¬
anism of pagan rhetoric to the needs of Christian exegesis. By
critics of his own time 20 he was accused of obscurity and harshness,
but never of banality or triviality.
There is some doubt of the African origin of Minucius Felix,
but three good arguments in favor of it may be adduced. The first
is the discovery of a stele at Tebessa and a dedicatory inscription
at Carthage (C. I. L. VIII, 1964 and Suppl. 12, 499) bearing his
name; the second the existence in his work of certain harsh expres¬
sions directed against the power of Borne, which would be surpris¬
ing in a Koman (he practised his profession at Borne), but quite
comprehensible in a provincial, especially an African, as the citi¬
zens of that dependency were always in a state of dissatisfaction
18 Harnack, A. C. L. 1, 667.
19 Ruhnken, Zeitschr. fiir Hist. Theol. 33.
20 Lact. 5, 1, 23.
8
with the Roman administration. The third is the evident famili¬
arity shown by his style with the works of African authors such
as Fronto, Floras, Apuleius and Tertullian. 21 He forms the link
between Tertullian and Cyprian and represents a sort of reaction
against the new tendencies, but contributes little to the develop¬
ment of Christian Latinity. Instead he seems to have turned back
to the classical period for his style and models. Cicero, Seneca
and Tacitus furnish him with both form and ideas, which he uses
expertly, weaving his classical reminiscences into a plausible and
symmetrical whole. In the history of ecclesiastical Latin he is not
much more than a pleasant episode.
St. Cyprian occupies a middle position between Felix and Ter¬
tullian, whose works he studied with deep admiration. He is,
however by no means a close imitator of the great apologist—his
refmed and delicate taste, fostered by careful training, was too far
removed from the impetuous violence and unrestrained eloquence
of his predecessor. He drew his inspiration 22 and perhaps some
of his method from Tertullian, but owes less to him in the domain
of st}de. As a formative element in the African school, he stands
for conservatism and good taste, giving his preference to those
rhetorical devices which produce an effect of symmetry, harmony
and pathos. 23 He generally avoids foreign words, hybrids, dimi¬
nutives and plebeian words, but he is not for that a fanatical purist.
Arnobius ds chronologically the next representative of the Afri¬
can school. He is more closely related to Tertullian than to
Cyprian in his violently polemical work, Adversus Nationes. In
his verbosity, in the freedom with which he introduced into the
literary language a multitude of colloquial words 24 archaisms,
commercial terms etc., he shows himself a true African. When
he lacked words capable of expressing his ideas, he created new
ones. The same prodigal extravagance which he shows in his
vocabulary is also evident in his use of rhetorical embellishments,
which he heaps one upon another with bewildering profusion. He
is, like his predecessor, a stylist, always conscious of the form in
which his thought is cast.
There is some doubt as to whether Lactantius was an African
bv birth, but there seems to be none that he was one by training.
He was a pupil of Arnobius but differed even more widely from his
21 De Labriolle, 149. 23 Bayard, 326.
22 Bayard, xxvii. 24 Gabarrou, 3.
9
teacher than Cyprian did from Tertullian. “ The Christian
Cicero ” was the name given him by the Renaissance, and it shows
clearly the character of his style. Therein the reader will find
none of the bold innovations of Tertullian and Arnobius, no new
metaphors, hardly a trace of the imagery of his contemporaries.
Yet he occupies an important place in the series of Christian
apologists and his literary influence was a happy one. To the
innovating elements of his predecessors, he added a much-needed
moderation, balance and restraint.
This then is the literary ancestry of Augustine, these were the
forces, action and reaction, which had shaped the language he was
to use. One of the outstanding elements of this language was the
admixture in it of archaic and plebeian words. The archaisms are
easily explained. Latin was first carried to the provinces by the
Roman legions and was there fostered by the colonizing policy of
Rome. This Latin was not the literary language hut the sermo
plebeius, which “ retained in vocabulary and syntax, as well as in
accent and pronunciation, many features of the prisca Laiinifas,
long after they had been discarded by classic Latin.” 25 Africa
became a Roman province upon the fall of Carthage in B. C. 146,
but there had been an army of occupation in Africa long before
this. As the classical period did not begin before B. C. 83, the
Latin which was carried to Africa was that of the ante-classical
period, hence it is not surprising to find a strong resemblance
between the language of Plautus and that of Apuleius and Tertul¬
lian. While at Rome the ruder archaisms of the popular speech
were gradually superseded by a more polished language, in the
provinces, cut off as many of them were from frequent communi¬
cation with the city, the influence of classicism was so slight that
we can almost date the order of their conquest by the varying
degree of archaism in their speech. 26
It seems to be a fact generally admitted. Bonnet 27 and Sittl 28
to the coutrary notwithstanding, that the original Latin, the prisca
Latinitas separated, at the dawn of literature, into twin dialects,
which pursued diverging paths of development for more than three
centuries, but came together into one during the latter half of the
post-classical period. Literary Latin was consciously fashioned on
Greek ideals, first by Ennius, later by the litterateurs of the Sci-
25 Cooper, xxi. 27 Ibid., 31.
26 Cooper, xXvii. 28 Jahresberichte 58, 226.
10
pionic Circle and by the writers of the Golden Age. But the very
efforts made to polish and refine it betrayed the artificiality of the
literary idiom, and the limitations imposed on it began to work for
its disintegration. The sermo plebeius had meantime gone on
developing naturally, having in it the germ of life; but it must
not be supposed that the two idioms were without points of con¬
tact, or that they were absolutely separate and distinct languages.
In the early period, when education was the privilege of the few,
and literature in the hands of fewer still, there was probably little
reciprocal influence, but as culture and the taste for letters became
more general, the sermo plebeius felt the refining influence of the
literary tongue, especially in the city, where the sermo urbanus
was the result. Finally the sermo plebeius became one of the
forces ceaselessly acting on the literary language and the result
was a single idiom comparable to the Greek Kou '77 which was to
give rise in its turn to the Romance languages.
This does not mean, however, that the common people spoke as
the literary men wrote—that was no more the case then than it is
today. There had, it is true, been a levelling of vocabulary, so
that words and terminations which had previously been avoided by
writers were now admitted by them, but no doubt the uneducated
people spoke as incorrectly as their forbears had done. We know
this from certain references made to it in literature. Apuleius
for instance admits that he had to learn Latin all over again when
he went to Rome: “ in urbe advena studiorum quiritium indigenam
sermonem aerumnabili labore nullo magistro praeeunte aggressus
excolui. En ecce praefamur veniam si quid exotici ac forensis
sermonis rudis locutor offendero.” 29 This shows that the education
given in Madaura must have improved vastly by the time Augus¬
tine made his studies there.
Augustine’s education was one of the principal formative ele¬
ments of his style ; it will therefore be pertinent to the subject to
trace briefly the course of his training. He began his studies in
his native town of Tagaste, learning with considerable reluctance 30
to read and write, but showing such ability in spite of his lack of
application that his parents decided to have him trained as a rheto¬
rician. Rhetoric then offered a brilliant career to promising young
students. Diocletian and Constantine had founded chairs of rhet¬
oric in the principal cities of the empire, subsidized them and
29 Met. I. 1.
30 Conf. I. 6.
11
granted special privileges to teachers. Lecturers going from city
to city made comfortable fortunes, rhetoricians had even been
known to attain to enviable prominence in the state, 31 to consul¬
ships and diplomatic posts and court appointments. Thus Fronto,
an African rhetor, became the teacher of Marcus Aurelius and
derived both fame and riches from his intimacy with his imperial
pupil. What heights then might a gifted student like Augustine
not hope to reach?
To this end he was sent to a grammar school first at Tagaste,
later at Madaura. The study of grammar as the Romans under¬
stood it was in reality a training in the humanities. It included
orthography, the laws of quantity, versification and /the figures of
speech, but it was chiefly a course in Greek and Latin literature.
Homer, Hesiod and Menander of the Greeks, Vergil and Horace
of the Latins were the authors most studied. Besides this, if he
had a good teacher, the pupil might gain subsidiary information
on mythology, history, the propriety of words and other subjects
connected with the text under discussion. Cicero 32 sums it up
neatly: “in grammaticis poetarum pertractatio, historiarum cog-
nitio, verborum interpretatio, pronuntiandi quiddam sonus.”
Augustine was as deeply enamored of this part of his studies as
he had been averse to learning his a b c’s. He preferred the Latin
authors to the Greek, 33 leaving us to infer from his own admis¬
sion 34 that he knew very little Greek and that he had no love for
it because of the punishments he had to suffer while studying it.
His Letters show his familiarity with Latin literature, in which
his favorite authors seem to have been Vergil, Cicero, Terence and
Sallust.
After his conversion he bewailed the time 35 he had spent on
pagan authors and the sympathy he had wasted on their fictional
or mythological characters. He condemns their place in the edu¬
cational system of his time and would banish them entirely from
the curriculum of Christian schools, although he grudgingly admits
that some good might be drawn from historical works. The inter¬
esting passage 36 in which this criticism occurs deserves to be
quoted in full: “non ergo illae innumerabiles et impiae fabulae,
quibus vanorum plena sunt carmina poetarum ullo modo nostrae
consonant libertati, non oratorum inflata et expolita mendacia, non
31 Von Hertling, 12. 34, Conf. I, 13, 14.
32 De Oratore I, 187. 3 ‘Conf. I, 3.
33 Lit. P. 2, 38. 30 Ep. 101, 2.
12
denique ipsorum philosophorum garrulae argutiae . . . absit om-
nino ut istorum vanitates et insaniae mendaces, ventosae nugae ac
superbus error recte liberales litterae nominentur . . . historia sane
cuius scriptores fidem se praecipue narrationibus suis debere profi-
tentur, fortassis habeat aliquid cognitione dignum liberis, cum sive
bona sive mala hominum tamen vera narrantur.”
The literary phase of Augustine’s training must have been ex¬
ceptionally thorough, for his habits of word-analysis gave him a
singular power of expressing his ideas clearly and forcefully.
Sometimes however they led him into strange etymologies and
puerile explanations, as when he expounds the meaning of fides, 37
“ cum ipsa fides in Latino sermone ab eo dicatur appellata quia
fit quod dicitur He is somewhat happier in his derivation of
virtus: 38 “ virum a quo denominata dicitur virtus,” and his careful
discrimination between precari, deprecari, and imprecari, oratio,
precatio, and preces 39 is scholarly and illuminating. He retained
always his love for the beauty of words, even when he was obliged
to condemn the use to which they were put by pagan writers.
After the completion of his literary studies, the well-born young
Roman generally became a disciple of some rhetorician or orator
of note, in order to learn the noble art of oratory. Thus the young
Caelius studied under Cicero, the young Tacitus under Quintilian,
and the young Jerome under Donatus. For reasons of family
finances, Augustine was obliged to wait a year after finishing his
grammatical course at Madaura before going to Carthage to begin
his higher studies. A wealthy and generous friend, a sort of
African Maecenas, then made up the sum necessary to defray his
expenses, and he set off for the ancient city of Dido, which the
Romans had rebuilt with great splendor. As his object in going
to this seductive and tumultuous city was to study, in order after¬
ward to make his living by the profession of rhetoric, he applied
himself as much as was necessary to finish his course, but his real
life there seems to have been a life of pleasure. His Confessions,
which give us the most exact details of his youthful dissipations,
unfortunately enlighten us but little as to his actual course of
study. We know however, that the higher education of the time
comprised, in addition to rhetoric and dialectics, geometry, music
and mathematics. Its object was to form public speakers whether
for the law-court or the lecture platform.
37 Ep. 82, 2.
38 Ep. 167, 10.
39 Ep. 149, 13.
13
Augustine took to declamation with eager delight and soon won
renown for his skill. His master was one Democratus. A singular
incident of this time is related for us in detail . 40 His program of
studies probably obliged him to make an analysis of the Hortensius,
a philosophical dialogue of Cicero, which has unfortunately not
come down to us. Its effect on him was startling. No doubt a
reaction was already beginning in his truth-loving mind against
the life of voluptuous ease and pagan enjoyment which he was
leading. Whatever the reason, certain phrases in the Hortensius
shook his soul to its foundations; in an instant of blinding illumi¬
nation, he saw the vanity of pleasure and the austere beauty of
the life of the intellect. There was nothing religious in this emo¬
tional experience, but it was nevertheless a preparation for his
conversion. In the full tide of his reaction he decided to become
a Christian Plato and he set himself to the study of the Scriptures.
But he approached them with arrogance and intellectual pride and
as a result he could make nothing of what he read, while at the
same time his fastidious, over-trained literary taste was revolted
by the unadorned, abrupt style of the Holy Books. It was not
until later that he was able to overcome his prejudice against
them.
At the age of twenty he had completed his rhetorical studies and
seems to have given up the idea of studying law. Instead he
returned to Tagaste and became a grammarian, “ a merchant of
words,” as he called himself : 41 “ qui aliquando ista pueris ven-
didit. Sed nec te volo esse adhuc puerum et me iam esse puerilium
rerum sicut non venditorem ita nec largitorem decet.” He was
probably obliged to renounce his earlier ambition in order to earn
his living, but this restricted field was hardly likely to satisfy the
ardent spirit of Augustine, and he returned to Carthage to open
there a school of rhetoric, which he maintained for nine years.
During this time he read everything that fell into his hands and
thereby laid the foundations of that vast learning which was after¬
ward to appear in his works.
To this period belong his first attempts at writing—a dramatic
poem for which he won a public prize, and a treatise on the beau¬
tiful. Apparently he did not make a brilliant success of teaching
and finally, wearied and disgusted with the insubordination and
superficiality of the young Carthaginians, he closed his school and
40 Conf. 3, 4. Possidius, Vita, 212.
41 Ep. 118, 9.
14
went to Rome. But there also disappointment and disillusionment
were his portion; the climate tried his health severely, he could not
secure enough pupils to support himself, and those who came to
him left him without payment. At last, through the efforts of
his friends, he secured an appointment as official professor of
rhetoric at Milan, but his life of teaching was soon to close. His
intercourse with Saint Ambrose and his conversion soon showed
him what his true work was to be; henceforth the brilliant and
powerful intellect was to find a worthy field for its exercise, not
in striving to keep alive the exhausted culture of a dying pagan
world, but in defending the Catholic faith against every sort of
attack.
After his conversion, Augustine applied himself seriously to the
study of the Scriptures and the Fathers. He definitely renounced
many of his ideas on rhetorical propriety, and entirely devoted
now to the study of truth, deeply impressed with the seriousness
of life and the inevitable approach of eternity, he looked on rhet¬
oric as a means, not an end, an instrument to be used or rejected
according as it might help or hinder the exposition of truth. The
Christian orator, he said, ought to imitate the Jews coming out
of Egypt ; 42 as they carried off the gold and silver vessels of their
oppressors so should he appropriate such treasures of eloquence as
are worthy of the service of truth. Thus did Cyprian, Lactantius,
Victorianus, Optatus and Hilar ins. He further inveighs against
the use of rhetorical subtleties to compass unworthy ends : 43 “ haec
non est eloquentia . . . sed quaedam sophistica. et maligna pro-
fessio quae sibi proponit non ex animo sed ex contentione vel
commodo pro omnibus et contra omnia dicere ”; and he determines
the true purpose of oratory in a noble passage : 44 “ nec doctor
verbis serviat sed verba doctori . . . sive submisse sive temperate,
sive granditer dicat, id agit verbis ut veritas pateat, veritas moveat:
quoniam nec ipsa quae praecepti finis et plenitudo legis est, caritas,
ullo modo recta esse potest, si ea quae diliguntur non vera sed falsa
sunt.”
That he carried these precepts into execution in his own writing
and speaking is clear from two passages: “melius est ut repre-
hendant nos grammatici quam non intelligant populi.” 45 “ nostra
42 Doctr. Chr. 2, 40, 60. 45 In Ps. 138.
43 'Contra Crescon. 1.
44 Doctr. Ohr. 4, 27, 59.
15
/
non in expolitione sermonis sed in demonstratione veritatis est
maior in vent io.” 40
He began his career of Christian apologist with a treatise against
the Academicians and followed it by the De Beata Vita and the
Soliloquies. This was in 386 A. D. and from that year until his
death he never ceased to wield his pen in defence of the Church.
His correspondence opens in 386 A. D. with a series of letters
to Nebridius, a young pupil of his, and closes in 429, shortly before
his death. There are 277 letters in the collection, but 50 of them
are addressed to Augustine by various correspondents. They are
on the most varied subjects, ranging all the way from an exhorta¬
tion to Nebridius to bear manfully the enforced separation from
his beloved friend and master, to a treatise of the most profound
spirituality on the Beatific Vision. Many of them are not letters
in the usual sense of the word, but treatises of considerable length,
addressed to individuals and furnished with a salutation. Contro¬
versial topics abound and almost all the theological questions of
the day are treated at greater or less length. There are refuta¬
tions of the chief fallacies of paganism, Arianism, Sabellianism,
Novatianism, Donatism and Pelagianism; there are also interpre¬
tations of obscure Biblical passages and explanations of the doctrine
of grace and of the sacraments. There are letters of spiritual
direction and letters answering all sorts of questions proposed by
all 'sorts of people, for apparently Augustine was regarded as a
professor of universal knowledge by his correspondents.
Licentius, for example, sends him a poem to criticise and
receives in return some advice about his soul. 47 Dioscorus presents
a long list of difficulties arising out of his readings in Cicero’s
philosophical works and asks to have them solved, “ because one
feels so stupid not to know these things when asked.” He is
favored 48 with a sharp injunction not to annoy any more har-
rassed bishops with “ silly questions about Tully’s dialogues,”
followed by a short sermon on vainglory and a lengthy disquisition
on Cicero’s idea of the divinity and the tenets of certain schools
of Greek philosophy. A priest named Deogratias wanted the
answer to six ill-assorted questions which were often raised by
pagans, beginning with the Resurrection of Christ and ending with
Jonas and the whale. They were all answered 49 luminously and
46 Contra Crescon. 1. 48 Ep. 118.
47 Ep. 30. 49 Ep. 102.
16
convincingly, with the humorous comment at the end that persons
who believed in the supposed miracles of Apollonius of Tyana and
Apuleius of Madaura were hardly consistent in ridiculing the
Bible narrative. However unnecessary or trivial the questions
might appear, he answered all real difficulties with painstaking
thoroughness; in fact some of his most beautiful treatises were the
result of such interrogations.
The Letters have been variously divided. Chronologically they
fall into four groups:
1) before his episcopal consecration (Ep. 1 to 30).
2) from his episcopal consecration to the Council of 411 A. D.
(Ep. 31 to 123).
3) from 411 to his death (Ep. 124 to 231).
4) letters of the third period to which no positive date can be
assigned (232 to 270).
Topically they may be classified as 1) theological, 2) polemical,
3) exegetical, 4) ecclesiastical or liturgical, 5) ethical, 6) philo¬
sophical, 7) historical, 8) familiar. The last-named group is the
smallest and least significant of all, for Augustine seems to have
regarded his correspondence, not as a relaxation or a means of
communicating with his friends, but as a means of instructing
souls in the principles of the spiritual life and of forwarding the
cause of truth. The reader who would expect a revelation of
personality from these letters would be disappointed; there are
none addressed to any members of his family, none on purely social
topics. Of the writer’s tastes, feelings and inclinations we learn
nothing—the Augustine of the Confessions is not portrayed in the
Letters. The idea we form of him from his correspondence is of
a tremendously vital and powerful mind, able to treat with pene¬
trating insight of widely diverse subjects, but at the same time will¬
ing to admit the possibility of error and to confess ignorance. We
gain indirectly an idea of the position he occupied among his
contemporaries and of the deference paid to him by all ranks of
the clergy, even his superiors. There are also interesting side¬
lights on Church life and customs in Africa, and in the later
letters we catch an echo of the bewilderment and terror which came
upon the world when Rome fell. Count Boniface, commander of
the Roman forces in Africa, where the last stand was made against
the Vandals, was one of Augustine’s most distinguished corre¬
spondents, and received both spiritual and temporal advice from
the great bishop.
17
An interesting little group of letters to women deserves at least
passing mention because they show so clearly the high level of
education and of theological knowledge among the women of the
fifth century. The nature of the subjects treated and the manner
in which they are developed are no less profound than is the case
when the objects of the instruction are men. There is no more
substantial spiritual nourishment in the whole range of the Let¬
ters than the treatise on Prayer addressed to Proba 50 or that on
the Vision of God 51 which he wrote for Paulina.
The versatility of the bishop and the wide scope of his pastoral
solicitude is exemplified in his letter 52 to a community of Sisters.
After settling a point in dispute, he proceeds, in admirably terse
Latin, to outline a rule of life for the religious, many points of
which are as practicable today as they were fifteen centuries ago.
The letters to St. Jerome show Augustine under strong restraint,
weighing his words with care, keeping back his natural vigor and
exuberance of expression, often adopting an apologetic tone not
found elsewhere in the Letters. This was probably owing to the
testiness of Jerome’s temper, which made him likely to take excep¬
tion to the most unexpected statements. But Augustine had the
greatest possible respect for Jerome’s learning and sincerely de¬
sired to be instructed by him. To all his other correspondents
he was the teacher, deferred to and consulted by popes and bishops
as well as by the laity, the outstanding intellectual force of his
time.
50 Ep. 130.
51 Ep. 147.
52 Ep. 211.
9 W
PART I. VOCABULARY.
L Morphology.
CHAPTER I. DERIVATIVES,
i. Nouns.
The ecclesiastical writers whose medium was Latin, found them¬
selves at a decided disadvantage as compared with their Greek
contemporaries. The latter had a flexible and analytic language,
capable of expressing the finest distinctions of abstract thought,
while the former were obliged to set forth ideas far removed from
Roman thought and life in a tongue which showed a curious aver¬
sion for abstraction. The writers of the classical period, while
deploring the poverty of Latin in this respect, nevertheless
attempted to perpetuate this poverty by condemning the only two
sources whence the language might be enriched: neologisms and
foreign loan-words. But the later writers, overruling these out¬
worn canons of criticism, proceeded to open wide the gates which
had been barred so long, and to form new words or to borrow
Greek ones at need. Provincial writers, especially Africans, show
the most extensive traces of this tendency; of these Tertullian and
Augustine made the most impressive contribution to the literary
vocabulary.
The following categories are those which show the greatest di¬
vergence from the classical vocabulary in the Letters of Augustine.
1. Nouns in -a.
An immense number of words in -a of classical usage occur
throughout the Letters, as might be expected in view of the fact
that -a is such a common suffix in Latin. The following are
worthy of note because they show deviation from classical diction
by being late, colloquial or poetical.
basterna (late) 10, 1. (Pall. 7, 2, 3; Lampr. Elag. 21; Amm.
14, 6, 16; Hier. Ep. 22, 16.)
bucca (colloquial) 3, 5. (Cato ap. Gell. 2, 22, 29; Plaut. Stick.
5, 4, 42; Juv. 3, 262; Hier. Ep. 22, 16.)
19
20
buda (colloq.) 78, 6; 105, 3. (Anthol. Lat. 5, 189, 2; Don. ad
Yerg. A. 2, 135.)
ficulnea (late) (Vulg. Osee, 9, 10; Lnc. 13, 7; Hier. in Jerem.
2 ad 8, 13.)
lucta (p. c.) 187, 24. (Capitol. Maxim. 6; Anson. Ep. 93;
Hier. Ep. 124, 5.)
papa (eccl.) 31, 8; 175, 6; 190, 22; 209, sal.; 215, 2. (Prnd.
o-Tecf). 11, 127; Tert. Pudic. 13.)
senecta (a. c. and poet.) 179, 7; 197, 4. (Lucil. ap. Non. 492,
23; Enn. ap. Cic. Or. 55, 184; Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 60;
Lucr. 4, 1256; Vulg. Psal. 70,18; Eccli. 3,14; Isai. 46, 4.)
vindicta (poet.) 145, 5; 153, 16. (Juv. 16, 22; Phaedr. 1, 29,
10; Vulg. freq. Deut. 32, 43 to 1 Petr. 2, 14.)
2. Nouns in -ar, -are.
torcular (rare) 47, 3; 78, 9; 111, 2. (Plin. 18, 26, 62; Yitr.
6, 9; Vulg. Num. 18, 27; Deut. 15, 14; Prov. 3,10 etc.)
luminaria (eccl.) 55, 11, 12. (Hier. adv. Vigil. 3; Vulg. Gen.
1, 16; Ex. 25, 6; Judith, 13, 6 etc.)
salutare (as noun: late) 140, 46. (App. M. 2, 128; Vulg. Gen.
49, 18; Psal. 41, 5.)
3. Nouns in -arius, -arium.
Those in -arius usually denote an agent and are especially fre¬
quent in the sermo plebeius. Plautus shows a remarkable fondness
for them. This is properly an adjectival termination, so that many
of these nouns are adjectives used substantively. Both uses are
found in the Letters. Nouns in -arium are few and mostly of late
formation: they usually denote a place where things are kept.
apothecarius (late) 185, 15. (Dig. 12, 58, 12.)
tributarius (mostly p. c.) 220, 7. (Gai. Inst. 2, 21; Flor. 3,
4, 1; Suet. Aug. 40; Vulg. Josue 16, 10; Judic. 17, 13;
3 Reg. 9, 21; Esth. 10, 1 etc.)
breviarium (coll, for summarium x ) 141, 1; 185, 6. (Suet.
Galb. 12; Hier. Ep. 148, 14.)
cellarium (p. c. access, form to cella) 145, 10; 211, 12, 13. (Dig.
32, 41, 1; Cael. Aur. Acut. 1, 11, 93; Ambros. in Cant.
Cant. 1, 20; Hier. adv. Jovin. 11, 14; Vulg. Deut. 28, 8;
1 Par. 28, 11; Prov. 24, 4 etc.)
1 Cf. Sen. Ep. 39, 1: haec quae nunc vulgo breviarium dicitur olim cum
Latine loqueremur summarium vocabatur.
21
hastarium (late) 96, 2. (Tert. Ap. 13 ad Nat. 1, 10.)
plantarium (rare) 108, 13; 141, 6. (Plin. 13, 4, 8; 17, 20, 34;
Hier. Ep. 79, 10.)
vestiarium (rare) 211, 12. (Plin. 15, 8, 8.)
4. Nouns in -atus.
These are abstracts formed from the supine stem, some of which
have parallels in -io ; or purely noun forms made on the analogy
of the verbal forms. These latter are largely ecclesiastical terms,
some of them of hybrid formation. Very few occur in the classical
period, but they are found with increasing frequency after the
third century A. D. 2
affatus (poet.) 130, 20; 147, 1, 18, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 47; 258;
259, 5. (Stat. 2, 4, 7; Verg. A. 4, 284; Cod. Just.
5, 4, 23.)
apostolatus (eccl.) 40, 5. (Tert. adv. Marc. 1, 20; Sid. Ep. 7,
4; Yulg. Act. 1, 25; Pom. 1, 5.)
clericatus (eccl.) 35, 2; 60, 1; 78, 3; 125, 2; 126, 3, 6, 7, 8, 12;
185, 44, 45. (Hier. Ep. 51, 1.)
comitatus (= court, late) 88, 7, 10; 97, 2; 141, 10; 225, 1.
(Dig. 49, 16, 13; Aus. Ep. 17.)
episcopatus (eccl.) 23, 1; 28, 1; 43, 4; 51, 2, 4; 53, 6; 59, 2;
69, 2; 71, 2; 82, 32; 86; 108, 5; 128, 2, 3; 149, 34;
173, 3; 185, 44; 209, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10. (Amm. 27, 3, 10;
Tert. Bapt. 17; Yulg. Psal. 108, 7.)
famulatus (rare) 232, 4. (Sen. Hippol. 991; Arn. 1, 26; Yulg.
Exod. 1, 14.)
flatus (poet.) 118, 11; 190, 16; 169, 10; 205, 19. (Hor. A. P.
205; Ov. M. 13, 418; Yerg. G. 2, 339; Yulg. Isai. 30, 33;
Dan. 5, 23, etc.)
latratus (poet.) 29, 2. (Yerg. G. 3, 411; Ov. M. 4, 450, etc.)
potentatus (lit.= might, late) 51, 3. (Arn. 1, 31; Yulg. Psal.
19, 7; Eccli. 10, 11.)
primatus (a. c.) 36, 12; 38, 2; 43, 3; 59, 1; 209, 3. (Yarro,
R. R. 1, 7, 10; Yulg. Eccli. 24, 10 ; Coloss. 1, 18, 3;
3 Joan. 9.)
principatus (= angels, good or bad: eccl.) 149, 25, 26, 30.
(Yulg. Rom. 8, 38; Col. 1, 1, 16.)
2 Goelzer, 9.
22
reatus (= guilt: late) 98, 6; 125, 3; 126, 1; 164, 13; 166, 6,
27. (Arn. 1, 64; App. Met. 7; Yulg. Deut. 21, 8; Exod.
32, 35.)
tractatus (= homily: eccl.) 44, 10; 224, 2. (Aug. Haeres. 4,
praef.)
5. Nouns in -bulum, -culum , -crum.
These are sometimes mistaken for diminutives. The suffix is
added to verbs and usually indicates an instrument of action.
Augustine appears to favor the nouns in - culum , using only one,
a classical word, in -bulum (vocabuluni) and one in -crum.
lavacrum (p. c.) 35, 3; 108, 6, 10; 127, 7; 185, 39; 187, 28;
190, 21; 193, 3; 194, 32. (Gell. 1, 2, 2; Amm. 16, 10,
14; Tert. Cor. 3; Yulg. Tit. 3, 5.)
defensaClllum (cbra£ \ey6fievov) 102, 35.
habitaculum (p. c.) 78, 3; 185, 30. (Gell. 5,14, 21; Pall. 1, 23.)
obstaculum (p. c.) 165, 11, 14. (Prud. Ham. 601; App. Flor.
p. 361, 11; Arn. 2, 62; Amm. 17, 3.)
offendiculum (rare) 164, 16. (Plin. Ep. 9, 11, 1; Paul. Nol.
Carm. 27, 96; Hier. in Isai. 13, 49, 8; Yulg. 1 Cor. 8,
9; Isai. 57, 14.)
retinaculum (=bond, p. c. very rare in sing.) 118, 3. (Amm.
30, 4, 4.)
'signaculum (p. c.) 23, 4; 185, 23. (Tert. Apol. 21; Prud.
Psych.; App. Elor. 9, 11, 16; Hier. Ep. 123, 3.)
sustentaculum (very rare) 104, 5; 126, 10; 262, 8. (Tac. H.
2, 28; Yarro R. R. 1, 51; Aug. Mor. Eccl. Cath. 33.)
umbraculum (= shade: rare) 102, 35; 137, 3; 187, 31. (Yerg.
E. 9, 42.)
6. Nouns in -edo.
These are usually denominative or verbal. Only four are found
in the Letters, one classical.
intercapedo (rare) 147, 43. (Cic. Fam. 16, 21; Suet. Yesp. 10;
Plin. Ep. 4, 9.)
putredo (late) 93, 8; 102, 5; 104, 7; 140, 20; 205, 9. (App. M.
9, p. 222; Prud. Cath. 9, 31; Macr. S. 1, 17, 57; Hier.
Ep. 61; Yulg. Job 7, 5; Prov. 12, 4; Joel 2, 20.)
turpedo 3 (rare) 91, 5. (Cic. Rep. 1, 2, 2; Tert. Cor. Mil. 14.)
3 A syncopated form of turpitudo. Goelzer, 108.
23
7. Nouns in -ela.
Nouns of this class are rare, being found chiefly in early and late
Latin. It is a termination belonging to the sermo plebeius. The
following occur in the Letters:
cautela (a. and p. c.) 43, 20; 108, 10; 148, 17; 209, 9; 264, 2.
(Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 6; App. M. 2, p. 117; Dig. 3, 3, 15.)
incorruptela (eccl.) 205, 14, 15. (Tert. de Carne Christi 15;
Vulg. 1 Cor. 15, 50.)
loquela (poet.) 3, 1; 21, 5; 28, 1; 80, 2; 151, 4. (Plaut. Cist.
4, 2, 76; Yerg. A. 5, 842; Lucr. 5, 230; Yulg. Psal. 18,
4; Eccli. 13, 14; Matth. 26, 73; Joan. 4, 42.)
8. Nouns in -ia , -ntia.
The termination -ntia is especially frequent in the African
writers and is much favored by Augustine. The abstract nature
of the ideas he sets forth calls for a wide variety of abstract terms,
sudh as were usually avoided by the classical writers. Many of the
nouns in -ntia have been developed, by an easily understood transi¬
tion, from present participles in the neuter plural, while others
have been formed on the analogy of these from adjectives.
a) Nouns in -ntia.
absentia (rare) 22, 9; 27, 2; 31, 2, 4; 40, 1; 69, 2; 28, 15;
84, 1, 2; 95, 1, 6; 101, 1; 102, 4; 108, 8; 120, 14; 122,
1, 2; 124, 2; 126, 3, 6; 142, 1, 1; 147, 5, 7, 11; 151, 13;
162, 3; 166, 1; 228, 8, 9; 263, 4. (Cic. Pis. 16, 37;
Quint. 4, 2, 70; Tac. A. 4, 64; Yulg. Philip. 2, 12.)
abstinentia—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
apparentia (eccl.) 147, 5. (Tert. adv. Marc. 1, 19; Firm.
Math. 5, 8.)
circumstantia (rare) 140, 23; 149, 24. (Gell. 3, 7, 5; Sen.
Q. N. 2, 7, 2; Tert. Or. 3; Yulg. Psal. 140, 3.)
concinentia (p. c. for concentus) 55, 29. (Macr. Somn. Scip.
2, 2; Sid. Ep. 8, 4.)
congruentia (very rare) 3, 4; 54, 1; 55, 10, 10, 21; 111, 12;
140, 5; 194, 16. (Suet. Oth. 2; Plin. Ep. 2, 5, 11; App.
M. p. 283, 15.)
concupiscentia (eccl.) 55, 36; 95, 6; 102, 25; 130, 23, 24, 26;
131; 138, 12; 140, 19; 155, 11; 164, 19; 167, 11; 184,
A. 3 ; 187, 31; 194, 44; 196, 5, 6 ; 211, 10; 220, 4. (Tert.
Ees. Car. 45; Hier. Ep. 63, 1; Paulin. Nol. Ep. 30, 3;
24
Vulg. Num. 11, 34; Deut. 9, 22; Tobiae 3, 16; Psal. 105,
14; Marc. 4, 19.)
consequents (p. c. and juristic) 36,, 28; 93, 33 ; 102, 37. (Gell.
12, 5, 10; Auct. Her. 4, 54, 67; Dig. 4, 3, 19.)
corpulentia (= corporeity, late, very rare) 120, 12. (Tert.
Carn. Chx. 3.)
diffidentia (= unbelief, eccl.) 23, 6; 88, 10; 217, 10. (Vulg.
Rom. 4, 20; Ephes. 2, 2.)
discernentia (a7ra£ Xeyofievov) 4, 1.
displicentia (rare) 108, 10. (Sen. Tranq. An. 2, 8; Cael. Aur.
Tard. 3, 6, 86.)
eminentia (mostly p. c.) 55, 31; 140, 44, 62. (Gell. 5, 11, 9;
Ulp. Frag. 11, 3; Vulg. Macc. 6, 19.)
essentia (rare) 120, 17; 166, 4. (Quint. 2, 14, 2; Sen. Ep. 58,
6; App. Dogm. Plat. 1, 6.)
experientia—Cf. ch. v. Semantics,
faeculentia (p. c.) 108, 6. (Sid. Ep. 3, 13.)
flagrantia (p. c.) 194, 1. (Gell. 17, 10, 8; Arn. 2, p. 69; Mart.
Cap. 8, p. 183.)
honorificentia (p. c.) 64, 2; 148, 15; 164, 9; 238, 7. (Arn.
3, 2; Symm. Ep. 6, 36; Vop. Aur. 25, 6; Ambros. de
Abr. 2, 10, 69; Vulg. Judith 15, 10.)
indigentia (rare) 102, 6, 17; 126, 7; 157, 29; 243, 12. (Cic.
Lael. 8, 27; Ambros. de Isaac, 7, 60; Vulg. Amos, 4, 6.)
indulgentia (= remission of guilt, p. c.) 87, 9; 104, 9; 105, 6;
137, 16; 151, 11; 166, 10; 185, 23, 45; 186, 16. (Capitol.
Anton. 6, 3; Amm. 16, 5, 16; Vulg. Isai. 61, 1; 1 Cor.
7, 6.)
inoboedientia (eccl.) 35, 2; 184, A. 3; 185, 24; 190, 10; 262, 9.
(Civ. Dei 14, 17; Hier. Quaest. Hebr. ad Reg. 2, 1;
Vulg. Esth. 16, 24; Rom. 5, 19; 2 Cor. 10, 6.)
invidentia (rare) 140, 54. (Cic. Tusc. 4, 8, 17; Cael. Aur.
Tard. 4, 9, 132.)
manentia (amS \ey o/jlevov), 11, 3.
observantia (= observance of religious duties: late) 262, 9.
(Cod. Th. 16, 5, 12; Vulg. 2 Macc. 6, 11.)
omnipotentia (p. c.) 80, 2; 82, 5; 92, 5; 102, 5; 118, 15; 137,
6, 20; 149, 18. (Macr. S. 1, 16; Hier. Ep. 58, 3; Hilar.
'Trim 1, 4.)
paenitentia—Cf. ch. v. Semantics,
perseverantia—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
25
placentia (p. c.) 108, 10. (App. Dogm. Plat. 2, p. 15; Hier.
Nom. Hebr. col. 69.)
praescientia (eccl.) 73, 6, 7; 102, 14; 149, 20; 186, 25. (Civ.
Dei 5, 9; Tert. adv. Marc. 2, 5; Mart. Cap. 2, 159;
Ambros. S. S. 3, 16; Hier. adv. Rufin. 1, 22; Vulg. Eccli.
31, 2; Act. 2, 23; 1 Petr. 1, 2.)
providentia (= Providence of God: eccl.) 19; 23, 8; 98, 4; 102,
13; 103; 108, 6; 137, 8; 138, 2; 140, 13, 31; 153, 4, 17;
159, 4; 184 A, 6; 194, 32; 231, 7. (Ynlg. Sap. 14, 3;
Act. 24, 2.)
rednndantia (rare) 126, 7. (Cic. Or. 30, 108; Yitr. 1, 6; Tert.
Apol. 31; App. Dogm. Plat. 2, 5.)
resplendentia (chr Aey ofxevov) 155, 14.
reticentia (rare) 151, 1. (Plaut. Mer. 5, 2, 52; Cic. Phil. 14,
12, 33; Quint. 9, 1.)
somnolentia (late) 194, 32. (Sid. Ep. 2, 2.)
sufficientia (p. c.) 130, 12, 13; 194, 19; 262, 8. (Tert. ad Uxor.
1, 4; Sid. Ep. 6, 12; Ynlg. 2 Cor. 3, 5; 1 Tim. 6, 6.)
sustinentia (eccl.) 140, 26. (Lact. Ep. 34, 7; Cyp. Bon. Patient.
2; Interpr. Irenai. 5; Haeres. 5, 1.)
tolerantia (very rare) 22, 1, 3; 27, 1; 41, 1; 43, 23; 44, 11;
55, 25; 73, 7; 93, 1; 105, 16; 130, 18; 140, 63; 199, 29;
208, 2; 248, 2. (Cic. Par. 4, 1, 27; Sen. Ep. 67, 5;
Quint. 2, 20, 10; Yulg. 2 Cor. 1, 6.)
valentia (a. and p. c.) 102, 6; 145, 6; 243, 3. (Titin. ap. Non.
186, 25; Macr. Som. Sc. 2, 14; Tert. adv. Jud. 9.)
vinulentia (rare) 29, 13,10. (Cic. Phil. 2, 39,101; Suet. Yit. 17)
vinolentia (rare) 55, 35; 35, 2.
b) Nouns derived from verbals in -ax.
efficacia (rare) 86; 205, 17. (Plin. 11, 5, 4; Amm. 14, 8, 5;
Lact. de Ira D. 10, 37; Vulg. Eccli. 9, 4.)
fallacia (in sing., a. and p. c.) 102, 20. (Plaut. Ps. 2, 4, 15;
Flor. 1, 16, 7; Yulg. Eccli. 1, 40; 2 Macc. 15, 10; Matth.
13, 22.)
c) Nouns in -monia (-monium ).
acrimonia (mostly a. c.) 159, 1; 88, 2, 13. (Cato R. R. 15, 7,
5; Naev. ap. Non. 73, 18; Auct. Her. 4, 37, 49.)
parsimonia (mostly a. and p. c.) 159, 4; 167, 6. (Plaut. Most.
1, 3, 78; Ter. Heaut. 3, 1, 32; Amm. 15, 4, 8.)
sanctimonia (rare) 59, 2; 150, 1; 187, 15; 188, 1; 209, 6. (Cic.
26
Rab. Perd. 10, 30; Tac. A. 3, 69; Quint. 30, 93; Vulg.
Psal. 95, 6; Hebr. 12, 14.)
sanctimonium (eccl.) 36, 9. (Vulg. Interpr. Ital. Hebr. 10, 14;
Exod. 15, 17; Aug. in Psal. 99; Petr. Diac. De Incarn. 1.)
pactimonium 4 (ehra| Aey ofxevov) 61, 2.
This is another plebeian termination and one which tended to
develop two sets of forms: feminine and neuter. Like Cicero,
Augustine seems to have preferred the feminine termination, as
pactimonium and sanctimonium are the only words in -monium
to be found in his letters. Of the five words in -monia, all but
acrimonia have collateral forms in -monium.
d) Double forms in -ia , -ies.
It has been noted 5 that 75 °/ 0 of the words in -itia have corre¬
sponding forms in -Hies; that those in -itia are nearly all classical
and largely Ciceronian, while those in -ities belong to early or late
Latin and are probably plebeian. Augustine has twenty words in
- itia , all classical, for only two of which he has collateral forms
in -ities.
duritia (class.) 84, 2; 88, 9;
104, 16.
mollitia (class.) 48, 2.
luxuria (class.) 36, 14, 15; 55,
12; 144, 2; 199, 12.
materia (class.) 17, 2; 169,10.
durities (poet.) 93, 41. (Lucr.
4, 268; Cat. 66, 50; Ov.
M. 1, 401.)
mollities (rare) 27, 2. (Cic.
Att. 1, 17, 4; Just. 1,
7, 13.)
luxuries (rare) 36, 14. (Cic.
Rose. Am. 27, 75 ; Verg.
G. 1, 112.)
materies (rare) 159, 5; 155, 6;
231, 6; 253, 2. (Cic.
Or. 2, 21, 88.)
* Cf. Du Cange, Vol. V, 4: “ sed videtur legendum patrimonii ita ut
innuat recuperaturos patrimonium et continentiam, hoc est reditus suos
et quod cuique necessarium est ad suam conditionem manutenendam.”
The Vienna Corpus gives as variant sanctimonii (m). The substitution
of patrimonium for pactimonium would seem either to violate the meaning
of the author who is speaking of spiritual things only, or to give a forced
meaning of inheritance of virtue to patrimonium, which would need some
qualifying explanation.
6 Cooper, 48.
27
It is worthy of note that both luxuria and luxuries occur in the
same passage in successive sentences. Other words in -ies are:
barbaries (poet.) 199, 35. (Ov. M. 15, 829; Lucr. 8, 812.)
conluvies (rare) 138, 17. (Att. ap. Cie. Att. 9, 10, 7; Tac. H.
2, 16; Just. 2, 6, 4; Dig. 43, 22.)
ingluvies (rare) 118, 32. (Hor. S. 1, 2, 8; Gell. 7, 16, 4;
Eutr. 7, 18.)
pauperies (poet.) 211, 5. (Yerg. A. 6, 437; Hor. C. 3, 2, 1;
Lact. 6, 20, 25; Yulg. Prov. 6, 11.)
9. Nouns in -io.
This is one of the largest categories of nouns found in the Let¬
ters, as indeed it is in the Latin language itself. The scarcity of
abstract words was conveniently supplied by the formation of
nouns in -io. Cicero enriched the language with a long list of
these words, some of which were used by himself alone. After his
time the termination fell into disfavor with classical writers, 6 but
remained extraordinarily fertile in the popular speech. Used with
esse , these nouns often took the place of active verbs and retained
their verbal meaning. In the post-classical period we find the
suffix once more appearing in literary Latin, and the language was
enriched with numbers of nouns by Gellius, Apuleius, Tertullian,
Cyprian, Arnobius, Jerome, Ambrose and Augustine. It is
rather significant, in view of Augustine’s training as a rhetorician,
that many of the words he uses are technical rhetorical terms,
although he does not always use them with their purely rhetorical
connotation. He also has several which are not in common circu¬
lation in Latin outside of Cicero.
abolitio (rare, mostly juristic) 153, 15; 193, 6, 7. (Tac. Ann.
13, 51; Cod. Th. 9, 37, 3; Dig. 48, 16; Apul. de Mund. 8.)
abominatio (eccl.) 47, 3; 199, 30, 31. (Hier. in Matth. 4, ad
24, 15; Yulg., freq. Exod. 8, 26, to Apoc. 21, 27; Hilar.
in Matth. 25, 3.)
abstentio (late) 196, 3. (Cael. Aur. Acut. 3, 18; Hilar, in Ps.
1 , 11 .)
acceptio (= esteeming: late) 54, 7; 93, 53; 167, 18; 193, 4.
(Cod. Th. 1, 9, 2; Yulg. 2 Par. 19, 7; Eccli. 20, 24;
Eom. 2, 11; 1 Petr. 1, 17.)
0 Goelzer (1), 79.
28
adimpletio (eccl.) 102, 37. (Tert. adv. Marc. 5, 17; Lact. 4, 20.)
admemoratio 7 59, 1. “ Sic codd. saec. XIII; commemoratio
codd. saec. XV.”
adnuntiatio (eccl.) 55, 10; 164, 12, 13. (Lact. 4, 21; Am. 7,
43; Vulg. I Joan. 1, 5.)
adoratio (rare) 149, 13, 16. (Plin. 29, 4, 20; App. M. 4, p. 155;
Hier. in Is. XII ad 44, 6.)
adqnisitio (late) 228, 8. (Dig. 44, 4, 4; Tert. Ex. Cast. 12;
Vulg. Prov. 3, 14; Eccli. 4, 24; Act. 19, 25; I Petr. 2, 9.)
adstructio (late and very rare) 104, 14. (Mart. Cap. 5, p. 149;
9, p. 314.)
adsumptio (very rare) 148, 10. (Cic. Fin. 3, 5, 18; Isid. Orig.
2, 9, 2; Ynlg. Psal. 88, 19; Thren. 2, 14; Luc. 9, 51;
Rom. 11, 15.)
adtestatio (late) 43, 14; 82, 32; 180, 4. (Macr. Sonin. Sc. 2, 9;
Treb. Poll. XXX Tyr. 30; Vulg. Gen. 43, 3.)
aedificatio—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
afflictio (very rare) 93, 20; 100, 1; 137, 16; 166, 16, 20. (Sen.
Cons, ad Helv. 16; Vulg. Gen. 16, 11 to Act. 7, 34.)
agnitio (rare) 95, 22; 149, 32. (Cic. X. D. 1, 1; Macr. Somn.
Sc. 1, 8; Cass. Incarn. 4, 2; Vulg. Gen. 45, 1; Sap. 3, 18;
Eccli. 1, 15; Eplies. 1, 17.)
amissio (rare out of Cicero) 130, 3; 232, 3. (Cic. Pis. 17, 40;
Fam. 4, 3; Sen. Ep. 4; Vulg. Jud. 16, 28; Act. 27, 29;
Rom. 11, 15.)
anticipatio (rare out of Cicero) 164, 9. (Cic. X. D. 1, 16, 43;
Arn. 3, p. 107.)
apparitio (= attendance: very rare) 150, 1. (Cic. Fam. 13,54.)
ascensio (rare for ascensus) 54, 1; 130, 2; 199, 20, 24, 35.
(Plaut. Rud. 3, 1, 7; Vulg. Josue 15, 7; 1 Par. 26, 16;
Psal. 8, 3, 6.)
assertio (= assertion: late) 108, 5; 186, 39; 190, 2, 13. (Arn.
1, p. 18.)
aversio (lit. = a turning away. This use of the word is con¬
fined to the adverbial expression ex aversione. Augustine
uses it in the nom. and in the ab. of instrument.) 140,
56, 74; 147, 31. (Auct. B. Hisp. 22.)
bacchatio (rare) 35, 2. (Cic. Verr. 21, 12; Hyg. Fab. 48.)
benedictio (eccl.) 31, 9; 41, 2; 61, 2; 137, 15; 175, 5; 179, 4;
7 Thes. Ling. Lat., Vol. I.
29
184A, 3. (Paul. Nol. Ep. 32; Sulp de Vita S. Mart. 2,
12; Vulg. Gen. 26, 29; Deut. 16, 10; Gal. 3, 14.)
breviatio (late) 139, 3; 199, 20, 29, 30. (Jordan. Get. Praef.)
cantatio (a. and p. c.) 26, 3. (Varro L. L. 6, 7; App. M. 2,
p. 125; Vulg. Psal. 70, 6.)
causatio (p. c. juristic) 108, 2; 126, 4. (Cod. Th. 3, 5, 2; Tert.
ad Marc. 5, 20; Gell. 20, 1.)
circumcisio (eccl.) 23, 4; 82, 8, 11, 12, 15, 20; 147, 14; 187, 34;
196, 3, 9, 11, 14; 199, 29; 265, 3. (Pact. 4, 17, 1; Tert.
adv. Jud. 2, 3; Vulg. freq. Gen. 17, 25 to Tit. 1, 10.)
circumpositio (eccl.) 262, 9. (Ambros. Ep. 38, 1.)
circumventio (p. c. ex. Cic.) 78, 5. (Cic. Att. 2, 16, 4; Hier.
in Eph. Ill ad 4, 14; Dig. 4, 4, 17; Cod. Just. 2, 43, 3;
Cyp. 595, 9; Arn. 5, 3; Vulg. Ep'hes. 4, 14.)
cohabitatio (late) 78, 8, 8. (Alcim. Avit. p. 505; Greg. Tur.
H. F. 2, 12, p. 80; Hilar, in Ps. 64, 5.)
coinquinatio (late) 236, 2. (Sulp. Sev. Ep. 2, 9; Vulg. 1 Esd.
6, 21; Judith 9, 2; 2 Macc. 5, 27; 2 Petr. 2, 13.)
collatio—‘Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
comminatio (rare) 145, 3. (Cic. De Or. 3, 54, 206; Plin. 8, 45,
70; Vulg. Isai. 30, 30; Jerem. 10, 10.)
commixtio (p. c.) 137, 11. (Marc. Emp. 8; Hier. Ep. 71, 1;
Vulg. Levit. 18, 20; Num. 19, 13; Osee 7, 4.)
communicatio (rare out of Cicero) 53, 6; 54, 1; 98, 5; 202A, 1.
(Cic. Balb. 13, 31; Fam. 5, 19, 2; Plin. 24, 14, 80.)
communio—Cf. ch. v. Semantics,
compassio (eccl.) 40, 4. (Tert. Res. Carn. 4.)
compensate (trop. in Cic. only) 23, 8; 166, 18, 20; 185, 44;
188, 6. (Tusc. 5, 33, 95; FT. D. 1, 9, 23.)
completio (late) 49, 2. (Paul, ex Fest. p. 105; Jul. Ep. Nov. c.
66; Vulg. Ezech. 5, 2.)
concertatio (rare out of Cicero) 147, 49. (Cic. Fin. 1, 8, 27;
de Or. 1, 43, 194; Plin. 29, 1, 5; Vulg. 2 Reg. 3, 1.)
concursio (rare out of Cicero) 118, 28. (Cic. Ac. 1, 2, 6; Fin.
I, 6, 17; Auct. Her. 4, 12, 18; Vulg. Act. 21, 30.)
condemnatio (p. c. and juristic) 88, 7; 57, 11; 166, 24; 169, 13.
(Dig. 2, 10, 5; Cod. Just. 8, 14, 8; Gai. Inst. 3, 180;
Vulg. 1 Esdr. 7, 26; Sap. 12, 27; Rom. 5, 16; 2 Cor. 7, 3.)
confectio (rare out of Cicero) 43, 3; 228, 8; 250, 1. (Cic. Sen.
1, 2; de Or. 2, 15; Cod. Just. 6, 23, 27.)
confessio—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
30
conflictatio (= dispute: eccl.) 193, 4. (Vulg. 1 Tim. 6, 5.)
confractio (eccl.) 140, 50. (Vulg. Psal. 105, 23; Isai. 24, 19;
Hier. Vir. Ill. 16.)
conlocutio (very rare out of Cicero) 9, 2; 33, 4; 40, 1. (Cic.
Tusc. 1, 33, 30; Auct. Her. 1, 15, 25.)
connexio (= union: rare and late) 137, 15; 140, 29. (Isid.
Orig. 18, 12, 6; Serv. ad Verg. A. 9, 517.)
conquestio (very rare) 29, 7; 44, 12; 138, 1, 6. (Cic. Q. Fr. 1,
1, 7; Sen. Ep. 78, 12.)
conscissio (Augustine only) 51, 3. (Mor. Eccl. Cath. 34.)
conseeratio—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
consideratio (rare) 28, 5; 34, 3; 173, 6; 228, 10. (Cic. Ac.
2, 41, 129; Gell. 13, 29.)
consignatio (p. c. and rare) 61, 2. (Quint. 12, 8, 11; Dig.
22, 3, 4.)
consparsio (late) 186, 19. (Pall. Nov. 13, 3; Hier. in Matth. 2
ad 16, 8; Tert. adv. Marc. 4, 24; Vulg. 1 Cor. 5, 7.)
constipatio (p. c.) 118, 29, 30; 126, 2. (Vop. Aur. 21; Amm.
26, 6, 14; Hier. Ep. 58, 4.)
constrictio (p. c.) 36, 25. (Pall. Mart. 1; Scrib. Comp. 84;
Macr. S. 7, 6.)
contaminatio (= contamination: p. c.) 118, 8; 185, 17. (Dig.
48, 5, 2; Arn. 5, 168; Vulg. Ezech. 14, 6; 1 Macc. 4, 43.)
contritio (== contrition: eccl.) 122, 2. (Lact. 7, 18; Vulg. Jer.
30, 15; Psal. 13, 3.)
conversio—Cf. ch. v. Semantics,
correctio—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
correptio (= rebuke: eccl.) 53, 7; 73, 4; 153, 10; 250, 3. (Tert.
Pudic. 14; Vulg. Tobiae 3, 21; Sap. 1, 9; Eccli. 8, 6.)
creatio (very rare) 166, 25; 177, 1. (Dig. 1, 7, 15; Vulg.
Hebr. 9, 11.)
crucifixio (eccl.) 140, 39. (Hier. in Galat. 3, ad 5, 24.)
Cubitio (a7ra£ Aey o/ievov) 3, 1.
damnatio—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
deceptio (late) 82, 12; 205, 16. (Mart. Cap. 4; Cod. 11, 47, 6;
Hier. in Isai. 7 ad 22, 2; Vulg. Sap. 14, 21; Dan. 2, 9;
Mich. 1, 14.)
deliberatio (very rare out of Cicero) 62, 3; 125, 1. (Cic. Phil.
1, 1, 2; de Or. 2, 82; Liv. 2, 45, 7.)
dementatio (late and very rare) 204, 5. (Fredegarius Chron. 68.)
31
deportatio (rare, a. and p. c.) 102, 26; 126, 12. (Cato R. R.
144, 3; Dig. 48, 13, 3.)
depositio (juristic and late) 4, 2; 38, 2. (Dig. 16, 31; Cod. 2,
43, 3; Vulg. 1 Petr. 3, 21.)
depraedatio (late) 185, 30. (Cod. 2, 6, 4; Lact. Epit. 11; Hier.
in Is. 4 ad 16; Vulg. Judith 10, 12; Isai. 33, 1.)
desertio (late, rare) 173, 4; 228, 5, 11. (Dig. 49, 16, 3.)
desolatio (eccl.) 130, 3, 5, 30; 199, 29, 30, 31. (Salv. Gub. Dei.
6; Hilar, in Psal. 58, 7; Vulg. 2 Par. 36, 21; Psal. 72,19.)
destitutio (very rare) 130, 30. (Quint. 5, 20; Suet. Dom. 14;
Vulg. Hebr. 9, 26.)
devitatio (very rare) 238, 9. (Cic. Att. 16, 2, 4.)
devotio (= piety: eccl.) 20, 3; 44, 1; 55, 2, 13; 58, 1; 80, 2;
130, 26; 269, 1, 3. (Lact. 2, 11; Lampr. Heliog. 3.)
dictatio (late) 139, 3. (Dig. 29, 14.)
diffusio (very rare) 93, 40; 166, 4. (Mart. Cap. 6, 661; Sen.
Vit. Beat. 5, 1.)
diiudicatio (very rare) 78, 3. (Cic. Leg. 1, 21, 56.)
dilatatio (late) 140, 67. (Tert. Anim. 37; Hier. in Ezech. 10
ad 31; Vulg. Prov. 21; Ezech. 31, 7.)
dilectio (late) 23, 5; 27, 6; 28, 4; 31, 9; 36, 1; 48, 3; 55, 3;
73, 6; 82, 36; 88, 9 ; 93, 6; 99, 2; 104, 7 et saepe to 266, 4.
(Tert. adv. Marc. 4, 27; Hier. Ep. 5, 6; Vulg. freq.
Tobiae 8, 9, to Judae, 21.)
diremptio (very rare) 78, 1; 144, 3. (Val. Max. 4, 7, 1.)
discissio (late for discidium) 82, 8; 128, 3; 209, 1. (Augustine
only).
discretio (p. c.) 120, 21; 147, 27, 38; 155, 16; 167, 6; 186, 27.
(Pall. Jul. 4, 5; Lact. 7, 12, 4; Macr. Somn. Sc. 1, 6,
17; Hier. in Matth. 2 ad 13, 17.)
discussio (= disputation: late) 17, 5; 23, 1; 43, 9; 44, 6.
(Macr. Somn. Sc. 1, 16, 8; Tert. Pudic. 11.)
dispersio (= scattering: late) 185A; 204, 2; 232, 3. (Tert.
adv. Jud. 13; Vulg. Joan. 7, 35.)
distentio (very rare) 187, 41. (C. Aur. Tard. 1, 4, 66; Hier. in
Eccle. Col. 392; Cels. 2, 4, 8; Vulg. Eccle. 8, 16.)
dormitio 8 (a. and p. c.) 3, 1. (Varr. ap. Hon. 100, 1; Tert.
Patient. 9; Vulg. 2 Macc. 12, 45; Hier. Ep. 108, 15;
Arn. 5, 9.)
8 Tertullian and Jerome give this word a figurative meaning: death;
Augustine, like Arnobius, uses it literally. Cf. Gabarrou, 18.
32
electio (== election to salvation: eccl.) 186, 7, 15, 25; 194, 34.
(Vulg. Act. 9, 15; Rom. 9, 11; 1 Thess. 1, 4; 2 Petr.
1 , 20 .)
enervatio (very rare) 243, 10. (Arn. 3, 10.)
evigilatio (Augustine only) 140, 76. (Solil. 1, 1; Civ. Dei.
17, 18, 1.)
exaggeratio (rare) 44, 4; 155, 8. (Cic. Tusc. 6, 26, 64; Cell.
13, 24, 9.)
examinatio (p. c.) 44, 12. (Dig. 3, 5, 8.)
excaecatio (a7ra$ XeyojuLevov) 88, 12.
excitatio (p. c.) 9, 3; 28, 1. (Arn. 7, 237.)
execratio (=an object of execration: eccl.) 43, 3; 69, 1. (Vulg.
Levit. 18, 27.)
exhibitio (p. c.) 55, 3; 105, 3. (Gell. 14, 2, 7; Dig. 29, 3, 2;
Tert. Idol. 6.)
expiatio (rare) 235, 2. (Cic. Leg. 1, 14, 20; Liv. 9, 1, 4; Vulg.
Exod. 29, 36; Levit. 1, 4.)
expoliatio (late) 157, 14. (Civ. Dei 28, 8; Isid. 18, 2, 1; Hier.
adv. Jovin. 1, 38; Vulg. Coloss. 2, 11, 1.)
finctio (a7ra£ Aey o/jievov) 236, 3.
fluctuatio (very rare) 187, 37. (Sen. de Ira 2, 35, 3; Liv. 9,
25, 6; Vulg. Psal. 54, 23; Eccli. 40, 4.)
fornicatio (eccl.) 55, 24; 140, 74; 259. (Tert. Pudic. 1, 2;
Hier. Ep. 79, 10.)
fractio (eccl.) 149, 32. (Hier. Ep. 108, 8; Vulg. Luc. 24, 35;
Act. 2, 42.)
generatio—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
glorificatio (eccl.) 140, 36; 142, 1. (Aug. Tract. 105, 3; Hier.
Didym. S. S. 38.)
bumiliatio (p. c.) 35, 3. (Tert. Virg. Vel. 13; Hier. adv. Jovin.
2, 15; Cass. 7, 29, 31; Vulg. Eccli. 2, 5; Mich. 6, 14.)
immissio (rare) 91, 9. (Cic. de Sen. 15, 53; Dig. 8, 5, 8;
Vulg. Psal. 77, 49.)
immolatio (rare) 36, 30; 157, 23; 196, 3. (Cic. Div. 1, 52,
119; Quint. 2, 13, 13.)
impositio (rare) 149, 16; 185, 32; 265, 7. (Varro, L. L. 8, 5 ;
Vulg: Act. 8, 18; 1 Tim. 4, 14; 2 Tim. 1, 6; Hebr. 6, 2.)
improbatio (very rare) 169, 2. (Auct. Her. 2, 6, 9; Cic. Verr.
2, 3, 74.)
incarnatio (eccl.) 137, 12, 15; 186, 31; 166, 17; 187, 34; 190,
8; 238, 23. (Hilar. Trin. 2, 33; Hier. adv. Jovin. 2, 30.)
33
inchoatio (late) 120, 13. (Hilar, in Psal. 118, 10; Hier. Chron.
35 ; Vulg. Hebr. 6,1.)
incorruptio (eccl.) 95, 7; 118, 14; 155, 6; 164, 9; 205, 4, 89.
(Aug. De Trin. 13, 7; Tert. Res. Carn. 51; Yulg. Sap.
6, 19; 1 Cor. 15, 53; 2 Tim. 1, 10.)
increpatio (p. c.) 147, 42. (Tert. adv. Marc. 4, 7; Hier. Ep.
21, 13; Yulg. freq. Dent. 28, 20 to 2 Mace. 7, 33.)
indevotio (p. c.) 122, 1. (Cod. Just. 7, 2, 15; Dig. 39, 9, 1;
Ambros. de Elia 17, 62.)
infestatio (late) 220, 3; 243, 8. (Tert. Apol. 1.)
infnsio (mostly p. c.) 202A, 9. (Ambros. Apol. Dav. 3, 11;
Cael. Aur. Tard. 3, 8.)
ingnrgitatio (late) 29, 10; 36, 11. (Firm. 5, 8.)
inlatio (p. c.) 7, 2, 3. (Arn. 4, 30; Dig. 11, 72; Cassiod. Yar.
2, 16; Paul. Sent. 5, 4, 1.)
• inlustratio (very rare) 82, 20; 118, 15; 147, 14. (Quint. 6,
2, 321.)
innovatio (late) 55, 5; 166, 26. (Tert. adv. Marc. 1, 1; Arn.
1, 7; App. Trism. p. 95; Yulg. 1 Mace. 12, 17.)
inquinatio (eccl.) 190, 20. (Yulg. Sap. 14, 26.)
inreptio (a.7ra$ Aey o/jcevov) 217, 5.
insertio (p. c.) 49, 50. (Isid. Orig. 17, 6, 2 ; Macr. S. 1, 7, 25.)
inspiratio (late) 145, 8; 188, 1, 3; 194, 30; 217, 23. (Sol. 7,
23; Tert. De Pat. 1; Yulg. 2 Peg. 22, 16; Job 32, 8;
Psal. 17, 16; Act. 17, 25.)
instructio—Cf. ch. v. Semantics,
intentio—Cf. ch. v. Semantics,
intortio (p. c.) 262, 9. (Arn. 3, 108.)
iuratio (p. c.) 47, 2; 62, 2; 93, 21; 125, 3, 4; 126, 2, 3, 4, 5, 11,
12, 13; 147, 40; 237, 3. (Macr. S. 1, 6, 30; Tert.
Idol. 1.)
iussio (p. c.) 43, 4; 51, 3; 66, 1; 88, 5; 89, 7; 101, 3; 105, 3;
107, 6, 7, 10, 14; 114; 128, 4; 174; 217, 8. (Dig. 40, 4;
Lact. 4, 15, 9; Yulg. Gen. 27; Exod. 40,19 ; 2 Peg. 19, 8.)
iustificatio (late) 82, 25; 140, 71; 157, 11, 12, 13, 14; 177, 9;
186, 1; 193, 6. (Civ. Dei 16, 36; Salv. Avar. 3, 2;
Yulg. Hum. 9, 3.)
laesio (= injury: late. Used by Cicero as a rhetorical term,
De Or. 5, 33, 205, to denote an attack in argument on an
opponent. It took on a literal meaning in late Latin).
34
73, 9; 220, 11. (Dig. 10, 3, 28; Lact. Ira D. 17; Vulg.
1 Esdr. 4, 14; Dan. 6, 23.)
lectio (= that which is read: p. c.) 20, 3; 22, 8; 173, 9; 209, 3.
(Macr. S. 7, 7, 5; Cod. Just. 6, 61, 5; Isid. 1, 20, 3;
Amm. 30, 4, 18; Cael. Aur. Tard. 1, 5, 163.)
magnificatio (p. c.) 140, 49. (Macr. 5, 13, 41; Hilar, in Ps.
68, 26.)
maledictio (=a curse: eccl.) 184A, 3. (Vulg. Gen. 24, 41;
Num. 5, 21; Deut. 11, 26, etc.)
manifestatio (p. c.) 55, 5; 62, 2; 93, 2; 141, 2; 199, 1. (Hier.
Ep. 64, 19; Civ. Dei 20, 3; Sulp. Sev. Dial. 3, 4; Vulg.
1 Cor. 17, 7; 2 Cor. 4, 2.)
mundatio (eccl.) 23, 4; 44, 10; 190, 21. (Theod. Prise. 1, 19;
Hier. in Luc. Horn. 18; Vulg. Levit. 16, 30.)
obduratio (Augustine only) 194, 14. (In Psal. 77.)
obiectio (p. c.) 166, 15. (Ambros. Ep. 100, 14; Arn. 6, 3;
Tert. ad Uxor. 2, 5; Macr. Somn. Sc. 2, 16, 20; Mart.
Cap. 5, 445.)
oblatio (p. c.) 22, 6; 149, 16. (Hier. Ep. 18, 17; Dig. 5, 2, 8;
Cod. Th. 5, 13, 18; Vulg. freq. Gen. 34,18 to Hebr. 18,1.)
obligatio (= entanglement: p. c.) 157, 22; 190, 5. (Dig. 48,
10, 1; Vulg. Psal. 48, 10; Act. 8, 23.)
obsecundatio (p. c. very rare) 22, 1. (Cod. Th. 1, 92.)
opitulatio (p. c.) 155, 12. (Arn. 4, 4; Dig. 4, 4, 1; Hier. in
Ephes. 2 ad 3, 5; Oros. Hist. 5, 18; Vulg. 1 Cor. 12, 28.)
oratio (= prayer: eccl.) 20, 2 ; 21, 6 ; 22, 3; 29, 3; 36, 9 ; 48,1;
etc. saepe. (Fathers freq., Vulg. freq.)
ordinatio (= ordination: late) 21, 2; 43, 4; 61, 2; 78, 3; 108,
5; 126, 6; 185, 17; 205, 17. (Sid. Ep. 7, 6; Cassiod.
H. E. 9, 36.)
participatio (p. c.) 98, 5; 118, 15; 140, 10, 11, 52, 56, 66, 69,
74, 77, 80, 81, 82; 141, 5; 147, 34; 149, 17; 153, 12;
166, 21; 170, 10 ; 177, 19; 202A, 17. (Spart. Jul. 6;
Hier. adv. Pelag. 1, 19.)
parturitio (late) 151, 6; 243, 7. (Hier. adv. Jovin. 1, 22; Vulg.
1 Par. 24, 1; Ezech. 48, 29.)
passio (p. c.) 36, 30; 40, 6; 44, 10; 54, 1; 55, 2; 76, 1; 98, 7;
105, 11; 133, 1; 134, 3 ; 137, 16 ; 139, 2; 140, 13 ; 164, 2;
170, 8; 177, 15, 185, 9; 187, 9; 199, 31; 205, 9; 228,
12; 236, 12; 265, 3. (Maxim. Gall. 3, 42; Prud. are6.
35
5, 291; Tert. adv. Yal. 9; Lact. 5, 23, 5; Vulg. Act. 1, 3;
Rom. 8, 18; 2 Cor. 1, 5.)
perditio (p. c.) 93, 52; 105, 2, 7, 9; 175, 6; 178, 1; 185, 11;
186, 4; 188, 7; 190, 9; 194, 6; 209, 10; 231, 6. (Hier.
Ep. 120, 10; Alcim. 4, 138; Lact. 2, 14, 11; Vulg. freq.
Deut. 29, 21 to 2 Petr. 3, 16.)
perfruitio (Augustine only) 102, 27. (Quant. Anim. 33; Trin.
6 , 10 .)
permissio (= permission: very rare) 217, 14. (Cic. Q. Pr. 3, 1,
3; Ambros. in Luc. 7, 115.)
perpensio (late, very rare) 185, 36. (Boeth. in Aristot. lib. de
Imag. p. 360.)
perpetratio (p. c.) 167, 17. (Tert. Poen. 3; Aug. Trin. 13, 6.)
persecutio (= persecution: eccl.) 43, 8; 44, 4; 51, 2; 76, 4;
82, 9; 87, 9; 88, 8; 89, 2; 93, 6; 98, 3; 99, 2; 134, 4;
137, 16; 140, 41; 185, 7; 199, 39; 210, 8; 228, 4; 248, 1.
(Tert. Spec. 27; Vulg. Matth. 5, 10.)
persolutio (late, very rare) 147, 1. (Gesta Collat. Carthag.
in fin.)
perventio (late) 149, 1; 155, 12. (Mart. Cap. 4, 406; Aug.
Conf. 6, 1.)
praedestinatio (eccl.) 149, 22; 187, 37; 194, 34; 199, 34; 217,
9, 13. (Hier. in Ephes. 1 ad 1, 9; Fulg. de Dupl. Prae-
dest. 1, 22; Prosp. Resp. ad Capit. Gall. 15.)
praedicatio (= preaching: eccl.) 87, 7; 164, 11, 12, 16; 166,21;
169, 3, 4; 185, 18, 23; 194, 7; 199, 49; 217, 9; 228, 12;
238, 4; 243, 6. (Vulg. Jonae 3, 2; Matth. 12, 41;
Rom. 16, 25.)
praefiguratio (eccl.) 140, 47. (Civ. Dei 16, 2; Cyp. 763, 14;
Hier. Ep. 53, 8; Hilar, in Psal. 118, 3.)
praefocatio (p. c.) 167, 13. (Scrib. Comp. 100; Cael. Aur.
A cut. 2, 6.)
praesentatio (p. c.) 147, 13. (Cod. Just. 12, 28, 2; Aug. in
Psal. 59, 6.)
praestructio (eccl.) 147, 6. (Tert. adv. Marc. 4, 14.)
praesumptio (= presumption: p. c.) 36, 10, 18; 43, 1; 92A;
93, 13, 21, 39, 42; 102, 21; 186, 36, 37; 194, 21; 202A,
1; 219, 1; 238, 23; 262, 5. (Tert. Cult. Fern. 2; Sulp.
Sev. H. 3, 1, 33; App. Mag. p. 323, 17; Vulg. Eccle. 6,
9; Eccli. 18, 10.)
praevaricatio (= transgression: eccl.) 158; 177, 13; 179, 13;
36
186, 32, 33; 190, 7; 194, 30; 217, 9. (Vulg. Levit. 7,
18; Deut. 19, 16; Psal. 100, 3.)
promissio (p. c. in plural) 102, 35; 151, 5, 10; 177, 13; 248, 2.
(Yulg. Sap. 12, 21; Rom. 15, 8; 2 Cor. 1, 20; Gal. 3, 16;
Hebr. 6, 12.)
propensio (once only, in Cicero) 27, 3. (Cic. Fin. 4, 17, 47.)
prosecutio (p. c.) 128, 1. (Cod. Th. 8, 5, 47; Symm. Ep. 7,
59; Ambros. Fid. 2, 13, 108.)
proteetio (p. c.) 148, 12. (Tert. Fug. in Persec. 2; Ambros.
Serm. 8; Yulg. Psal. 90, 1; Eccli. 6, 14; Isai. 4, 5; 2
Macc. 13, 17.)
protestatio (p. c.) 185, 25. (Symm. Ep. 1, 56; Hilar. Trin. 1,
27; Yulg. 2 Macc. 7, 61.)
putrefactio (a7ra£ Xeyofievov) 33, 5.
rebaptizatio (eccl.) 33, 7; 43, 22. (Optat. 7 Schism. Donat. 4;
Yict. Vit. 2; Pers. Yand. 9.)
reclamatio (very rare) 126, 13. (Cic. Phil. 4, 2, 5; App. Mag.
p. 315, 7.)
recreatio (once only) 248, 2. (Plin. 22, 23, 49.)
redemptio—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
refragatio (late) 241, 1. (Symm. Ep. 10, 50; Ambros. in Psal.
118, Serm. 1, 11.)
refrenatio (very rare) 130, 24. (Sen. de Ira, 3, 15.)
regeneratio (eccl.) 157, 11, 12, 13; 155, 8; 184A, 3; 186, 11,
27, 30, 34, 35, 36, 37; 190, 15, 21, 22; 194, 32, 42, 44;
196, 11; 202A, 17, 20; 217, 2; 250, 1. (Civ. Dei 20, 5;
Tert. Res. Carn. 4; Hier. in Matth. 3 ad 19, 28; Yulg.
Matth. 19, 28; Tit. 3, 5.)
relevatio (= relief: p. c.) 99, 2. (Front. Ep. ad M. Caes. 4,
13; Cael. Aur. Tard. 5, 10, 96; Octav. Ilor. 1, 9.)
religio—Cf. ch. v. Semantics,
remissio—Cf. ch. v. Semantics,
renuntiatio—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
reparatio (late) 262, 11. (Inscr. Orelli 1147; Prud. Cath. 10,
128; Rutin, in Rom. 4, 7.)
resalutatio (once only) 187, 23; 197, 1; 203. (Suet. Nerv. 37.)
restrictio (eccl.) 104, 3. (Aug. Mor. Eccl. Cath. 31.)
resurrectio (eccl.) 36, 12, 28, 31; 54, 1; 55, 2, 3, 4, 5, 16, 23, 24,
25, 28, 30, 31; 95, 7; 102, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 35, 38; 120, 9,
15, 17; 130, 2; 140, 25, 26, 30; 142; 147, 9; 148, passim;
149, 2, 31; 155, 4; 157, 14; 164, 9; 166, 21; 177, 15;
37
180, 5; 186, 32; 187, 5; 193, 9; 199, 4; 205, 2; 220, 1;
236, 2. (Civ. Dei 22, 28; Tert. Res. Cam. 1; Lact. 4,
19, 9; Sulp. Sev. Chron. 2, 33, 5; Yulg. Soph. 3, 8; 2
Macc. 7, 9; Matth. 22, 23; Marc. 12, 18 etc.)
retributio (eccl.) 55, 25. (Civ. Dei 22, 23; Tert. Apol. 18; Sid.
Ep. 4, 11; Lact. 6, 18, 27; Vulg. Psal. 18, 2; Eccli. 12, 2;
Isai. 1, 23; Matth. 9, 20.)
revelatio (eccl.) 36, 22; 80, 3; 147, 30, 31; 169, 11; 177, 12;
188, 12, 13; 264, 1. (Arn. 5, 35; Tert. adv. Marc. 5, 4;
Lact. Epit. 42, 8; Vulg. Eccli. 22, 27; Luc. 2, 32; 1 Cor.
1, 7; 1 Petr. 1, 7.)
sanctificatio (eccl.) 36, 5; 55, 18, 19, 30; 126, 6; 147, 15; 148,
18; 149, 16; 187, 25, 32, 37. (Tert. Exhort, ad Cast. 1;
Sid. Ep. 8, 14; Vulg. freq. Exod. 29, 36 to 1 Petr. 1, 2.)
seductio (= seduction: eccl.) 53, 7; 127, 1; 185, 18. (Tert.
adv. Marc. 2, 2; Ambros. in Luc. 7, 218; Vulg. Jerem.
14, 14; 2 Thess. 2, 10.)
segregatio (eccl.) 108, 9. (Tert. Anim. 43; Rufin. Orig. homil.
1 in Gen. 2.)
sermocinatio (mostly p. c.) 12; 28, 6; 34, 2; 36, 2; 44, 1; 98, 8;
120, 1; 128, 11; 151, 4; 233. (Quint. 9, 2, 31; Gell. 19,
8, 2; Arn. 1, 59.)
suhministratio (p. c.) 177, 4, 7. (Tert. Apol. 48; Vulg. Ephes.
4, 16; Philip. 1, 19.)
suggestio (= suggestion: p. c.) 133, 3; 185, 12; 217,14; 243,10.
(Yop. Aur. 14, 19; Symm. Ep. 9, 20; Inscr. Orelli, 2.)
supputatio (mostly p. c.) 55, 7. (Vitr. 3, 1, 6; Arn. 2, 71;
Mart. Cap. 6, 609; Vulg. Levit. 25, 15.)
temptatio—Cf. dh. v. Semantics,
traditio—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
transformatio (eccl.) 147, 51. (Aug. Trin. 15, 8; Hier. Ep.
108, 22.)
transgressio—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
tribulatio (eccl.) 55, 5; 63, 4; 93, 30; 97, 3; 99, 2; 111, 3;
113, 1; 122, 2; 124, 2; 140, 33; 149, passim; 164, 21;
199, passim; 209, 1; 210, 1. (Tert. adv. Jud. 11; Hier.
Ep. 108, 18; Yulg. freq. Gen. 35, 3, to Apoc. 7, 14.)
velatio (a7ra£ \ey6fievov) 150.
ventilatio (late) 76, 3; 87, 8; 93, 33; 108, 16; 129, 5; 185, 16;
208, 4. (Yict. Yit. 2; Pers. Yand. 6; Ennod. Apol.
p. 204. )
visitatio (p. c.) 164, 11. (Tert. adv. Jud. 13.)
38
10. Nouns in -men, -mentum.
These two suffixes are related 9 and are regarded as especially
characteristic of African Latin. 10 The forms in -men are mostly
poetic and occur in prose only in post-Augustan times; -mentum.
on the other hand was a popular suffix and showed great activity
of formation in all periods of the language. Often a word is found
with both endings, e. g. tutamen and tutamentum. Only two post-
classical words in -men are found in the Letters:
moderamen (poet, and p. c. prose) 88, 3; 166, 13; 246, 2. (Ov.
M. 15, 726; Cod. Th. 11, 30, 64.)
munimen (poet, and p. c. prose) 89, 1; 243, 1. (Yerg. 0. 2,
352; Amm. 1, 6, 29; Pall. 3, 24, 1; Vulg. 1 Macc. 10, 23.)
Nouns in -mentum are more numerous:
additamentum (rare) 194, 27, 30; 219, 3. (Cic. Sest. 61, 38;
Sen. Ep. 17, 6; Pseud. Sail, ad Caes. de Rep. Ord. 2;
App. M. 9, 6; Yulg. Isai. 15, 9.)
decrementum (p. c. for deminutio) 55, 6. (Gell. 3, 10, 11;
App. M. 11, p. 257.)
delectamentum (very rare) 157, 34. (Ter. Heaut. 5, 1, 79;
Cic. Pis. 25, 60; Yulg. Sap. 7, 2; 16, 2; 16, 20.)
deliramentum (a. and p. c.) 55, 12; 118, 31. (Plaut. Am. 2,
2, 64; Front. Ep. ad M. Caes. 2, 1; Hier. Ep. 124, 6;
Yulg. Luc. 24, 11.)
figmentum (p. c.) 7, 1, 2; 120, 7; 195, 5. (Hier. Ep. 120, 10;
M. Fel. 11, 9; Tert. Jud. 1; Gell. 20, 9, 1; Amm. 22, 9;
Lact. 7, 2, 2; Yulg. Psal. 102, 14; Sap. 10, 7; Isai. 29,16)
firmamentum (=sky: late) 56, 2; 140, 36; 147, 50; 166, 20 ;
187, 33. (Tert. Bapt. 3; Yulg. freq. Gen. 1, 6 to 1
Tim. 3, 15.)
implieamentum (late) 243, 5. (Aug. Serm. Dom. 1, 3.)
indumentum (p. c.) 211, 13. (Gell. 16, 19, 12; Prud. Cath.
9, 99; Lact. 6, 13, 12 ; Tert. Tlx. 1, 7; Hier. Ep. 108, 19;
Yulg. Exod. 22, 27; Esther 14, 2; Job 24, 7, etc.)
inquinamentum (rare) 55, 6; 125, 3. (Vitr. 8, 5; Gell. 2, 6,
25 ; Tert. Nat. 1, 10; Yulg. Heut. 7, 26 ; Ezech. 24, 11;
2 Cor. 7, 1.)
9 Goelzer (1), 61.
10 Cooper, 85, 86.
39
machinamentum (= trick, device: late) 43, 18; 137, 13. (Cod.
Th. 6, 28, 6.)
sacramentum—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
11. Nouns in -orium.
The corresponding adjectives in -orium are more numerous in
the Letters than the nouns in -orium. Both are characteristic of
popular Latin.
adiutorium (rare) 28, 1; 78, 1; 81; 118, 4; 130, 21; 137, 12;
138, 17; 140, 5; 144, 3, 8; 147, 1, 27; 148, 15; 155, 6;
157, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 16; 166, 22; 167, 21; 169, 11; 171A,
1; 175, 2; 176, 2; 177, 1, 9, 16, 18; 178, 1; 179, 5; 185,
14, 51; 186, 1, 9; 190, 22; 194, 10; 196, 7; 207; 214, 7;
218, 3; 224, 3; 231, 6; 242, 3; 250, 1; 253, 2; 262, 11.
(Yell. 2, 112; Sen. Ep. 31; Quint. 3, 6, 83; Vulg. Gen.
2, 18; Judic. 5, 23; 1 Reg. 4, 1; Tobiae 8, 8; Eccli. 8,19.)
commonitorium (late) 54, 6; 97, 4; 125, 4; 126, 4; 139, 2, 4;
151, 11; 164, 22. (Amm. 28, 1, 1; Symm. Ep. 5, 21;
Cod. Th. 2, 29, 2.)
oratorium (eccl.) 211, 7. (Alcim. Ep. 6; Yulg. Judith 9, 1.)
notoria (late) 129, 1, 7; 133, 1; 134, 2. (Gall. ap. Treb. Claud.
17; App. M. 7, p. 189.)
12. Nouns in -tas.
This was a suffix of particular fertility in African Latin. Apu-
leius, Tertullian, Cyprian 11 and Arnobius 12 all made abundant
use of these words, enriching the language with many new ones.
Augustine contributed no less than 26, of which 6 apparently
occur first in the Letters. They are: convertibilitas, ineffabilitas,
spectabilitas, annositas, mendositas and quaternitas, a coinage for
which he assumes a tone of apology. In addition to the following
post-classical, late or rare forms, many others of classical and fre¬
quent use occur.
absurditas (late) 17, 2; 89, 5; 137, 6; 238, 22. (Claud. Mam.
3, 11.)
affabilitas (very rare) 151, 8. (Cic. Off. 2, 14, 48.)
animositas (p. c.) 33, 5; 35, 5; 43, 1, 20; 55, 29; 88, 3; 89, 2;
93, 10, 16, 17; 185, 30; 238, 16. (Cyp. 422, 28; Amm.
n Bayard, 20.
13 Gabarrou, 13.
%
40
16, 12; Sid. Ep. 4; 3; Macr. Somn. Sc. 1, 6; Vulg. Eccii.
1; 28; 2 Cor. 12; 20; Hebr. 11, 27.)
annositas (p. c. and rare) 269. (Cod. Th. 1, 2; 1.)
beatitas—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
capacitas (rare) 118, 15; 120, 4, 17; 137, 19. (Cic. Tusc. 1,
25, 61; Dig. 31, 55.)
caritas—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
christianitas (late) 53, 1. (Cod. Th. 16, 7; 12, 1, 112.)
convertibilitas (eccl.) 169, 11. (Oros. 1, 1; Rufin. vertens
Orig. 7r epl apywv, 1, 7, 2.)
corruptibilitas (eccl.) 147, 51; 205, 5. (Tert. adv. Marc. 2,16.)
curiositas (very rare) 118, 1, 12; 138, 19. (Cic. Att. 2, 12, 2;
Macr. S. 1, 11, 45; Tert. adv. Haeret. 17.)
deitas (late for divinitas) 147, 37; 148, 10; 164, 17; 241, 1.
(Civ. Dei 7, 1; Prud. Apoth. 144; Hier. Ep. 15, 4. )
disparilitas (a. and p. c.) 120, 12. (Yarro L. L. 10, 36; Gell.
Praef. 3.)
divinitas—Cf. ch. v. Semantics,
dnbietas (late) 62, 2. (Amm. 20, 4; Entr. 6, 19.)
duplicitas (late) 243, 10. (Lact. Opif. Dei 8; Hier. in Psal. 56.)
ebriositas (very rare) 36, 3; 199, 37. (Cic. Tusc. 4, 12, 27;
Eugypp. Thes. 519.)
eximietas (late) 27, 4; 34, 4; 97, 2, 4; 99, 1; 113, 1; 116, 1;
139, 1, 4; 189, 1; 203; 257. (Symm. Ep. 3, 3.)
falsitas (p. c.) 7, 2; 28, 4; 33, 3; 40, 3; 47, 4; 66, 2; 82, 6;
89, 1; 93, 23; 95, 8; 105, 5; 118, 16; 120, 17; 141, 1;
143, 8; 153, 25; 164, 22; 185, 8. (Lact. 5, 3, 23;
Amm. 15, 5, 12; Arn. 2, 5, 6; Cael. Aur. Tard. 3, 4, 65.)
fatuitas (very rare) 166, 17. (Cic. Inv. 2, 32, 99; Firm. Math.
8; Vulg. Prov. 14, 24; Jerem. 23, 13.)
festivitas (= festival: p. c.) 55, 16, 23. (Cod. Th. 15, 5, 3;
Lampr. Alex. Sev. 63; Vulg. Exod. 12, 16; Deut. 16, 14;
Judith 16, 31.)
fraternitas (very rare) 23, 1; 26, 3; 52, 1; 269. (Tac. A. 11,
25; Lact. 5, 6, 12; Vulg. 1 Macc. 12, 10; Rom. 12, 10;
1 Petr. 1, 22.)
generalitas (p. c.) 169, 3. (Serv. ad Yerg. G. 1, 21; Mart. Cap.
4, 348; Symm. Ep. 2, 90.)
gentilitas—Cf. ch. v. Semantics,
humilitas—Cf. ch. v. Semantics,
immutabilitas (very rare) 187, 9. (Cic. Fat. 9, 17.)
41
impossibilitas (p. c.) 199, 16; 200, 1. (App. M. p. 179; Tert.
Bapt. 2.)
incommutabilitas (late) 171A, 2. (Aug. Conf. 12, 12; Dionys.
Exig. vertens Ep. Procli ad Armen, ante med.)
incorruptibilitas (eccl.) 130, 7; 168, 11. (Tert. Apol. 48; adv.
Marc. 2, 16.)
infidelitas—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
incredulitas (p. c.) 93, 21. (App. M. 1, p. Ill; Cod. Th. 16,
8, 19; Paulin. Nol. Car. 6, 95; Yulg. Matth. 13, 58;
Marc. 6, 6; Rom. 3, 3, etc.)
ineffabilitas (Augustine only) 147, 31; 242, 5.
innumerabilitas (very rare) 118, 30. (Cic. N. D. 1, 26, 73;
Arn. 3, p. 132.)
inseparabilitas (eccl.) 11, 3; 167, 4; 187, 16. (Aug. Trin. 15,
23; Faustin. de Trin. 8.)
invisibilitas (p. c.) 147, 23; 148, 10. (Tert. adv. Prax. 14.)
longanimitas (eccl.) 140, 62, 64, 82. (Cassiod. H. E. 5, 42;
Vulg. Rom. 2, 4, 2; Gal. 5, 22; 2 Cor. 6, 6; 2 Petr. 3,15.)
medietas (p. c. except Cicero) 140, 3. (Cic. Univ. 7, 20; Lact.
10, 19; App. M. 2, p. 116; Tert. de Bapt. 3; Yulg. Exod.
26, 12; 1 Par. 9, 6; Tobiae 12, 4.)
mendositas (eccl.) 71, 5; 261, 5. (Civ. Dei. 15, 13; Cassiod.
Inst. Div. 4.)
modicitas (late) 202A, 7. (Yenant. Carm. 5, 5.)
mutabilitas (very rare) 55, 10; 140, 56; 137, 10. (Cic. Tusc.
4, 35, 76; Mart. Cap. 8, 871.)
nativitas (p. c.) 102, 3; 140, 9; 163, 23; 179, 12; 190, 5; 217,
16. (Dig. 50, 1, 1; Tert. Anim. 39; Arn. 1, 2; Yulg.
Gen. 11, 28; Exod. 28, 10; Psal. 106, 37.)
novitas—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
nuditas (late) 143, 10. (Lact. 2, 12, 18; Sulp. Sev. Yit. Mart.
2, 2; Tert. de Yirg. Vel. 12; Yulg. Deut. 28, 48; Jerem.
2, 25; Rom. 8, 35; Apoc. 3, 18.)
nugacitas (late) 227. (Aug. de Musica 6; Vulg. Sap. 4, 12.)
numerositas (p. c.) 108, 5; 179, 8; 190, 12; 204, 2. (Macr. S.
5, 20 ; Tert. Monog. 4; Cod. Th. 12, 5, 3; Sid. Carm.
23, 150.)
paternitas (eccl.) 153. (Fulg. Myth. 1, 1; Isid. Orig. 9, 69;
Interpr. Ital. Num. 1, 2; Yulg. Ephes. 3, 15.)
parilitas (p. c.) 104, 15; 167, 14. (Gell. 14, 3, 8; App. M. 2,
p. 119.)
42
perplexitas (p. c.) 118, 1. (Amm. 18, 6, 10.)
possibilitas (p. c.) 92, 4; 167, 9; 175, 4; 177 passim; 178, 13;
179, 7; 186, 36. (Amm. 19, 2, 15; Arn. 1, 44; Mart.
Cap. 4, 335; Vulg. 2 Esdr. 5, 8.)
profunditas (p. c.) 137, 5; 140, 21, 62, 64; 164, 11. (Macr.
Somn. Sc. 1, 6, 36; Cassiod. Yar. 2, 21; Hadrian ap.
Yop. Sat. 8; Yulg. Eccle. 7, 25.)
prolixitas (p. c.) 140, 17; 185, 6; 199, 8; 261, 1. (App. de
Mnndo, p. 60, 21; Arn. 4, 17; Dig. 36, 1, 22; Symm.
Ep. 2, 8.)
puerilitas (a. and p. c.) 137, 2. (Yarro, ap. Non. 494, 19;
Yal. Max. 5, 4, 2.)
puritas (p. c.) 56, 2; 171A, 2. (Macr. Somn. Sc. 1, 11; Pall.
11, 14, 12; Capitol. Yer. 3; Hier. Ep. 57, Arn. 5, 11;
Yulg. Psal. 17, 21.)
pusillanimitas (p. c.) 95, 4. (Lact. de Ira Dei 5; Hier. in
Galat. ad 5, 22; Yulg. Psal. 59, 4.)
quaternitas (eccl.) 140, 12. (Boeth. de Nat. Christi, p. 955;
Yinc. Lerin. Commonit. 18; Marcellin. Chron. 512.)
singularitas (p. c.) 140, 12. (Tert. adv. Yalent. 37; Mart. Cap.
7, 750; Salv. cont. Avar. 7, p. 70.)
solemnitas (p. c.) 29, 2; 40, 6; 54, 1; 98, 9; 137, 2; 269. (Gel!.
2, 24, 15; Sol. 7; Aus. Grat. Act. 36; Amm. 23, 3, 7;
Yulg. freq. Exod. 10, 9 to Malac. 2, 3.)
strenuitas (very rare) 263, 2. (Yarro L. L. 8, 15; Ov. M. 9,
320.)
summitas (p. c.) 120, 4; 232, 5. (Amm. 15, 10, 6; Pall. 1, 6,
10; Macr. Somn. Sc. 1, 6; Arn. 1, 13; Yulg. freq. Gen.
6, 16 to Aggaei 2, 13.)
surditas (very rare) 155, 3. (Cic. Tusc. 5, 40; Cels. 6, 7, 7.)
tenacitas (very rare) 7, 1; 118, 1; 167, 9. (Cic. N. D. 2, 47,
122; Plin. 2, 29, 46.)
trinitas (eccl.) 11, 2, 3; 54, 1; 55, 28; 61, 2; 120 passim; 130,
15, 28; 140, 12; 143, 4; 145, 11, 18, 20, 23; 162, 2; 164,
11; 169 passim; 170, 3, 5, 9; 171 A, 2; 173A; 174; 175,
1; 187, 15, 16; 188, 10; 194, 12. (Tert. adv. Prax. 3;
Cod. Just. 1, 1, 1; Hier. Ep. 15, 5.)
unanimitas (very rare) 248, 2. (Pac. ap. Non.'101, 26; Liv.
40, 8, 14; Hilar. Trin. 1, 28.)
vitiositas (rare) 153, 13. (Cic. Tusc. 4, 15, 34; Macr. S.
7, 10, 10.)
43
The number of words in -ositas (6) and -bilitas (15),, compound
suffixes which are especially frequent in African Latin, is not not¬
ably large in comparison with the total number of words in -tas
(208).
13. Nouns in -tor, -sor, -trix.
The frequent use of nouns in -tor to express ideas which classical
Latin would convey by a verb or a clause, is one of the peculiarities
which first attracts the notice of a reader of patristic Latin.
Although not an exclusively African characteristic, it is much
affected by African writers. 13 In classical Latin these nouns were
formed from verbs and were used to express either a habitual
action or state, as e. g. laudator temporis acti, or an enduring
quality resulting from a single act as e. g. conditor urbis. 14 A few
words only, mostly juridical terms like accusator, petitor, had a
general signification. 15 By degrees however, this distinction dis¬
appeared, nouns in -tor came to denote a temporary state or
action and were found to offer a convenient means of variety in a
sentence. It is also a device which lends brevity and conciseness
to the style together with a certain sonorousness when the words
occur in groups. Augustine makes use of such groups to secure
that balance of construction and recurrence of rhyme of which he
is so exceedingly fond.
e. g. conlatorem enim et disputatorem, non assentatorem et adula-
torem se esse cupiebat (36, 3)
non dei servos sed domus alienae penetratores et tuos captiva-
tores et depraedatores putans (262, 5)
ex egregio praesumptore tarn creber negator effectus (140, 36)
Examples could be multiplied indefinitely; indeed it must be
admitted that Augustine sometimes overdoes it, and produces
monotony or an unconscious effect of flippancy.
A number of words in -tor are additions of his to the language:
captivator, impensor, impertitor, inflator, rebaptizator, sacrator,
saturator appear first in the Letters.
acceptor (p. c.) 143, 2 ; 194, 4, 31. (Cod. Th. 8, 56, 10; Vulg.
Act. 10, 34.)
advector (p. c.) 194, 2. (App. Flor. p. 363.)
“Hoppe, 57.
14 Gabarrou, 6.
15 Goelzer (1), 56.
44
approbator (very rare) 153, 9, 10, 15. (Cic. Att. 16, 7, 2; Gell.
5, 21, 6.)
auditor—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
baptizator (eccl.) 53, 6; 98, 7; 185, 37. (Tert. Bapt. 12.)
captivator (eccl.) 262, 5. (= deceiver, Aug. only: == one who
captures, Verecund. in Cantic. Debborae 17).
concupitor (late) 147, 29. (Firm. Mat. 8, 22.)
confessor (eccl.) 139, 1; 186, 39. (Lact .Mort. Pers. 35; Sid.
Ep. 7, 17.)
conlator (=one who compares: Aug. only) 33, 3.
conscriptor (p. c.) 82, 23. (Arn. 1, 56.)
considerator (p. c.) 166, 15. (Gell. 11, 52; Aug. Tract, ap.
Joan, fin.)
consumptor (very rare) 185, 15. (Cic. N. D. 2,15,41; Ambros.
in Luc. 7, 132.)
contradictor (late, juristic) 29, 3; 81, 4; 199, 10. (Dig. 40, 11,
27; Amm. 31, 14, 3; Hier. in Tit. ad 2, 9.)
creator (=God: eccl.) 18, 2; 55, 28; 102, 20; 120, 12; 127, 9;
137, 4, 15, 17; 138, 5; 141, 81; 143, 7; 144, 2; 148, 7;
164, 4; 166, 10, 15; 169, 6, 10, 11; 177, 1, 7, 9; 186, 1,
37; 187, 13; 190, 1, 4, 14, 16; 194, 37; 202A, 4; 205, 17
(passim); 232, 5; 235, 1. (Vulg. Deut. 32, 18; Judith
9, 17; Eccle. 12, 1, 2, etc.)
criminator (very rare) 43, 9. (Plaut. Bacch. 4, 7, 28; Tac. A.
4, 1; Lact. 2, 8, 6; 2 Tim. 3, 3.)
damnator (late) 43, 3, 10; 53, 6; 80, 1; 87, 1; 108, 1, 4; 129, 5;
166, 26; 173, 9. (Tert. ad Nat. 1, 3; Sedul. Hymn. 1,10.)
deceptor (late for fraudator) 184A, 2; 194, 13, 32. (Lact. de
Ira D. 4, 8; Hier. in Tit. ad 1, 10; Aug. Serm. 362, 18.)
decessor (= predecessor: mostly late) 99, 3; 108, 1, 9. (Tac.
Ag. 7; Aug. in Psal. 43, 16; Ulp. Dig. 1, 16, 4.)
demonstrator (very rare) 20, 3; 187, 23. (Cic. de Or. 2, 86,
353; Tert. Apol. 23.)
depraedator (Augustine only) 138, 9; 262, 5.
desiderator (eccl.) 147, 26. (Vulg. Interpr. Ital. Num. 11,34.) 16
dilector (p. c.) 27, 1; 104, 4; 128, 2, 4, 7; 145, 6; 147, 27;
177, 15; 179, 10; 186, 39; 258, 1; 263, 2. (App. Flor.
9, p. 347; Tert. adv. Marc. 4, 23.)
16 “ Sunt etiam qui tribuunt Digesto, loco tamen non indicato.” Forcel-
lini, Vol. 2, 663.
45
dispositor (rare) 166, 13. (Sen. Q. H. 5, 18, 4; Lact. 4, 9, 2.)
disputator (rare) 33, 3; 36, 8; 147, 22, 29; 34; 67, 2. (Cic.
Off. 1, 1, 3; Yal. Max. 8, 12.)
distributor (p. c.) 37, 2. (App. Trism. p. 92, 26; Hier. Ep.
108, 13.)
donator (=one who absolves: Aug. only) 153, 15.
effector (rare out of Cicero) 202A, 14. (Cic. Univ. 5; Div.
2, 26; de Or. 1, 33.)
exauditor (eccl.) 130, 19. (Venant. Yit. S. Martin. 4, 594;
Yulg. Eccli. 35, 19.)
execrator (eccl.) 105, 17. (Tert. Pud. 15.)
exhortator (p. c.) 35, 1; 218, 1. (Tert. de Euga in Persec. fin.;
Hier. in Ezech. 7 ad 21, 8.)
explicator (Cic. only) 31, 7. (Or. 9, 31; Inv. 2, 2, 6.)
expositor (late) 199, 21; 217, 6; 238, 6. (Firm. Mat. 13, 5;
Cassiod. Yar. 9, 21.)
factor (a. and p. c.) 190, 16. (Tert. Apol. 2; Dig. 49, 16, 6;
Plaut. Cure. 2, 3, 18; Cato R. R. 13, 64; Yulg. Deut. 32,
15; Prov. 14, 31; Eccle. 2, 12 etc.)
fideiussor (late) 153, 17; 250A. (Just. Inst. 3, 20; Dig. 27,
7; Ambros. De Tob. 12, 89; Yulg. Prov. 20, 16; Eccli.
29, 20.)
ieiunator (eccl.) 36, 10. (Hier. in Jov. 2, 16.)
illusor (p. c.) 237, 9. (Tert. adv. Marc. 4, 35: Paulin. Hoi.
Car. 20, 72; Yulg. Prov. 3, 32; Isai. 28, 14; 2 Petr. 3, 3.)
im'missor (late) 104, 17. (Eucher. Instr. 1, 2 ad Cor. in fin.)
impensor (a7ra£ Xeyo/xevov) 192, 2.
impertitor (a7ra£ Xeyo/xevov) 97, 4.
inflator (eccl.) 194, 13. (Gloss. Graec. Lat. )
inhabitator (p. c.) 125, 4; 187, 21. (Dig. 9, 3, 5; Hier. ad
Helv. 1; Yulg. Sap. 12, 3; Soph. 2, 5.)
insinuator (eccl.) 118, 12. (Arn. 1, 63; Tert. ad Hat. 2, 1.)
instaurator (p. c.) 261, 2. (Amm. 27, 3, 5.)
institutor (p. c.) 44, 13; 257. (Amm. 14, 8, 6; Lact. 2, 8;
Treb. Poll. Trig. Tyr. 3, 1.)
intellector (eccl.) 148, 15. (Aug. Doct. Chr. 2, 13; Gen. ad
Lit. 2, 2; Maxim. Taurin. Serm. 107; Interpr. Irenaei
Haer. 21, 2.)
interrogator (p. c.) 118, 9. (Dig. 11, 1, 11.)
lector—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
mediator (p. c.) 130, 26; 137, 9, 12; 140, 39, 43, 69; 149, 17,
46
26; 166, 5, 20; 177, 12; 186, 1; 187, 34; 140, 5, 12, 13;
194, 21; 202A, 20; 217, 10, 11; 232, 5. (Lact. 4, 25;
Tert. Carn. 15; Vulg. Judic. 11, 10; 1 Tim. 2, 5.)
meditator (p. c.) 34, 2. (Prud. ctt£. 5, 265.)
miserator (p. c.) 188, 8. (Tert. adv. Marc. 5, 11; Juvenc. 2,
295; Vulg. Psal. 85, 15; Isai. 49, 10; Jacob. 5, 11.)
negator (p. c.) 140, 36. (Tert. adv. Haer. 5, 11; Prud. Cath.
I, 57; Sid. Ep. 9, 16.)
opinator (= tax-collector: late) 268, 1. (Cod. Just. 12, 38, 11;
Cod. Th. 7, 4, 26.)
ordinator—Cf. ch. v. Semantics,
pastor—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
peccator (eccl.) 33, 3; 82, 20; 93, 7; 105, 12; 108, 6; 111, 3;
128, 2; 133, 22; 147, 7; 153, 8; 155, 5; 157, 2, 7, 21;
185, 17; 193, 6; 194, 9; 196, 4; 204, 4; 205, 11; 217,
11; 248, 1. (Lact. 3, 26; Tert. Spect. 3; Arn. 7, 8;
Vulg. freq. Gen. 13, 13 to Judae 15.)
penetrator (p. c.) 262, 5. (Prud. Hamart. 883; Paul. Nol.
Carm. 20, 285.)
perlator (p. c.) 38, 3; 45, 1, 2; 97, 3; 111, 9; 149, 2, 4; 178, 3;
179, 17; 186, 3; 189, 8; 191, 1; 193; 194, 2; 202A, 3;
224, 3; 232, 3; 242, 5. (Symm. Ep. 5, 28; Amm. 21,
16, 11.)
perpetrator (p. c.) 138, 18. (Civ. Dei 20, 1; Sid. Ep. 8, 6.)
perscrutator (p. c.) 205, 3. (Capitol. Max. 1; Veg. Mil. 3, 3.)
persecutor (p. c.) 23, 4; 35, 4; 43, 23; 76, 1; 89, 2; 141, 1;
149, 9; 153, 3 ; 179, 9; 185, 6; 238, 2, 6. (Capitol. Alb.
II, 7; Hier. Ep. ad Helv. 13; Prud. o-re<£. 1, 28; Vulg.
2 Esdr. 9, 11; Esth. 9, 2; Thren. 1, 3.)
persolutor (ava^ Aey o/xevov), 110, 2.
plantator (eccl.) 147, 1, 27, 52; 157, 37; 193, 13; 194, 11.
(Hier. in Is. 18 ad 65, 21.)
praecessor (eccl.) 79; 141, 8. (Tert. adv. Prax. 1; Hier. in Ruf.
3, 20; Vulg. Luc. 22, 26.)
praecursor—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
praedecessor (p. c.) 96, 2. (Symm. Ep. 10, 47; Alcim. Avit.
p. 110, 20; Rutil. Ham. 1, 424.)
praedicator—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
praesumptor (p. c.) 93, 38; 140, 36; 149, 22; 194, 13. (Tert.
Poen. 6; Hier. Ep. 89; Sedul. 2, 4.)
praevaricator (-= sinner, apostate: eccl.) 17, 5; 82, 20; 102, 18;
47
157, 15; 196, 4. (Lact. 2, 16; Hilar, in Psal. 118, 15,
11; Vulg. 2 Reg. 23, 6; Prov. 13, 2; Eccli. 40, 14, etc.)
pransor (a. c.) 46, 10, 16. (Plaut. Men. 2, 2, 2.)
precator (a. c.) 130, 19. (Ter. Heaut. 5, 2, 23; Plant. Ps. 2,
2 , 12 .)
probator—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
rebaptizator (Ang. only) 44, 8; 53, 6; 66, 1. (Serm. 46, 37;
33, 5.)
redditor (eccl.) 110, 5; 127, 6, 16; 138, 15. (Vulg. Eccli. 5,4.)
redemptor—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
remunerator (p. c.) 194, 32. (Tert. Apol. 36; Vulg. Hebr.
11 , 6 .)
rigator (late) 147, 1, 27, 52; 193, 13; 194, 11. (Tert. adv.
Valent. 15.)
sacrator (a-7ra£ Aey ofievov) 261, 2.
salvator (late) 54, 4, 8; 140, 21, 36; 142, 1, 55, 59; 145, 3;
147, 29; 157, 17; 164, 5, 8; 169, 7; 175, 6; 176, 2; 177,
1, 11, 17; 178, 1; 179, 2; 185, 20; 186, 2, 6, 27, 38; 187,
23, 28, 37; 188, 1, 3; 190, 22; 194, 5, 28; 199, 1, 13;
207; 215, 1; 217, 26; 232, 1; 238, 23; 258, 5. (Mart.
Cap. 5, 5, 10; Tert. adv. Marc. 3, 18; Lact. 4, 12, 6;
Prud. 1, 115; Vulg. freq. Gen. 41, 45 to Judae 25.)
sanctificator (eccl.) 34, 3. (Tert. adv. Prax. 2; Vulg. Ezech.
37, 28.)
saturator (a7ra£ Xeyofxevov ) 140, 62.
seductor (eccl.) 55, 10; 237, 9. (Aug. Tract, in Joan. 29;
Vulg. Matth. 27, 63.)
separator (eccl.) 93, 42. (Tert. Praescr. 30; Vulg. Zach. 9, 6.)
susceptor (p. c.) 186, 6. (Cod. Th. 2, 12, 6; Cod. Just. 10, 70;
Amm. 17, 10, 4; Vulg. Psal. 3, 4 et passim.)
temptator—Cf. ch. v. Semantics,
tractator—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
transgressor (late) 157, 2. (Arn. 7, 7; Tert. Res. Carn. 39;
Alcim. 2, 120; Vulg. Isai. 24, 16; Ezech. 20, 38: Jacob.
2, 9.)
traditor—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
trucidator (Aug. only) 194, 28. (Civ. Dei 1, 1.)
ventricultor (a7ra£ Xeyofxevov ) 36, 11.
Nouns in -trix.
amatrix (poet.) 211, 16. (Plaut. Poen. 5, 5, 25; Mart. 7, 69, 9.)
48
conditrix (late) 118, 18; 237, 9. (Macr. Somn. Sc. 1, 11;
Tert. Spect. 7; Lact. 1, 5, 6.)
elfectrix (Cic. only) 118, 18. (Fin. 2, 17, 35; Univ. 10, 32.)
exactrix (a7ra| Aey o/xevov) 110, 1.
flagitatrix (a7ra£ \ey o/xevov ) 261, 1.
insinuatrix (a7ra£ Aey o/xevov) 111.
liberatrix (rare) 194, 28. (Prosp. Ep. ad Rufin.; Cassiod. de
Anim. 10.)
Ordinatrix ( ava £ Aey o/xevov) 118, 24.
peccatrix (p. c.) 153, 11; 166, 10; 179, 9; 190, 14, 21, 22, 24,
25. (Paul. Nol. Car. 28, 117; Hier. adv. Joan. Jerosol.
4; Vulg. Isai 1, 4; Marc. 8, 38; Lnc. 7, 37.)
praevaricatrix (eccl.) 157, 20. (Hier. in Isai 5, 12, 3; Vulg.
Jerem. 3, 7.)
sanctificatrix (a7ra£ Aey o/xevov) 232, 5.
ultrix (poet.) 108, 6. (Verg. A. 4, 473; Sen. Med. 967; Stat.
Th. 10, 911.)
Of the forms in -trix all but flagitatrix, used as an adjective, show
the corresponding forms in -tor.
14. Nouns in -tudo.
This is a suffix used in forming abstract nouns with about the
same force as the ending -tas. It was more favored in ante-
classical than in classical times, and survived rather in the popular
speech than in the literary language. Augustine makes a re¬
strained use of it, showing in some cases forms of both sorts, e. g.
beatitas and beatitudo. Only 3 non-classical nouns in -tudo appear
in the Letters.
inquietudo (p. c.) 55, 29, 31; 133, 1; 194, 47; 209, 9. (Cod.
7, 14, 5; Sol. 1; Vulg. Judith 14, 9.)
paenitudo (a. and p. c.) 16, 1. (Pac. ap. Non. 15, 30; Sid. Ep.
6, 9; Hier. Ep. 84; Ambros. Laps. Virg. 8, 33.)
rectitudo (p. c.) 40, 9; 56, 2; 120, 6; 155, 13. (Hier. in Isai.
8, 10 ; Just. Nov. 13.)
15. Nouns in -turn, -sura.
This is another instance of a plebeian termination having a
parallel in the literary language. The parallel of - tura , -sura was
-tio, -sio , and as the former was never much favored, it gradually
gave way to the latter ending. Originally abstract in character,
49
indicating state or condition, this suffix shows formations in the
late period of the language with concrete signification. Some¬
times the same word is used in both abstract and concrete sense,
e. g. creatura, which may mean creation in general or creature.
ereatura (late) 18, 2; 55, passim; 102, passim; 137, 10; 140,
passim; 164, 4; 166, 8, 15; 169, 5, 6, 11; 170, 4; 185,
48; 187, 17; 190, 4; 199, 30; 204A, 13; 238, 15; 239, 1.
(Tert. Apol. 30; Prud. Hamart. 508; Yulg. freq. Tobiae
8, 7 to Apoc. 8, 9.)
censura—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
cultura (= religious worship: eccl.) 105, 15; 149, 23, 27. (Lact.
5, 7; Tert. Apol. 21; Lampr. Heliog. 3; Yulg. 2 Par. 31,
21; Judith 5, 19; Sap. 14, 27.)
factura (=work: late) 132. (Prud. Apoth. 792; Yulg. Num.
8, 4; Ephes. 2, 10.)
ligatura (p. c.) 245, 2. (Isid. Orig. 8, 9; Pall. 1, 6, 11; Yulg.
1 Reg. 25, 18; Eccli. 45, 13.)
pressura—Cf. ch. v. Semantics,
scissura—Cf. ch. v. Semantics,
scriptura—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
16. Nouns in -tus , -sus.
These derivatives, like nouns in -io, are formed from the supine.
Originally 17 there was a difference of meaning between the two
terminations, nouns in -io signifying action, nouns in -tus the
result of action. By degrees, however, the two suffixes became
interchangeable and the distinction was lost. Nouns in -tus were
frequent in all periods of the language, but showed certain pecu¬
liarities in the post-classical period, especially in writers of the
African school. The first of these is their recurrence in the dative
and other unused case-forms, where in classical Latin only the
ablative appears; the second their frequency in the plural, parti¬
cularly the ablative plural. In Augustine’s Letters the number
of forms in -us is small; he does not favor datives in -ui, but
ablative plurals are fairly numerous.
'abscessus—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
ausus (rare) 91, 8. (Petron. 123, 184; Cod. 1, 2, 14.)
captus—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
computus (late) 199, 34. (Firm. Mat. 1, 12.)
17 Goelzer (1), 86.
4_w
50
conflictus (rare) 44, 6; 51, 4; 92A; 202A, 13; 217, 29. (Cic.
N. D. 2, 9, 25; Gell. 6, 2, 8; Pacat. Pan. ad Theod. 31.)
contractus (a. and p. c.) 93, 19. (Yarro R. R. 1, 68; Dig. 50,
16, 19; Just. Inst. 1, 2, 2; Gell. 4, 4, 2.)
contuitus 18 (rare and only in ab. sing.) 43, 6; 147, 5, 35; 232,
5; 257. (Plant. Trin. 2, 1, 27; Curt. 5, 12, 19; Plin.
11, 37, 54.)
exitus—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
The following are found in the ablative plural:
apparatibus 118, 32.
aspectibus 148, 8; 204, 6.
contactibus 140, 25.
gemitibus 29, 6; 186, 41; 194, 16.
motibus 55, 6; 187, 25; 205, 17.
obtutibus 147, 10.
spiritibus 22, 1, 6.
visibus 147, 38.
The following are found in the dative singular:
cultui 164, 2; egressui 167, 13; episcopatui 209, 10; spiritui
259, 4.
17. Miscellaneous Forms.
litigium (a. c.) 186, 14. (Plaut. Cas. 3, 2, 21; Yet. Jur. Cons.
7, 1.)
litterio (= language-master, used as a term of contempt: late)
118, 26. (Amm. 17, 11, 1; Aug. Adv. Leg. et Proph.
1, 52.)
morio (colloquial: quos vulgo moriones vocant) 166, 17. (Plin.
Ep. 9, 17, 1; Mart. 8, 13.)
naevus (= fault, blemish: late) 85, 1. (Symm. 3, 34.)
primas (late) 43, 8; 59, 1; 88, 3; 209, 6. (App. M. 2, p. 123;
Cod. Th. 7, 18, 13; Yulg. 2 Macc. 4, 21.)
putor (a. and p. c.) 124, 2. (Cato R. R. 157; Yarro L. L. 5,
25; Lucr. 2, 872; Am. 7, 222.)
rancor (late) 73, 1; 202A, 4. (Pall. 1, 20, 2; Hier. Ep. 13, 1.)
satellitium (eccl.) 118, 1. (Aug. Doctr. Chr. 3, 18.)
1S Contuitus, found only in the ablative singular in classical authors,
occurs twice in the Letters in the accusative: 147, 35 and 257. In the
other passages cited, it appears in the ablative.
51
solidi (= money: late) 8, 34; 268. (Dig. 9, 3, 5; Cod. Just.
10, 75, 5; Yulg. 1 Par. 19, 7; App. M. 10, p. 242.)
ii. Adjectives.
1. Adjectives in -alls.
This termination was formed from a demonstrative suffix mean¬
ing of or belonging to and was more common in later Latin than
in the earlier period. 19 Because of the facility with which it could
be used, it was readily adopted by the writers who were shaping
the new ecclesiastical vocabulary. Augustine has a number of
classical forms in the Letters, in addition to the following:
carnalis (eccl.) 22, 2, 6; 29, 2, 9, 11; 34, 3; 35, 5; 36, 11, 23,
28; 43, 27; 52, 4; 55, 36; 88, 11; 91, 6; 92, 5; 93, 6;
95, 2; 98, 1; 102, 20; 104, 17; 113, 1; 118, 14; 120, 7;
124, 1; 126, 7; 130, 24; 140, 3; 142, 4; 144, 36; 147,
passim; 149, 26; 157, 11; 164, 19; 166, 21; 167, 11;
175, 2; 184A, 33; 186, 8; 187, passim; 194, 44; 196,
passim; 199, 32; 211, 2; 214, 3; 217, 27; 237, passim;
243, passim; 262, 1; 264, 3. (Hier. Ep. 16, 1; Tert.
Poen. 3; Min. Fel. Oct. 32; Prud. Apoth. 1051; Lact. 4,
17, 21; Vulg. Esth. 14, 10; Rom. 7, 14; 1 Cor. 3, 1;
Ephes. 6, 5.)
conregionalis (Aug. only) 60, 2. (Civ. Dei 2, 17.)
episcopalis (eccl.) 43, 3, 5; 44, 5; 85; 86; 88, 3; 89, 33; 91, 7;
93, 13; 94; 118, 9; 128, 2; 141, 7; 148, 4; 151, 5; 153,
21; 175, 1; 178, 2} 185, 6; 186, 2; 190, 22; 209, 8;
214, 5; 242, 1; 253. (Prud. o-re<£. 33; Hier. Ep. 117, 1;
adv. Ruf. 1, 10; Capitol. Gord. 3, 33.)
tiscalis (p. c.) 96, 2. (Dig. 43, 8, 2; Aur. Yict. Caes. 41.)
glacialis (poet.) 140, 55. (Yerg. A. 3, 285; Ov. M. 2, 30; Juv.
2, 1; Luc. 1, 18; Arn. 2, 42.)
intellectualis (p. c.) 120, 12; 202A, 17. (App. Dogm. Plat.
3, 1; Hier. Ep. 124, 14.)
localis (late) 120, 10; 140, 57; 147, 43; 166, 4. (Tert. adv.
Marc. 4, 34; Amm. 14, 75.)
maritalis (poet.) 262, 2. (Ov. A. A. 2, 258; Juv. 6, 43; Yulg.
1 Macc. 1, 28.)
officialis (late—also used as noun) 43, 20; 115; 153, 24; 185,
19 Goelzer (1), 146.
52
15; 190, 20. (Dig. 36, 4, 5; Tert. adv. Marc. 1, 25;
Lact. 6, 11, 9; App. M. 1, p. 113.)
orientalis (p. c.) 36, 4; 44, 5; 52, 2; 82, 14; 87, 4; 118, 9; 137,
15; 148, 10; 177, 15; 217, 4. (Hier. Ep. 121; Gell. 2,
22, 11; Arn. 7, 40; Just. 14, 2, 8; Vulg. freq. Gen. 4, 16
to Zach. 14, 8.)
originalis (p. c. especially frequent in the expression originale
peccatum) 157, 9, 19, 22; 179, 6, 9; 184A, 2; 186, 27;
187, 25; 190, passim; 193, 3; 194, 34, 38, 46; 202A, 18,
20; 215, 1; 250, 2. (App. M. 11, p. 257; Hier. adv.
Jovin. 1, 27; Macr. Somn. Sc. 1, 2; Vulg. 2 Petr. 2, 5.)
paschalis (eccl. from the Hebrew) 36, 30; 51, 4; 82, 14. (Cod.
Th. 9, 35, 4; Hier. Ep. 99, 1.)
pastoralis—Cf. ch. v. Semantics,
pontificalis—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
praesidalis (p. c.) 86. (Treh. Poll, xxx, Tyr. 24; Cod. Just.
4, 24, 11; Amm. 28, 1, 5; Symm. Ep. 4, 71.)
sanctimonialis (eccl. used as a noun in the feminine to signify
nun) 254. (Just. 1, 3, 56; Aug. Retract. 2, 22.)
spiritalis (spiritual: eccl. Form preferred by Augustine to spiri-
tualis) 23, 1; 29, 2; 31, 7; 34, 3; 36, 11; 37, 2; 43, 27;
55, 9; 69, 2; 93, 6; 95, 6; 98, 1; 102, passim and freq.
to 261, 2). (Tert. Apol. 22; Prud. . 10, 13; Vulg.
Osee 9, 7; Rom. 1, 11; 1 Cor. 2, 13; Gal. 6, 1; Ephes.
1, 3; Colos. 1, 9; 1 Petr. 2, 5.)
venialis (p. c.) 137, 12; 153, 23. (Macr. S. 7, 16; Sid. Ep.
8 , 11 .)
vidualis (p. c.) 130, 8, 11; 262, 9, 10. (Civ. Dei 15, 26; Am-
bros. in Psal. 40, 27.)
Words in -alis form, after those in -ills the largest single category
of adjectives in Augustine’s Letters. They lend a certain sonority
to his sentences, and are especially useful in expressing abstract
ideas.
2. Adjectives in -anus , -aneus.
These are sometimes used as nouns, some of them exclusively
so, as publicanus, septimana (week), castellanus. Besides the fol¬
lowing, several classical forms also occur, hut on the whole this
group is not a large one. The exceedingly frequent use of chris-
tianus as both noun and adjective is easily explained by the polem-
53
ical nature of many of the letters, which were written against the
various heresies and heretics of the time.
castellanus (rare) 209, 4. (Sail. J. 92, 7; Hirt. B. Alex. 42, 3;
Liv. 34, 27, 2.)
christianus 20 (mostly eccl.) 17, 5; 20, 1; 23, passim; 28, 6; 29,
4, 6, 8, 9, etc. very frequently to 268, 2. (Cod. Just.
16, 8, 18; Tac. A. 15, 44; Plin. Ep. 10; Yulg. Act. 11,
26; 1 Petr. 4, 16.)
mundanus (late) 166, 4. (Macr. Somn. Sc. 2, 16; Avien. Arat.
216.)
publicanus—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
quatriduanus (p. c.) 157, 15. (Hier. Ep. 108, 24; Yulg. Joan.
11, 39.)
septimana 21 (late) 211, 16. (Cod. Th. 15, 5, 5; 2 Macc. 12, 31.)
triduanus (p. c.) 55, 5. (App. M. 10, p. 247; Hier. Ep. 54,
10; Paul. Hoi. Car. 12, 207.)
spontaneus (late) 185, 32. (Macr. Somn. Sc. 2, 22; Cod. Just.
2, 3, 2; Arn. 3, p. 114; Yulg. Hum. 29, 39; Deut. 16, 10;
Ezech. 46, 12.)
subitaneus (rare) 199, 8. (Col. 1, 6, 24; Sen. Q. N. 7, 22;
Yulg. Sap. 17, 6.)
3. Adjectives in -aris.
This is a variation of the suffix -alis, used with stems in which
an -l- occurs. Apparently the repetition of the -l- sound was dis¬
agreeable, so that these adjectives represent cases of dissimilation.
Of 19 words in -aris in the Letters, only 5 are non-classical.
angularis (mostly a. and p. c.) 187, 31. (Cato E. R. 14, 1;
Col. 5, 3, 2; Yulg. Job, 38, 6; Isai 28, 16; Ephes. 2, 20;
1 Petr. 2, 6.)
luminaris (rare) 40, 2. (Yitr. 6, 4.)
saecularis—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
20 This word ought to be christanus as the -i- is part of neither stem nor
suffix. It is an example of false analogy, such as occurs frequently in
adjectives formed from proper names, e. g., Julianus is correct because -i-
belongs to the stem, but Caesarianus, Augustianus, etc., have no reason to
admit -i- before -anus.
21 Equivalent to septima dies used to represent the Hebrew sabbatum,
then, like sabbatum, taken to mean week when the Christian calendar
came into use.
54
salutaris—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
scholaris (late) 118, 9. (Mart. Cap. 3, 326; Prud. . 9, 16;
Hier. Ep. 36, 14.)
4. Adjectives in - arius .
These are closely connected with nouns in -arius, -arium (q. v.).
The suffix was a common one in the sermo plebeius, especially
in the sermo rusticus and the sermo castrensis. Many of the forms
are archaic. In late Latin it is of frequent occurrence,' and is
sometimes found as an additional termination to adjectives whose
meaning is not thereby altered. 22
dominicarius ( a7ra$ Aey o/ievov) 36, 24.
litterarius—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
plenarius (eccl.) 43, 19; 51, 2; 54, 1; 64, 4; 215, 2. (Prosp.
Acq. Yit. Cont. 3, 33; Ennod. Ep. 8; Cassiod. Yar. 3, 5.)
sabbatarius (eccl. except. Mart. 4, 4, 7) 36, 21. (Sid. Ep. 1, 2.)
voluptuarius (p. c. for voluptarius) 36, 9. (Capitol. Yer. 2;
Mart. Cap. 2, 144.)
There occur ulso 15 classical forms in -arius, some of them nu¬
merals as quinarius, quadragenarius, septenarius, etc. These latter
are found principally in Ep. 55, 28, where Augustine gives a
curious and intricate explanation of the significance of certain
numbers. Adversarius, contrarius, necessarius and temerarius, all
formed from adverbs, occur frequently.
5. Adjectives in -ax.
This termination denotes habit, desire or inclination, sometimes
with an idea of excess, or an implication of censure. Because of
their convenient metrical form and the verbal idea conveyed by
many of them, these words were more common in poetry than in
prose, until the post-Augustan age, when so many poetical words
entered the prose vocabulary.
The number of them occurring in the Letters is not large—
only 15. Besides the classical audax, contumax, efficax, fallax,
loquax, mendax, minax, pervicax, vorax, the following are found:
capax (poet.) 28, 6; 98, 10; 153, 12; 260, 1. (Lucr. 6, 123;
Hor. C. 2, 7, 22; Ov. M. 3, 172.)
23 Cooper, 151. Goelzer (1), 147.
fugax (poet.) 7, 5; 43, 3; 118, 12; 209, 2. (Yerg. A. 10, 724;
Hor. C. 3, 2, 14; Ov. M. 13, 809.)
mordax (poet.) 248, 1. . (Ov. A. A. 2, 417; Hor. C. 4, 6, 9;
Pers. 5, 86.)
pertinax (poet.) 43, 1; 53, 6; 139, 1. (Hor. C. 1, 9, 24; Plaut.
Capt. 2, 239; Vulg. Gen. 49, 7.)
verax (rare) 28, 5; 82, 3, 7, 29, 30; 91, 3; 95, 7; 102, 17; 104,
11; 108, 6; 118, 26; 126, 13; 129, 2 ; 131; 138, 8; 140,
82; 155, 2; 157, 35; 181, 6; 190, 8. (Plaut. Capt. 5,
2, 6; Tib. 1, 2, 41; Cic. Ac. 2, 25, 79; Hor. S. 1, 4, 89;
Vulg. Exod. 34, 6; Job 12, 20; Eccli. 15, 8; Apoc. 19,
11, etc.)
vivax (poet.) 137, 10. (Ov. Am. 2, 6, 54; Hor. S. 2, 1, 53;
Yerg. E. 7, 30.)
The use of such adjectives as these is one of the means by which
Augustine secures force and brevity of style, in substituting phrases
for clauses or words for phrases. They sometimes occur in pairs
with an effect of rhyme, e. g.
apostolicam mordacem veracemque sententiam 243, 1;
quam vivaces, quam efficaces 137, 10
non minaces ulterius sed fugaces 209, 2.
6. Adjectives in -bundus.
The meaning of an exaggerated present participle, sometimes
with a slightly contemptuous implication, distinguishes this ple¬
beian termination. It is found principally in early and late Latin.
In addition to moribundus, a classical word, the following occur
in the Letters:
furibundus (rare) 34, 3; 108, 14. (Cic. Sest. 7, 15; Sail. C.
31; Lucr. 6, 367; Hor. Ep. 1, 10; Vulg. 3 Reg. 20, 43.)
gemibundus (very rare) 186, 41. (Ov. M. 1, 188 only.)
indignabundus (rare) 98, 8. (Liv. 38, 37, 7; Suet. Aug. 40;
Gell. 19, 9, 8.)
insultabundus (late, occurs for first time here) 36, 3. (Acta
Ss. Jacobi et Mariani, Mm. n. 8.)
men dicab un dus (cbra^ Xeyofxevov) 261, 1.
vagabundus (a. and p. c.) 35, 2; 92, 4. (Fenest. ap. Fulg.
3, 9; Sol. 5, 24; Dracont. Hexaem. 1, 257; Sol. 5, 24.)
56
7. Adjectives in -eus, -ius.
These two denote provenance or resemblance. The first is a
common ending used to show the material of which a thing is
made, like English -en in wooden, earthen, golden, etc., although
it was at its origin a poetical suffix expressing resemblance.
carneus (p. c.) 22, 1, 3, 4; 166, 12, 27. (Hier. Ep. 36, 16;
Maximian. Gall. 1, 85; Prud. Apoth. 370; Vulg. 2 Par.
32, 8; Job 10, 4; Ezech. 11, 19.)
corporeus (found mostly in Lucretius before it became a part
of the Christian vocabulary) 2, 1; 3, 2; 9, 1; 13, 2; 95, 8;
118, passim; 120, passim; 127, 11; 147, passim; 148, 1,
8; 159, 2, 5; 162, passim; 177, 19, 39; 188, 23. (Lucr.
2, 186; Cic. N". D. 2, 15, 41; Mart. Cap. 6, 607.)
Jaeneus (very rare) 140, 13. (Cic. Fragm. Or. Cornel. 1, 1;
Ascon. p. 62; Aug. c. Acad. 3, 18.)
incorporeus (p. c.) 118, passim; 137, 11; 140, 56; 147, passim;
166, 4; 169, 3, 4, 11; 187, passim; 190, 15; 202A, 10;
228, 10; 236, 3; 238, 15, 24; 247, 38, 47. (Gell. 5, 15,
1; Macr. 3, 7, 15.)
spineus (very rare) 29, 6, 7. (Ov. M. 2, 789; Sol. 7; Yulg.
Marc. 14, 17; Joan. 19, 5.)
virgineus (poet, for virginalis) 137, 8. (Tib. 3, 4, 89; Ov. M.
3, 607; Lucr. 1, 87.)
aerius (poet.) 9, 3; 55, 15; 102, 20; 166, 4. (Lucr. 5, 825;
Ov. A. A. 2, 44; Hor. C. 1, 28, 5; Vulg. Esth. 1, 6; 8,15.)
praescius (poet.) 140, 48. (Yerg. A. 12, 452; Ov. F. 1, 538;
Lact. 2, 9, 11.)
The large percentage of poetical words in this and other cate¬
gories seems to be a consequence of Augustine’s literary training
and of that affection for and frequent reading of Latin poetry, espe¬
cially Yergil, which he bewails in the Confessions. 23
8. Adjectives in -enus, -inns.
This is a participial suffix, originally passive in force, but found
also with active meaning. Only three words in -enus occur in the
Letters: serenus (class.) and:
egenus (rare and poet.) 127, 26; 145, 15; 247, 1. (Yerg. A.
23 Conf. 1, 3.
57
1, 599; Sil. 6, 304; Yulg. freq. Deut. 15, 11 to Galat.
4, 9.)
terrenus—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
Of 15 words in -inus only one is non-classical, while two show
change of meaning.
divinus—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
morticinus (a. and p. c.) 93, 21; 137, 6. (Yarro, R. R. 2, 9, 10;
Plant. Pers. 2, 4, 12; Prud. 10, 384; Vnlg. Levit. 7, 24;
Num. 19, 13.)
transmarinus—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
This was an infrequent termination at all periods of the lan¬
guage and shows no particular development in the late period.
Augustine found terrenus a convenient word to use in expressing
an idea which he is continually urging on his readers or hearers,
viz. contempt for earthly things: terrena. He prefers this term
to mundanus, which conveys the same thought but is a later word.
In this he is probably obeying the same puristic instinct which
in his youth had made him despise the Holy Scriptures because of
the (to him) barbaric Latin in which the Itala version was clothed.
He usually prefers a classical word where there is one, even if he
has to use it with an altered meaning.
9. Adjectives in -icus, -icius.
This termination is common to Greek and Latin, and as many
ecclesiastical words are of Greek origin, the category is a large one
in the Letters. The following list contains only Latin adjectives
in - icus ; those formed from Greek words will be considered in
Chapter III, on foreign loan-words.
civicus (rare and poet, except in the phrase corona civica) 212.
(Hor. Ep. 1, 3, 23; Flor. 3, 21, 5; Ov. F. 1, 22.)
dominicus—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
iuridicus (mostly p. c. and juristic) 134, 4. (Plin. 3, 1, 3;
Cod. Th. 3, 12, 7; Dig. 1, 20.)
urbicus (rare) 36, 3, 8, 20. (Gell. 15, 1, 3; Suet. Ner. 14;
Lampr. Heliog. 20; Dig. 43, 8, 11.)
In -icius only one non-classical word occurs :
immolaticius (late) 47, 4, 4. (Gloss. Gr. Lat. eiSwXoOvcria.)
Of 5 forms in - ficus, one only is non-classical:
58
beatificus (p. c.) 118, 15; 164, 8. (App. Doct. Plat. 1, p. 3, 29;
Aug. Conf. 2, 5.)
10. Adjectives in -ills, -bilis.
Thisi formation occupies among adjectives the position of nu¬
merical superiority held by words in -io among nouns. It was a
plebeian suffix, particularly common in early and late Latin; and,
in the latter period much favored by African writers. 24 Usually
conveying a passive meaning and added to the present stem of
verbs, it may nevertheless be found in words of undisputed active
sense, and the number of words other than the present stems of
verbs to which it was added is a significant proof of the freedom
with which it was handled in late writers. The following occur
in the Letters:
abominabilis (late) 204, 5. (Vulg. Levit. 11, 10; Deut. 22, 5;
3 Keg. 21, 26; Prov. 11, 20, etc.)
acceptabilis (eccl.) 228, 4. (Tert. de Or. 7; Hier. adv. Jovin.
2, 6; Vulg. Levit. 1, 4; Esth. 10, 3; Isai. 58, 5; 2 Cor.
6 , 2 .)
accessibilis (late) 138, 18. (Tert. adv. Prax. 15.)
audibilis (late) 169, 10. (Boeth. Top. Arist. 1, 15.)
conspicabilis (eccl.) 147, 10. (Prud. . 10, 631; Hier. in
Osee 1, 2, 14; Sid. Ep. 8, 4; Hilar, in Matth. 17, 2.)
contaminabilis (eccl.) 236, 2. (Tert. adv. Marc. 4, 20; Civ.
Dei 9, 16.)
contemptibilis (p. c.) 153, 7; 167, 3; 185, 15; 199, 45; 204, 13.
(Dig. 1, 16, 9; Arn. 4, p. 155; Hier. Ep. 146, 2; Lampr.
Alex. Sev. 20; Vulg. Sap. 10, 4; Isai. 49, 7; 1 Cor. 1, 28.)
convertibilis (p. c.) 147, 19; 169, 9. (Prud. Apoth. 344; Hier.
Did. S. S. 5, 13; App. Dog. Plat. 3, p. 33, 1.)
corruptibilis (eccl.) 130, 7; 131, 1; 143, 5; 137, 37, 40, 50;
148, 11; 155, 2; 166, 27; 178, 3; 190, 4; 205, 2, 13;
220, 1; 236, 2; 263, 1. (Arn. 2, 68; Lact. 6, 25; Hier.
adv. Pelag. 1, 18; Vulg. Sap. 19, 20; Eccli. 14, 20; 1
Cor. 9, 25.)
culpabilis (p. c.) 93, 8; 126, 8; 137, 16; 149, 20. (App. Mag.
p. 233; Arn. 7, p. 222; Hier. Ep. 119, 10; Tert. ad
Uxor. 2, 1.)
21 Bayard, 30. Gabarrou, 39.
59
damnabilis (late) 89, 1, 2; 108, 5, 10, 19, 20; 138, 19; 153, 7;
157, 36. (Hier. in Isai. 13, 47, 1; Treb. Poll, xxx Ty-
rann. 17; Salv. 6.)
desiderabilis (rare) 27, 2; 87, 10; 159, 5; 185, 21; 190, sal.; 242,
sal.; 248, sal.; 254, sal.; 261, sal. (Cic. Top. 18, 69; Tac.
H. 2, 76; Vulg. freq. Job 33, 20 to Malac. 3, 12.)
divisibilis (eccl.) 148, 1, 4, 10, 15. (Tert. Anim. 14; Hilar, in
Matth. 9, 7; Hier. Did. S. S. 13.)
docibilis (late) 171A, 2; 266, 2. (Tert. Mon. 12; Ambros. in
Psal. 47, 21; Vulg. Joan. 6, 45; 2 Tim. 2, 24.)
effabilis (p. c.) 232, 5. (App. Mag. p. 315, 41; Apol. 64; Cas-
siod. Orthogr. 6.)
fidelis—Cf. ch. v. Semantics,
gentilis—Of. ch. v. Semantics.
honorabilis (very rare) 23, 1; 170, 1; 171, 1; 189, 1; 204, 3, 9;
208, 1; 209, 1, 3; 242, sal.; 254; 257; 269, sal.; 264, 2;
266, 2. (Cic. de Sen. 18, 62; Amm. 30, 4, 16; Vulg.
Psal. 71, 14; Eccli. 1, 14; Isai. 3, 3; Act. 5, 34.)
impalpabilis (eccl.) 130, 24. (Arn. 2, 7; Interpr. Ign. Ep. ad
Polycarp. 3.)
impassibilis (eccl.) 120, 7, 8. (Prud. Apoth. 84; Tert. Apol.
10; Lact. 1, 3, 23; Hier. Ep. 100, 10.)
imperturbabilis (eccl.) 248, 2. (Fulgent, ad Trasim. 3, 16.)
impossibilis (p. c. except Quint.) 102, 5; 188, 13; 203. (Quint.
5, 10, 18; App. M. 1, p. Ill; Just. 2, 4; Dig. 43, 11, 1.)
inaccessibilis (p. c.) 92, 3; 147, 45; 197, 4. (Tert. adv. Prax.
15; Hier. adv. Pelag. 3, 12; Mam. Geneth. Maxim. 9, 3;
Serv. ad Verg. A. 7, 11.)
incapabilis (late) 238, 3. (Aug. Serm. 199, 2; Interpr. Irenaei
Haeres. 1, 2, 1; Gloss. Philox. dxwp^ro?.)
incommutabilis (rare) 55, 8; 92A; 95, 6; 102, 11; 118, 6, 15,
17; 120, 4, 11; 137, 9; 140, passim; 147, 20, 37; 148, 1;
166, 3; 169, 5, 7, 11; 171A; 232, 5; 238, 1, 24. (Yarro
L. L. 9, 99; Cic. Rep. 2, 33, 57; Aug. Retract. 1, 9.)
inconvertibilis (eccl.) 179, 7. (Tert. Anim. 21; adv. Her-
mog. 12.)
incorruptibilis (eccl.) 92, 3; 130, 27; 131, 1; 148, 11, 16, 18;
166, 3; 169, 3; 205, 13; 263, 4. (Tert. Anim. 50; Lact.
I, 3; Vulg. Rom. 1, 23; 1 Petr. 1, 4.)
inculpabilis (late) 162, 7; 166, 7. (Prud. Apoth. 10, 15;
Avien. Arat. 28; Sol. 30; Vulg. Hum. 32, 22.)
GO
ineffabilis (p. c. except Plin.) 11, 4; 23, 6; 29, 7; 30, 2; 55, 17;
130, 5; 137, 5; 140, 22; 147, passim; 148, 16; 166, 13,
15; 169, 2, 11; 190, 22; 232, 3; 235, 1; 243, 3, 5; 248, 2.
(Fulgent. Mythol. 1, 1.)
inexcusabilis (poet, and p. c.) 93, 41; 194, passim. (Hor. Ep.
1, 18, 58; Ov. M. 7, 511; Dig. 5,1, 50; Cod. Th. 11,16, 7.)
infidelis—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
inflexibilis (rare) 104, 16. (Plin. 28, 12, 52; Cael. Aur. Acut.
3, 6, 65.)
inrationabilis (p. c.) 120, 3; 166, 16. (App. Dogm. Plat. p. 21;
Amm. 31, 12, 15; Vulg. 2 Petr. 2, 12.)
inscrutabilis (eccl.) 147, 34; 185, 12, 17; 194, 33. (Hier. in
Jerem. 3, 17, 9; Hilar. Trin. 8, 38; Vulg. Job 5, 9;
Prov. 25, 3; Jerem. 17, 9.)
interminabilis (p. c.) 35, 2; 36, 22, 25. (Tert. adv. Marc. 2, 3;
Sid. Ep. 2, 7.)
investigabilis (eccl. This is a negative word, unsearchable, and
must be distinguished from investigabilis < investigo,
which has the opposite meaning) 194, 6. (Hier. in Abac.
1, 1, 1; Vulg. Prov. 5, 6; Rom. 11, 33; Ephes. 3, 8.)
invisibilis (mostly p. c.) 55, 89; 58, 2; 92, 3; 118, 20; 145, 2;
147, passim; 148, passim; 151, 10; 159, 2; 169, 11; 190,
15; 194, 25; 220, 10; 232, 5; 238, 3; 239, 1. (Cels.
Praef.; Tert. adv. Herm. 29; Lact. 7, 9; Paulin. Nol.
Carm. 35, 208; Vulg. Tobiae 12, 19; 2 Macc. 9, 5; Rom.
1, 20; Colos. 1, 15.)
invulnerabilis (rare) 166, 3. (Sen. Ben. 5, 5, 1; Vulg. 2 Macc.
8, 36.)
passibilis (p. c.) 120, 7. (Arn. 7, 214; Prud. Apoth. 74; Tert.
adv. Prax. 29; Hier. Ep. 100, 11; Vulg. Act. 26, 23;
Jacob. 5, 17.)
perprobabilis (late) 10, 1. (Aug. Music. 1, 6, 12.)
perspicabilis (p. c.) 27, 2. (Amm. 14, 8, 3.)
portabilis (p. c.) 31, 4. (Sid. Ep. 8, 11.)
praedicabilis (rare and late except once in Cicero) 232, 1, 7;
255. (Cic. Tusc. 5, 17, 49; Ambros. in Luc. 1, 15.)
reprehensibilis (late) 196, 8. (Hier. Ep. 112, 8; Lact. 4, 28, 8;
Salv. Gub. Dei 4, 14; Vulg. Galat. 2, 11.)
sensibilis (rare) 3, 2, 3, 4; 4, 1, 2, 7, 5; 13, 2, 3. (Vitr. 5, 3;
Sen. Ep. 124, 2; Lact. 2, 10, 3.)
61
spectabilis (p. c. as title of respect) 133, 3; 134, 2; 222, 2. (Dig.
1, 15, 5; Imp. Tfieod. et Yal. Cod. 7, 62, 32.)
umbratilis (rare) 102, 35. (Cic. Tusc. 2, 11, 27; Col. 1, 2, 1;
Amm. 18, 6, 2.)
violabilis (poet.) 236, 2. (Ov. H. 15, 79; Yerg. A. 2, 154;
Stat. Th. 5, 258.)
visibilis (p. c.) 55, 8; 95, 7; 118, 20; 140, 8; 147, passim; 148,
passim; 162, 9; 169, 10; 177, 7; 179, 5; 204, 4; 205, 7;
220, 10; 232, 5; 238, 23. (App. de Mundo, p. 60, 37;
Prud. Apoth. 146; Vulg. Colos. 1, 16; Hebr. 11, 8.)
vituperabilis (very rare) 177, 12. (Cic. Fin. 3, 12, 40; Leg.
3, 10, 33.)
volatilis (=fowl: late) 105, 16; 186, 22. (Yulg. freq. Gen.
1, 20 to Act. 11, 6.)
Of words in - bilis, five have an active meaning: impassibilis, inca-
pabilis, inculpabilis, passibilis, spirabilis (class.) As in^ the case
of adjectives in -ax, Augustine is fond of using words in -ilis in
pairs or groups, giving thereby a certain rhythm and fulness of
vowel-sound to his sentences.
e. g. violabilis et corruptibilis et contaminabilis. 136, 2.
visibilem et corruptibilem. 238, 23.
immutabilis mutabilium. 138, 6.
11. Adjectives in -ivus.
This is a suffix which, having formed very few words in early
and classical Latin, became extremely active in the late period.
Five-sixths of all adjectives in -ivus are late, and barely 4% are
classical. 25 In the Letters seven classical forms appear and the
following:
abortivus (poet, rare) 243, 8. (Hor. S. 1, 3, 40; Juv. 2, 32;
Mart. 6, 93; Yulg. Exod. 21, 22; Num. 12, 12; Job 3,
16; 1 Cor. 15, 8.)
comitivus (p. c.) 120, 7. (Yeg. Mil. 2, 9; Cod. Th. 11, 21, 3;
Cod. Just. 1, 33, 3.)
dispensativus (p. c.) 82, 24. (Isid. Orig. 2, 24, 16.)
festivus (a. and p. c.) 17, 2. (Enn. ap. Serv. Yerg. A. 9, 401;
Plaut. Cas. 4, 1, 3; Gell. 18, 13, 1.)
25 Cooper, 105.
62
relativus (p. c.) 170, 6. (Arn. 7, p. 221; Mart. Cap. 5, 451.)
signifieativus (late and juristic) 102, 17; 169, 9. (Dig. 50, 16;
2, 32; 45, 1.)
Compared with other late Latin writers, Augustine makes a spar¬
ing use of this ending. Apuleius, Tertullian, Caelius Aurelianus
and Boethius enriched the language with many new words in -was,
while Jerome, whose additions are otherwise so numerous, con¬
tributed but five, Augustine six, none of which occur in the Letters.
12. Adjectives in -lentus.
Of this plebeian and archaic suffix only six forms occur in the
Letters: four classical words and the following:
corpulentus (corporeal: late) 190, 14. (Tert. Adv. Herm. 19.)
truculentus (poet.) 50. (Ter. Ad. 5, 4, 12; Plaut. Bacch. 4, 5,
3; Ov. M. 13, 558.)
13. Adjectives in -orius.
This is a compound termination belonging, like the substantive
form - orium, to the sermo plebeius. Originally it seems to have
consisted of a suffix -ius added to nouns in -tor, -sor, but later was
treated as a whole termination added to verb-stems. The verbal
force predominant in the later formations, which far outnumber
the earlier ones, is explained by this fact. These adjectives are
fairly numerous in the Letters.
adulatorius (rare) 104, 11; 232, 2. (Tac. A. 6, 32.)
communicatorius (late and rare) 43, 1, 8, 16,19; 44, 3. (Hilar.
Fragm. Hist. 2, 13; Concil. Ilhiberit.)
consolatorius (rare: once each in Cicero and Suetonius, other¬
wise late) 208, 1; 259, 1. (Cic. Att. 13, 20, 1; Suet.
Oth. 10; Cassiod. Yar. 10, 18; Vulg. Zach. 1, 13.)
consultatorius (late and very rare) 169, 13. (Macr. S. 3, 5.)
deceptorius (eccl.) 108, 6. (Aug. Doctr. Chr. 2, 23; Mar. Mer-
cat. ad Anath. Nest. 1, 9; Auct. Yit. S. Hilar. Arelat. 2.)
dispensatorius (eccl.) 82, 4, 27. (Hier. in Isai. 14, 53, 12;
Dion. Exig. de Creat. 31.)
emendatorius (Aug. only) 211, 11. (Tr. in Ps. 27.)
excitatorius (cbm^ Xeyo/xevov) 26, 2.
excusatorius (late) 83, 2. (Gloss, on aTroXoyrjTLKos' Sid. Carm. 9.)
exhortatorius (eccl.) 208, 1; 243, 2. (Hier. Ep. 54, 6; Fulg. de
Aet. 174, 3.)
63
gratulatorius (p. c.) 58, 2. (Capitol. Max. et Balb. 17; Jul.
Yal. Rer. Gest. Alex. 3, 34.)
simulatorius (eccl.) 82, 3. (Ambros. Hex. 1, 2, 7; Yin. Ler.
Common. 20; Gelas. Ep. 1, 28.)
tractatorius (eccl.) 43, 8. (Fulgent. Mythol. 11.)
tractoria (as noun: late) 59, 1. (Cod. Just. 12, 32; Fulg.
Myth. 48, 9.)
transitorins (transitory: eccl.) 27; 33, 6; 122, 1; 127, 2, 4;
137, 7; 140, 5; 143, 3; 164, 11; 185, 28; 220 1, 8; 243,
3. (Boeth. 5, 6; Hier. in Isai. 6, 13, 2; Cassiod. Amic.
p. 602.)
Aside from the jurists, the use of forms in -orius belongs largely
to the African writers. 26 Augustine is no exception to this general¬
ization, as the above list will show. Five words contributed by him
to this class are found in the Letters for the first time; fifteen
more are found in his other works. Cooper 27 includes iudicatorius
in his list of Augustinian additions, as found in Ep. 153, 10. In
this he evidently does not cite the text of the Yienna Corpus,
which has the reading iudiciarius. The form iudicatorius is the
Ms. reading of the Codex Parisinus, nov. acq. 1444.
14. Adjectives in -osus.
Like adjectives in -orius, those in -osus are more frequent in
colloquial than in literary Latin. They seem to have been especi¬
ally favored by rustic and African writers, partly no doubt because
this suffix could be added to almost any part of speech, even verbs,
but also because its length and forcefulness commended it to seek-
ers of emphasis. It marks an abundance or excess of the quality
indicated. Augustine has the following in the Letters:
annosus (poet.) 42; 72, 2; 118, 7. (Yerg. A. 6, 282; Hor. C.
3, 17, 13; Ov. F. 2, 571; Tib. 3, 6, 58.)
caenosus (rare) 88, 6; 241, 1. (Col. 7, 10, 6; Juv. 3, 266.)
caliginosus (rare) 102, 20; 242, 4. (Cic. Tusc. 1, 19, 43; Plin.
17, 22 ; Yal. Max. 1, 7, 1; Yulg. Isai. 13, 2; Jerem. 13,
16; 2 Petr. 1, 19.)
contentiosus (p. c. except Pliny) 40, 3; 54, 3; 81, 6; 93, 32;
98, 10; 138, 20; 184A, 1; 186, 19; 187, 28; 213, 1;
265, 8. (Plin. Fp. 2, 19, 4; App. M. 8, p. 202, 23; Tert.
Cooper, 158.
27 Ibid., 1G2.
64
de Pudic. 2; Arn. 6, 13; Vulg. Jerem. 8, 5; 1 Cor. 11,16.)
deliciosus (late) 118, 1, 13. (Cas^. Yar. 7, 9; Mart. Cap. 7,
727 ; Ambros. de Poen. 19, 24; Sedul. prol. 8.)
discordiosus (very rare) 202A, 6. (Sail. J. 66, 2; Sid. Ep. 6, 2.)
egestosus (late) 104, 3, 4, 5. (Anrel. Yict. Epit. 12.)
exitiosus (rare) 157, 5. (Cic. Cat. 4, 3, 6; Tac. A. 6, 36.)
fabulosus (poet.) 7, 4; 138, 18; 140, 82; 143, 12. (Hor. C.
1, 22, 7; Suet. Caes. 81; Curt. 3, 1, 2.)
lacrimosus (poet.) 138, 17; 140, 55; 204, 2. (Ov. M. 1, 8, 111;
Plin. 38, 6; Hor. S. 1, 5, 80.)
latebrosus—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
leprosus (late) 82, 18. (Sedul. 4, 191; Prud. . 2, 285;
Yulg. freq. Exod. 4, 6 to Luc. 17, 12.)
meticulosus (a. and p. c.) 28, 6. (Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 137; App.
Flor. p. 341; Dig. 4, 2, 7.)
morbosus (a. and p. c.) 243, 17. (Cato R. R. 2; Yarro R. R.
2, 1, 21; Cell. 4, 2, 5.)
nodosus (= intricate: poet.) 241, 1. (Hor. S. 2, 3, 69; Yal.
Max. 2, 9, 1; Macr. S. 7, 1.)
obliviosus (rare) 166, 17. (Cic. Sen. 11, 76; Hor. C. 2, 7, 21;
Tert. Anim. 24; Yulg. Jacob. 1, 25.)
pestilentiosus (p. c.) 102, 19. (Dig. 43, 8, 2.)
ruinosus (rare and poet.) 60, 1; 118, 5; 122, 2. (Cic. Off. 3,
13, 54; Sen. Ira. 3, 35; Ov. H. 1, 56; Yulg. Ezecb.
33, 24.)
tenebrosus (poet.) 140, 58; 167, 14. (Yerg. A. 5, 839; Ov. M.
1, 113; Luc. 2, 79; Yulg. Gen. 15, 12; Exod. 14, 20;
Isai. 45, 19.)
ulcerosus (very rare) 157, 23. (Tac. A. 4, 57; Plin. 17, 14, 24.)
venenosus (eccl.) 130, 16. (Hier. adv. Jovin. 1, 3; Ps.-Cyp.
Sing. Cler. 26; Cassiod. in Psal. 13, 7.)
15. Adjectives in -us.
Of this common and usual termination, adjectives occur in great
numbers, most of them conforming to classical diction. The fol¬
lowing show peculiarity:
congruus (a. and p. c.) 55, 8; 102, 27; 147, 32; 190, 16; 250, 1.
(Plaut. Mil. 4, 3, 23; Dig. 39, 5, 31; Pall. Oct. 14, 6;
Yulg. Gen. 40, 5; Exod. 15, 23; 2 Macc. 14, 22.) Cf.
classical congruens in 130, 12.
65
consonus (rare, poet.) 98, 10; 185, 5. (Ov. M. 13, 610; Sil.
17, 448; App. M. 2, p. 114; Claud. Rapt. Pros. 2, 42.)
decrepitus (mostly a. and p. c.) 118, 9; 137, 3. (Plaut. Merc.
2, 2, 43; Ter. Ad. 5, 8, 16; Prud. Ham. 561; Yulg. 2
Par. 36, 17.)
grossus (late and rare) 118, 25. (Cassiod. H. E. 10, 33; Sulp.
Sev. Dial. 1, 21; Yulg. 3 Reg. 12, 10; 2 Par. 10, 10;
Ezech. 41, 25.)
incongruus (p. c.) 149, 27; 159, 3. (A^al. Max. 4, 1, 12; App.
Dogm. Plat. 3; Yeg. Mil. 2, 19; Symm. Ep. 4, 8.)
indiguus (p. c.) 155, 12; 177, 15. (Paulin. Nol. Carm. 27, 4;
App. M. 9, p. 222.)
marcidus (poet.) 48, 3. (Ov. M. 10, 92; Stat. Th. 4, 652;
Claud. Rapt. Pros. 1, 280.)
morbidus (rare) 102, 18; 104, 4; 147, 2. (Lucr. 6, 1225;
Yarro R. R. 3, 16, 22; Plin. 8, 26, 40.)
pendulus (poet.) 132. (Hor. C. 3, 27, 59; Ov. F. 4, 386.)
praecelsus (poet, and late) 134, 3. (Yerg. A. 3, 245; Sulp.
Sev. Chron. 2, 15, 9.)
prolixus (—extended, prolix: p. c.) 36, 2; 40, 1; 82, 1, 20;
110, 5, 6; 120, 20; 137, 9; 138, 8; 140, 85; 155, 5;
157, 40; 162, 9; 171; 184A, 1; 185, 6, 57; 194, 47; 200,
3 ; 204, 9; 259, 1; 261, 1; 269. (Dig. 50, 6, 5 ; Jul. Yal.
Rer. Gest. Alex. M. 1, 5, 7; Yulg. Marc. 12, 40.)
reprobus (late) 177, 16. (Dig. 13, 7, 24; Yulg. 1 Reg. 15, 9;
Eccli. 9, 11; 2 Cor. 13, 5.)
The use of prolixus is especially significant, as Augustine always
makes it indicate length, either of time, or of his subject. After
writing an unpardonably long epistle, he will apologize to his cor¬
respondent, hoping he has not been prolix, and he uses the word
in both degrees of comparison, as well as in the adverbial form.
Altogether it is one of his most notable affectations.
In conclusion of this section, it may be noted that Augustine
uses adjectives very liberally indeed in the Letters. He has a way
of qualifying his nouns by several adjectives, joining them or bal¬
ancing them in various ways, so as to secure a pleasing variety.
Sometimes he makes puns with them, as when he plays on otiosus
and negotiosus; sometimes he makes them rhyme alternately or
consecutively, or he builds climaxes with them, or uses them to
weave some of the intricate and delicate tracery of rhetorical fig-
5 W
66
ures, with which he adorns the texture of his style. He has an
odd way of making them precede the noun, even when there are
several of them and they are longer than the word they modify;
and he frequently adds emphasis to them by prefixing an adverb in
-ter as, e. g.
incomparabiliter gloriosus (150) ; utiliter vera (137, 120) ;
incommutabiliter immortalis (137, 12).
iii. Verbs.
More than almost any other part of speech, the verb in late
Latin showed remarkable activity of formation. This is especially
noteworthy in the case of denominative verbs, of certain classes of
derivatives and of compounds. Denominatives were formed freely,
with or without suffixes, from nouns, adjectives, adverbs, diminu¬
tives, comparatives or superlatives. Derivatives appear to favor
certain classes of suffixes: -escere, -tare, (frequentative or causa¬
tive), - ficare, -urire, -izare, -inare, which had been avoided, re¬
stricted or relegated to colloquial Latin by writers of the classical
period. As for compounds and double compounds, even hybrid
compounds, there seems to have been no let or hindrance in the
fashioning of them.
The African writers took the lead in contributing many of these
new forms, especially frequentatives, verbs in -escere, denomina¬
tives from superlative adjectives and from nouns in -do, -go, com¬
pounds in -con, -ex, -in, -ob, -sub, and bi-prepositional compounds.
Augustine does not prove to be unreservedly African in this re¬
spect, for while he uses some categories with great freedom, he
avoids others or makes but an occasional use of them.
In presenting the material on verbs, the following classification
will be used:
1) denominative verbs from nouns, adjectives, adverbs, diminu¬
tives, and superlatives.
2) verbs in -ascere, -escere.
3) verbs in -ficare.
4) frequentatives.
To these will be added a list of participles in -atus. Compounds
will be treated in a later section on compound words in general;
verbs in -izare will find a place in the section on Hybrids.
It is evident that a verb may often find a place in more than one
class, e. g. a verb formed from an adjective or noun may also be
67
an instance of a certain termination, like clarificare. In this case
in order to avoid repetition, an effort has been made to classify
the verb by its significant part. In this as in other sections, only
non-classical, rare or poetical words will be listed.
1. Denominative verbs from nouns.
It will be noted that Angnstine favors the simple denominative
formed directly from the nonn without intervening suffix. Verbs
from nouns in -do, -go are conspicuous by their absence, although
this class is one to which African writers have generously con¬
tributed.
cibare—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
coniugare (late) 127, 9; 130, 29; 194, 32; 220, 5; 245, 1; 262, 7.
(App. M. 5, p. 170; Treb. Gall. 11.)
coronare—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
deargentare (late) 98, 5. (Hier. in Is. 9, 30, 24; Vulg. Psal.
67, 14.)
decolorare—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
degradare (eccl.) 43, 17; 64, 4. (Hilar. Fragm. Hist. 2, 15;
Cod. Th. 1, 31, 3; Aug. Serm. 71, 3.)
diffamare—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
enodare (a. and p. c.) 28, 3; 184A, 5; 190, 19; 202A, 1, 2.
(Att. ap. Hon. 15, 7; Auct. Her. 2, 10; Gell. 13, 10, 1.)
eradicare (a. c.) 43, 22. (Varro R. R. 1, 27, 2; Plaut. Pers.
5, 2, 38; Ter. And. 4, 21; Vulg. 1 Reg. 20, 15; Job 31, 8;
Prov. 15, 5; Luc. 17, 6.)
exemplare (a-ircd; Aey 6/xevov) 149, 26.
exterminare (destroy: eccl.) 43, 22; 105, 1. (Vulg. Hum. 9,
13; Judith 3, 19.)
glutinare (rare) 108, 6. (Plin. 22, 25, 60; Cels. 7, 4.)
illaqueare (very rare, poet.) 79, 9. (Pacuv. ap. Hon. 470, 7;
Hor. C. 3, 16, 6; Prud. Cath. 3, 41; Vulg. Prov. 6, 2;
Isai. 28, 13.)
incorporare (late) 93, 5; 187, 36. (Prud. Cath. 12, 80; Hip.
Fragm. de Jure Fisc. 14; Sol. 22, 20.)
innodare (late) 151, 8. (Amm. 28, 6, 7; Ambros. in Psa. 118,
8, 44; Sid. Ep. 9, 9; Cod. Just. 5, 31, 14.)
innubilare (late, rare) 69, 1. (Sol. 53, 24.)
insonare (poet.) 126, 4; 169, 10; 243, 8. (Verg. A. 12, 366;
Ov. M. 13, 608; Vulg. Josue 6, 5; Judic. 3, 27; 2 Reg.
2, 28.)
68
inumbrare (poet.) 167, 14. (Lucr. 5, 289; Yerg. A. 11, 66.)
inviscerare (late) 187, 41; 266, 1. (Nemes. Cyn. 214; Aug.
Serm. 24.)
itinerare (in pres. part, only: late) 130, 5. (Ambros. in Psal.
1, 25; Salv. de Gnb. Dei 1, p. 33.)
limitare (rare) 187, 31. (Varro R. R. 2, 2, 1; Plin. 17, 22, 35.)
murmurare (a. and p. c.) 166, 28. (Varro L. L. 6, 67; Plaut.
Aul. 1, 1, 13; App. Mag. p. 304; Vulg. Exod. 15, 24;
Deut. 1, 27; Nahum 2, 7; Luc. 5, 30.)
naufragare (late, rare) 93, 39. (Sid. Ep. 4, 21; Salv. Gub. Dei
3, p. 77; Vulg. 1 Tim. 1, 19.)
obnubilare (late) 36, 2; 93, 30. (Gell. 1, 2, 5; Amm. 28, 42;
App. M. 9, p. 228.)
obumbrare (poet.) 138, 18; 140, 9; 187, 31. (Verg. G. 4, 20;
Ov. Am. 2, 16, 10; Vulg. Psal. 90, 4; Sap. 19, 7; Marc.
9, 6; Luc. 1, 35.)
oculare (eccl.) 148, 17. (Tert. Poen. 12; Cyp. Idol. Van. 7, 6;
Hier. in Eccl. 7.)
praefigurare (eccl.) 55, 23, 25; 102, 34, 35, 37; 108, 7; 140, 47.
(Lact. 6, 20; Cyp. Ep. 2, 3.)
praeiudicare—Cf. ch. v. Semantics,
radicare—Of. ch. v. Semantics,
regenerare—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
roborare 28 (rare) 138, 14; 157, 15. (Cic. Off. 1, 31, 112; Hor.
C. 4, 4, 34; Vulg. Exod. 1, 7; Deut. 1, 38; 2 Par. jl, 17.)
stillare (poet.) 110, 5. (Lucr. 4, 1060; Prop. 2, 8, 26 ; Tib. 1,
7, 51; Vulg. Exod. 9, 33, 2; 2 Reg. 21, 10; Job 16, 21.)
subiugare (late) 26, 2; 54, 4; 166, 22. (Arn. 4, p. 129; Lact.
Mort. Persec. 34; Dig. 4, 8, 43; Eutr. 4, 17; Vulg. Gen.
27, 37, 2; 2 Par. 8, 8; Esth. 13, 2.)
tenebrare (late) 140, 68. (App. M. 8, p. 208; Amm. 19, 8 , 5 ;
Lact. 4, 19.)
tribulare—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
triturare (late) 108, 7. (Isid. 15, 13, 16; Sid. Ep. 7, 6; Hier.
in Amos 1 ad 1, 3; Vulg. Isai. 25, 10; Amos 1, 3; 1 Cor.
9, 9.)
2. Denominative Verbs from Adjectives.
In this group as in the foregoing, Augustine seems to avoid
18 Poboratus as adjective is eccl. but does not occur in the Letters.
(Tert. Anim. 25; Hier. con. Pel. 3, 8).
69
certain characteristically African formations, as e. g. those of
adjectives in - osus, and to choose verbs formed from rather short
adjectives of second and third declensions.
breviare (p. c. except Quint.) 199, 19, 20. (Quint. 1, 9, 2;
Lact. Epit. 8, 6; Sulp. Sev. H. S. 1, 1; Paul. Nol. Carm.
Nat. Sj Fel. 24, 9; Vulg. Job 19, 11; Prov. 10, 27; 2
Macc. 2, 24; Matth. 24, 22.)
candidare (rare) 34, 2. (Tert. adv. Gnost. 12; Isid. Orig. 14,
8 , 21 .)
captivare (eccl.) 188, 3 n v (Aug. Civ. Dei 1, 1; Vulg. 1 Macc.
15, 10; Rom. 7, 23.)
concordare (rare) 57; 73, 8; 76, 1; 108, 14; 186, 15; 210, 1.
(Sen. Ep. 75, 4; Dig. 24, 1; Quint. 11, 3, 69; Just. 27,
37; Vulg. Act. 15, 15.)
dealbare—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
deviare (late for via declinare) 36, 11, 22; 82, 22; 126, 1; 202A,
7; 217, 15. (Aug. Doctr. Chr. 3, 36; Hier. Ep. 112, 12;
Macr. Somn. Sc. 1, 22; Symm. Ep. 9, 121; Vulg. Exod.
23, 2; Num. 22, 26.)
discordare (rare) 138, 10. (Ter. And. 3, 3, 43; Cic. Pin. 1,
13, 44; Quint. 5, 11, 19.)
evacuare—Cf. ch. v. Semantics.
excaecare (rare) 139, 1; 149, 19; 173, 3; 209, 2. (Cic. Ac. 23,
74; Plin. 20, 18, 76; Flor. 2, 20, 5.)
exhilarare (rare) 146, 1; 149, 1. (Cic. Fam. 9, 26, 1; Mart.
8, 50, 6; Col. 6, 24, 2; Vulg. Psal. 103, 15; Prov. 15, 13;
Eccli. 36, 24.)
exinanire (eccl.) 164, 5, 11, 12; 170, 9. (Vulg. Rom. 4, 14;
Phil. 2, 7.)
falsare (late) 82, 6. (Ambros. de Fide 2, 15, 135; Hier. in
Ruf. 3, 5.)
fecundare (poet.) 69, 2. (Verg. G. 4, 293; Claud. 1 Cons. Stil.
239; Pall. 3, 9.)
humiliare (eccl.) 211, 6; 266, 3. (Hier. Ep. 130, 12; Tert.
adv. Marc. 5, 20; Sid. Ep. 5, 14; Amm. 30, 4, 2; Vulg.
freq. Gen. 16, 9 to 1 Petr. 5, 6.)
ieiunare (late) 36, passim et saepe. (Hier. Ep. 41, 3; Tert. Pud.
16; Vulg. Judic. 20, 26; 1 Reg. 7, 6; Eccli. 34, 31;
Matth. 4, 2; Marc. 2, 18.)
impinguare (late) 33, 3. (Tert. Jejun. 6; Apic. 8, 7, 375;
70
Vulg. Deut. 32, 15; 2 Esdr. 9, 25; Prov. 11, 25; Eccli.
20, 16, etc.)
inebriare (rare) 29, 4, 5; 36, 3, 15; 130, 29; 145, 7. (Juv. 9,
113; Plin. 9, 41, 65; Vulg. freq. Gen. 9, 21 to Apoc.
17, 2.)
mediare (late) 140, 12. (Apic. 3, 9; Pall. Mart. 10, 32.)
opacare (=to obscure: Aug. only) 137, 13. (Mor. Gath. 1, 2.)
perpetuare (rare) 36, 27. (Enn. ap. Non. 150, 30; Plaut. Ps.
1, 3, 72; Cic. Sull. 22, 64; Lampr. Alex. Sev. 6.)
praesentare (p. c.) 43, 11; 129, 3; 140, 6; 263, 4. (Aur. Viet.
V. I. 77; Hier. Ep. 82, 1.)
sequestrare (late for sequestro dare) 44, 5; 143, 5. (Tert. Res.
Carn. 27; Macr. Somn. Sc. 2, 14.)
serenare (poet.) 147, 43; 263, 1. (Verg. A. 1, 255; Stat.
Achill. 1, 120; Min. Pel. 32, 4; Claud, de Apono. 36.)
sordidare (eccl.) 55, 18; 126, 9. (Sid. Ep. Carm. 23, 347;
Lact. de Ira Dei 23, 28.)
sublimare (a. and p. c.) 97, 1; 101, 2; 137, 9, 15; 151, 10; 157,
36; 199, 39. (Enn. ap. Non. 170, 11; Macr. S. 5, 124;
Aur. Viet. Epit. 4; Vulg. 1 Reg. 2, 10; 1 Esdr. 9, 9;
Job 22, 12; Ezech. 31, 10.)
unire (p. c.) 140, 18; 137, 12. (Hier. Ep. 100, 12; Tert. Anim.
17; Dig. 39, 2, 15; Fulg. de Act. 13, 21; Sulp. Sev. Chron.
2, 43, 1.)
verecundari (rare) 102, 1; 104, 14; 120, 1; 166, 9; 185, 29;
266, 4. (Cic. de Or. 2, 61, 249; Quint. 11, 3, 87.)
3. Denominative Verbs from Adverbs.
propalare (from palam: late) 78, 2, 3. (Sid. Ep. 9, 11; Oros.
6, 5; Vulg. Hebr. 9, 8.)
4. Denominative Verbs from Diminutives.
These are at all times rare and not always easy to distinguish
as coming from diminutives; but the following show unmistakable
connection with diminutive nouns:
flagellare (poet, from flagellum, dimin. of flagrum) 93, 8. (Ov.
M. 3, 94; Mart. 4, 42, 7; Stat. Th. 10, 169; Vulg. Gen.
12, 17; Exod. 5, 14; Eccli. 30, 14; Matth. 10, 7, etc.)
novellare (rare: from novella, a vine-shoot) 199, 39. (Suet.
Dom. 7; Paul. Nol. Carm. 21, 659.)
71
5. Denominative Verbs from Superlatives . 29
These first appear in Latin in African writers and are used prin¬
cipally by them. 30 Augustine has only one but he makes frequent
use of it:
intimare (announce: late) 55, 21; 57, 1; 65, 1; 82, 1, 31; 126,
6; 128, 1; 137, 18; 139, 3; 141, 10; 147, 19; 164, 1;
166, 18; 175, 2; 184A, 7. (Amm. 21, 11, 1; Treb. Gall.
16; Mart. Cap. 3, 274; Cod. 14, 3, 1.)
Except unire, all the verbs in the foregoing lists belong to the first
conjugation, a phenomenon which has been remarked in Tertullian,
Cyprian, 31 Arnobius, 32 and Jerome. 33
6. Verbs in -escere.
The inchoative or inceptive force which at one period was at¬
tached to these verbs seems neither to have been original with the
suffix, except as applied to verbs of the second conjugation uncom¬
pounded with a preposition, 34 nor to have maintained itself when
this mode of formation spread to derivatives from nouns and ad¬
jectives. In the latter case, its principal effect was the formation
of intransitives with the idea of “ becoming.” “ In the later sermo
plebeius the distinction is still less marked, even the uncom¬
pounded derivatives of the second conjugation being used indis¬
criminately in place of simple intransitives. . . . The later popu¬
lar speech is remarkably fertile in new formations .... their
prevalence is especially noticeable in the later African writers.” 35
At a still later period, the suffix acquired a causative force. In
addition to a number of classical forms, the following occur in the
Letters:
arescere (=to pine away: eccl.) 102, 35; 185, 44; 199, 37.
(Vulg. Judith 6, 13; Luc. 21, 26; Marc. 9, 17.)
comgemescere (for congemiscere: eccl.) 87, 4; 264, 2. (Tert.
Spect. 30; Prud. arecf). 2, 41; Hier. in Is. 14, 51, 6.)
29 Augustine uses no verbs from comparatives in the Letters but in Ep.
170, 9 minorare appears in a quotation.
30 Goelzer (1), 175 and note. Bayard, 37.
31 Bayard, 35.
32 Gabarrou, 62.
33 Goelzer (1), 173.
34 Lindsay, 480.
05 Cooper, 217, 218.
72
contabescere (very rare) 73, 6; 140, 36. (Plaut. Merc. 1, 2,
62; Cic. Tusc. 3, 31, 75; Vulg. 2 Eeg. 13, 20; Isai. 13, 7;
Ezech. 4, 17; Zach. 14, 2.)
contremescere (rare, poet.) 33, 6. (Lucr. 3, 835; Yerg. A. 7,
515; Ov. M. 8, 761; Cic. de Or. 1, 26, 121; Vulg. Deut.
2, 25; 4 Reg. 19, 26; Psal. 17, 8; Jacob 2, 19.)
detumescere (very rare) 112, 2; 118, 15. (Stat. Th. 3, 259;
Petr. 109, 5.)
dilucescere (rare, mostly poet.) 194, 20. (Luc. 5, 176; Cic. Cat.
3, 3; Hor. Ep. 1, 4; Vulg. 1 Reg. 29, 10, 4; 4 Reg. 10, 9.)
exarescere (rare) 102, 35. (Plaut. Rud. 2, 7, 20; Varr. R. R.
1, 32; Caes. B. G. 3, 49, 5; Amm. 15, 8, 7.)
grandescere (poet.) 104, 15; 137, 4. (Lucr. 1, 191; Pall. Jun.
2; Coll. 2, 20, 2.)
horrescere (poet.) 199, 39. (Ov. F. 2, 502; Yerg. G. 3, 199;
-Sen. Agam. 711.)
inanescere (late) 164, 4. (Aug. de Mus. 6, 13; Amm. 23, 6, 86.)
inardescere (poet.) 78, 12; 139, 3; 231, 4. (Yerg. A. 8, 623;
Hor. Ep. 3, 18; Sen. Here. Oet. 251.)
indormiscere (cwira| Xeyo/xevov) 1, 2.
intumescere (poet.) 185, 45. (Ov. F. 6, 700; Hor. Ep. 16, 52;
Yulg. Gen. 38, 24; Deut. 17, 13; Josue 3, 16, etc.)
inveterescere (form preferred by Aug. to inveterascere: mostly
p. c.) 38, 2. (Tac. A. 11, 2, 4; Yulg. Psal. 6, 18; 2
Esdr. 9, 21.)
lucescere (poet.) 36, 28. (Ter. Heaut. 3, 1, 1; Yerg. E. 6,
37; Ov. F. 5, 417; Yulg. Matth. 28, 1.)
patescere (poet.) 26, 1, 6; 82, 6. (Lucr. 5, 614; Yerg. A. 2,
309; Tac. H. 4, 78.)
pigrescere (late, except Pliny) 58, 3; 89, 6; 167, 2. (Plin. 18,
18, 47; Ambros. Virg. 17, 110; Mart. Cap. 1, 38.)
praevalescere (rare) 137, 15. (Col. 5, 6, 17; Hier. Ep. 77, 2.)
rarescere (poet.) 137, 4. (Lucr. 6, 214; Ov. M. 15, 246; Stat.
S. 1, 2, 186.)
silvescere (rare) 159, 2. (Cic. Sen. 15, 52; Col. 4, 11, 2; Am.
3, p. 109.)
sordescere (very rare) 118, 18. (Hor. Ep. 1, 20, 11; Gell. 4,
12, 1; Amm. 15, 13, 2; Yulg. Job 18, 2; Apoc. 22, 11.)
surdescere (late) 157, 25, (Hier. in Eccle. 12, p. 400.)
tenebrescere (eccl.) 140, 56, 57; 244, 1. (Hier. in Is. 5, 12, 10;
Yulg. Eccli. 12, 2; Amos. 8, 9 ; Zach. 11, 17.)
73
tepescere (=to grow careless: late) 130, 18. (Amm. 28, 1, 9;
Vulg. Luc. 4, 29; Nemes. Eel. 1, 13.)
vanescere (poet.) 69, 2; 137, 1. (Cat. 64, 199; Ov. Tr. 1, 2,
107; Pers. 3, 13.)
vilescere (late) 22, 7; 120, 5. (Hier. Ep. 77, 2; Sid. Ep. 7, 9;
Paulin. Nol. Car. 22, 5.)
The African preference for forms in -escere over those in - ascere,
-iscere is noticeable. Augustine uniformly chooses -escere, even at
the risk of producing such singular forms as inveterescere and con-
gemescere. His sole deviation from this usage is indormiscere,
which coming from an t-verb seemed to require the ending -iscere.
7. Verbs in -ficare.
These verbs might be considered as compounds, inasmuch as the
suffix -ficare is simply a disguised form of facere. The African
writers, however, who used it so freely, seem to have treated it as a
suffix, and to have added it to nouns and adjectives forming verbs
of which the factitive value is diminished if not obscured, e. g.
damnificare signified “ injure,” when damnare came to mean “ con¬
demned to everlasting punishment,” modificare was used to mean
“ regulate” etc. Augustine shows a marked fondness for these
verbs as he does for the parallel formations: adjectives in -ficus and
nouns in -ficatio.
beatificare (eccl.) 85, sal.; 140, 56; 164, 8; 184A, 6; 187, 35,
36. (Aug. Trin. 14, 14; Yulg. Eccli. 25, 32; Job 29, 11;
Isai. 9, 16; Jacob 5, 11.)
clarificare (eccl.) 55, 25; 130, 22. (Lact. 3, 18; Sedul. 4, 173;
Paulin. Nol. Carm. 26, 304.)
deificare (eccl.) 10, 2. (Cassiod. H. E. 7, 2; Civ. Dei 19, 23, 4.)
fructificare (late) 36, 4; 108, 2; 128, 2; 149, 9; 199, 45, 47, 50,
51. (Tert. Kes. Car. 52; Calp. Eel. 4, 91; Vulg. Eccli.
11, 24; Ezech. 17, 6; Marc. 4, 20; Rom. 7, 4.)
glorificare (eccl.) 55, 23; 93, 33; 130, 2; 140, 5; 177, 7; 187,
29; 194, 24; 217, 27. (Tert. Idol. 22; Prud. Hamart.
fin.; Yulg. Exod. 14, 4; Levit. 10, 3; Psal. 14, 4; Prov.
4, 8, etc.)
honorificare (eccl.) 54, 4. (Lact. 7, 24; Yulg. Judith 12, 21;
Psal. 36, 20; Eccli. 3, 5; Matth. 6, 2; Marc. 2, 12, etc.)
iustificare (eccl.) 36, 7; 78, 3; 82, passim; 93, passim; 140, 52,
71; 157, 6, 12; 177, 2, 14; 179, 3; 185, 37, 40; 186, 8, 20;
74
187, 29; 190, 11; 193, 6; 194, 6, 7, 8; 196, 3, 8; 214, 3.
(Prud. Apoth. 881; Tert. adv. Marc. 19; Coripp. Laud.
Justin. 2.)
ludificare (a. c.) 102, 20. (Plaut. Mil. 2, 6, 15; Ter. Eun. 4, 3.)
maestificare (late) 99, 1; 130, 4. (Sid. Ep. 13, 3; Mart. Cap.
9, 888.)
magnificare (= adore: eccl.) 93, 52; 217, 24. (Vulg. Gen. 12,
2; Psal. 34, 3; Ezech. 38, 23.)
mirificare (eccl.) 149, 6, 19. (Vulg. Psal. 17, 7.)
modificare (class, in perfect, otherwise late) 118, 31; 187, 31.
(App. Dogm. Plat. p. 18, 37; Front. Ep. ad M. Caes. 43.)
mortificare (eccl.) 55, 24; 164, 2, 3, 18, 19, 20; 205, 8. (Tert.
Res. Car. 37; Hier. in Gal. 3, 5, 16; Vulg. 1 Reg. 2, 6;
Psal. 36, 32; Prov. 19, 16; 2 Cor. 6, 9, etc.)
sanctificare (eccl.) 35, 3, 5; 36, 5; 89, 5; 105, 12; 149, 16;
187, 21; 188, 9. (Hier. Ep. 120, 12; Prud. Cath. 3, 15;
Tert. Or. 3; Vulg. very freq. Gen. 2, 3 to Apoc. 22, 11.)
turificare (rare and late) 87, 2. (Cyp. Ep. 55.)
vivificare (eccl.) 140, 17, 21, 24; 145, 3; 157, 15, 20; 164, pas¬
sim; 166, 21, 24; 177, 7, 8, 14; 169, 10; 185, 46; 186, 9;
193, 10; 205, 11; 217, 11; 263, 4. (Prud. Apoth. 234;
Tert. adv. Val. 14; Paulin. Hoi. Carm. 26, 207; Vulg.
freq. 1 Reg. 2 to 1 Petr. 3, 18.)
The large proportion of ecclesiastical words in -ftcare shows the
convenience this termination was to the founders of the new reli¬
gious vocabulary. St. Jerome however by his supercilious reference
to such words as “portenta verborum” (Ep. 106) proves himself
an exception to this rule.
8. Frequentative Verbs.
Unlike the verbs in -escere and - ficare, the frequentatives, includ¬
ing so-called iteratives and intensives, are more numerous in early
than in late Latin. Where they appear in post-classical writers
they are frequently evidence of that deliberate archaism which
marks the elocutio novella. The African writers especially affected
them, and besides reviving many obsolete forms, invented some
new ones. They tend to lose their frequentative force and to sink
to the level of the simple verb. Augustine is rather conservative
in his choice of them, as the following list shows:
acceptare (rare) 76, 4; 173, 8. (Plaut. Ps. 2, 2, 32; Quint.
12, 7, 9; Curt. 4, 6, 5; Dig. 34, 1, 9; Vulg. Psal. 55, 21.)
75
actitare (rare, juristic) 7, 3, 7. (Suet. Galb. 3; Cic. Brut. 70;
Tac. H. 3, 62.)
crepitare (mostly poet.) 132. (Plaut. Rud. 2, 6, 52; Lucr. 5,
746; Ov. M. 11, 652.)
defensitare (Cic. only) 118, 17; 157, 4. (Cic. Ac. 2, 22; Brut.
26, 100; Off. 1, 33.)
llatare (late) 55, 21. (Arnob. 2, p. 69.)
iactitare (very rare) 73, 10; 93, 17; 102, 32. (Liv. 7, 2, 11;
Phaedr. 2, 5, 16; Hier. in Ezech. 9, 29, 3.)
vegetare (late) 31, 2; 55, 21, 23; 130, 7; 144, 1; 145, 7; 159, 5.
(Apul. de Mundo, p. 61, 36; Prud. Ham. 448; Yulg.
Gen. 9, 15.)
9. Peculiar Forms.
The following verbs belong to no special group, but deserve
attention for different reasons:
beare (very rare except in perf. part.) 150. (Plaut. Am. 2, 2,
12; Ter. Eun. 2, 2, 47; Hor. C. 4, 8, 29.)
fraglare (collateral form of fragrare) 27, 2. (Diacont. Carm.
10, 287.) Fragrare occurs in 186, 39.
praevaricare (active form: late) 157, 15 (6 times). (Aug.
Tract, in Joan. 99; Prise. 8, 6, 29.)
passive form in 157, 15. (Yulg. freq. Levit. 5, 15 to Act.
1, 25.)
propinquare (poet, for appropinquare) 122, 2; 140, 57; 187, 17,
19; 193, 2; 197, 4; 199, passim; 208. (Yerg. A. 5, 185;
Stat. Th. 10, 385; Sil. 2, 281; Yulg. Judic. 19, 9; Eccli.
35, 20; Isai. 41.)
10. Participial Adjectives.
These are adjectives, mostly negative, of participial form and
meaning, for which no verb exists. As they have a verbal force,
their proper place seems to be here, at the end of the section on
verbs.
cordatus (a. and p. c.) 87, 5; 93, 20; 143, 3. (Enn. ap. Cic.
Tusc. 1, 9, 18; Claud. 12, 2, 7; Yulg. Job 34, 10.)
hilaratus (rare) 128, 1. (Cic. N. D. 2, 40, 102; Plin. 36, 54.)
immaculatus (poet.) 36, 24; 187, 29. (Amm. 19, 2, 9; Lact.
6, 2, 13; Yulg. freq. Exod. 29, 1 to Judae 24.)
impacatus (poet.) 105, 1; 173, 10. (Verg. G. 3, 408; Stat. S.
5, 1, 137.)
76
v
imperturbatus (very rare) 220, 2. (Ov. Ib. 562; Sen. Ep. 73.)
incompositus (= simple: eccl.) 26, 4. (Ambros. Hexaem. 1, 7,
25; Boeth. Inst. Arith. 1, 17; Ynlg. Bom. 1, 37.)
inculpatus (p. c.) 166, 19, 27; 209, 6. (Gell. 14, 2, 4.)
indebitns (poet, and late) 190, 9; 194, 5. (Verg. A. 6, 66;
Ov. H. 16, 9; Dig. 12, 6, 65.)
indisciplinatns (eccl.) 35, 2; 185, 7, 21. (Cyp. Ep. 62.)
indispositns (very rare) 59, 1. (Tac. H. 2, 68.)
inemendatns (late) 153, 3. (Hier. in Ezech. 40, 5; Hilar, in
Matth. 22, 6; Serv. Yerg. A. 1, 565.)
inexpiatns (a?ra£ Xeyojuevov) 118, 2.
infalsatus (Ang. only) 141, 2. (Cont. Faust. 3, 4.)
ingenitus (= unbegotten: eccl.) 238, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. (Arn. 1,
31; Ambros. de Incarn. Dom. 7, 7, 9; Paulin. Hoi. Carm.
1, 227.)
insensatus (eccl.) 93, 20, 51; 102, 18. (Tert. adv. Marc. 4, 43;
Yulg. Sap. 54; Eccli. 16, 20; 2 Macc. 11, 13; Galat. 3,1.)
liciatus (Aug. only) 102, 5. (Civ. Dei 22, 14.)
Augustine has also contributed two other words of this form to
the language, neither of which occur in the Letters. They are
situatus (ad Fr. Erem. Serm. 37) and uxoratus (Serm. 116,
4 Mai).
iv. Adverbs.
The use of adverbs is one of the most distinctive marks of an
author’s style. A bombastic and pleonastic diction will be found
to abound in them, a serious style makes but a chastened use of
them. This is especially true of Latin, where a good choice of
terminations exists, and where a word needs little manipulation to
turn it into an almost indispensable adverb. We find the most
extended use of them in colloquial and late Latin, where the desire
for emphasis is particularly strong. Adjectives which have lost
their original force are given a fresh impetus by being attached to
an adverb; participles are treated in the same way; the adverb is
usually one in -ter. This peculiarity, together with an exagger¬
ated use of superlatives and of intensive pronouns, is one of the
features of late Latin wdiich most attracts the attention of a reader
fresh from the more restrained diction of the classical period.
Augustine shows this tendency in a marked degree in the Let¬
ters, using adverbs with extraordinary freedom, inventing new
ones where none existed to express his meaning, joining them in
77
pairs and groups, as he does his adjectives, and achieving thereby
an impetuosity and vivacity of style quite in keeping with the
Punic exuberance of the school to which he belonged.
In the following lists only adverbs of manner of rare or non-
classical or poetic form will be noted, but it must be born in mind
that Augustine uses classical adverbs as well as non-classical ones
with great profusion and often in unusual combinations. Adverbs
of time, place and degree appear in numbers but present no signal
peculiarities.
1. Adverbs in -fariam.
This is an extremely rare termination, showing sometimes a
parallel formation -farie. Only one example of it occurs in the
Letters:
omnifariam 36 (p. c.) 147, 43. (App. de Deo Socr. prol.; Gell.
12, 13, 20; Tert. Pud. 19; Macr. S. 7, 13; Capitol. M.
Aur. 11.)
2. Adverbs in -im.
This termination, an original accusative singular form, was
more common in early Latin than in the classical or even post-
classical periods. Its comparative frequency in the popular speech
is an instance of the retention of archaisms in the sermo plebeius.
Augustine has in the Letters 15 classical forms in -im and the
following non-classical:
adfatim 37 (mostly a. c. and rare) 130, 7. (Sail. J. 43; Plaut.
Poen. 3, 1, 31; App. M. 9, p. 221.)
alternatim (a. and p. c.) 29, 11; 137, 16. (Claud. Quad. ap.
Non. p. 76, 10; Amm. 29, 2, 8; Boeth. Inst. Arith. 1, 20;
Mart. Cap. 1, 18.)
contextim (p. c. except Plin.) 147, 37. (Plin. 10, 43, 74; Aug.
Consens. Evang. 3, 1.)
continuatim (late) 147, 48. (Oros. 4, 5, 10; Boeth. Inst. Arith.
2, 43; Yen. Fort. Yit. Germ. 38.)
3. Adverbs in -o.
This is an ablative ending, which formed a number of adverbs
30 Ex analogia adverbii multifariam x4fri finxerunt omnifariam.” Hoppe,
70.
37 Cf. Priscian, 15, 4, 19, “a fatu adfatim vel magis a Graeco acparcos, id
est abunde, unde et corripitur fa.”
78
in the ante-classical and classical periods. Later Latin often pro¬
duced parallel forms of the same words in -e and -urn or -im, e. g.
perpetuo (class.), perpetuum (p. a.), perpetue (p. c.) ; occulto
(a. c.), occulte (class.), occultim (p. c.). Augustine seems to
prefer the classical form of such adverbs, which however he uses
sparingly.
clanculo (p. c. accessory form of clanculum, an exception to
Augustine’s preference for classical forms) 153, 25.
(App. M. 3, p. 133; Macr. S. 5, 18; Amm. 21, 12, 13.)
diluculo (rare) 102, 36. (Cic. Ep. Att. 16, 13, 1; Afran. ap.
Charis. 2, 13, p. 192; Vulg. freq. Exod. 8, 20 to Joan.
8 , 2 .)
serio (a. c.) 73, 8; 82, 2. (Plaut. Am. 3, 2, 25; Ter. Heaut.
3, 2, 30; Naev. ap. Charis. p. 195.)
superfluo (late) 89, 8; 93, 16; 166, 4, 8. (Mart. Cap. 6, 576;
Hier. Ep. 130, 19; Serv. ad Yerg. A. 1, 2; Salv. de Gub.
Dei 6, 1, 3; Boeth. Art. Geom. p. 403.)
4. Adverbs in -ter.
This category includes by far the largest number of adverbs
occurring in the Letters, whether in the form -iter added to adjec¬
tive stems or -ter appended to participial stems. The adjective
stems usually chosen for this formation are consonant or -{-stems.
Where o-stems occur, they are regarded as irregular. 38 Augustine
has two o-stem derivatives, inhumaniter and sinceriter. The suffix
-ter is especially frequent in colloquial and late Latin, but a large
number of classical adverbs of this termination (108) are found
in the Letters.
admirabiliter (rare) 147, 19. (Cic. N. D. 2, 53, 132; Att. 5,
14, 2.)
aequanimiter (late) 63, 3. (Tert. Patient. 89; Ambros. Off.
1, 48, 23; Amm. 19, 10, 3; Hier. in Psal. 33; Rufin.
Apol. 1, 7; Sid. Ep. 3, 9, 2; Sym. Ep. 4, 10; Sulp. Sev.
Dial. 1, 21, 5; Yen. Fort. 10, 4, 4; Oros. Hist. 4, 5, 4;
Macr. S. 2, 4.)
aspernanter (late) 100, 2; 217, 1. (Amm. 31, 4, 3; Sid. Ep.
7, 2, 4; Cass. Coni. 14, 13, 3.)
carnaliter (eccl.) 34, 3; 104, 10; 120, 14; 130, 22; 157, 11, 12;
188, 6; 196, 7, 10, 16; 217, 16; 237, 4. (Tert. Bapt. 7;
Hier. Ep. 54, 9 ; Prud. Apoth. 436.)
88 Goelzer (1), 200.
79
competenter (late) 140., 18. (App. Asclep. 11, p. 296; Amm.
31, 2, 2; Sid. Ep. 2, 9, 6; Cyp. de Sing. Cler. 13; Prud.
Perist. 16, 118; Ennod. Diet. 12, 2.)
coniugaliter (eccl.) 157, 39. (Jul. Yal. 1, 10.)
consequenter (late) 29, 2; 36, 13; 43, 22; 54, 6; 55, 33; 96, 2;
108, 11; 140, passim; 142, 2; 147, 22, 29, 35; 157, 7;
162, 7; 185, 49; 187, 39; 190, 7; 194, 20; 202A, 12;
238, 4, 11. (App. M. 9, 21, p. 633; Ulp. Dig. 10, 2, 18;
Hier. Ep. 22, 1, 3.)
continenter (= continently: eccl.) 130, 11; 140, 83; 220, 12;
262, 4. (Cyp. Ep. 4, 1.)
convertibiliter (Aug. only) 169, 7. (Music. 5, 3.)
corporaliter (late except Petronius) 31, 5; 55, 18; 60, 1; 73, 7;
84, 1; 92, 5; 118, 24; 147, 7, 8, 9; 185, 11, 12; 188, 3;
238, 15. (Dig. 41, 2, 1; Arn. 5, p. 168 ; Hier. Ep. 120,
2; Hilar. Trin. 8, 17.)
criminaliter (late) 185, 6. (Dig. 47, 2.)
damnabiliter (Ang. only) 82, 20; 98, 5.
decenter (poet.) 82, 13; 102, 33; 130, 12. (Hor. A. P. 92;
Tibull. 3, 8, 14 ; Ov. A. A. 3, 291; Capitol. Yer. 2, 9;
Ennod. Ep. 3, 18, 2.)
delectabiliter (late) 155, 4. (Gell. 13, 24, 17; Claud. Mamert.
1, 23.)
desiderabiliter (Ang. only) 149, 1; 188, 8.
desideranter (late) 194, 52. (Cassiod. Yar. 1, 4; Yen. Fort.
Yit. Hil. 1, 13.)
desperanter (once only, in Cicero) 140, 75. (Ep. Att. 14, 18, 3.)
detestabiliter (eccl.) 202A, 18. (Lact. 5, 10, 7.)
dignanter (eccl.) 137, 8. (Ambros. Ep. 2, 1, 20; Hier. Ep.
26, 6; Rufin. Orig. in Rom. 4, 5; Sid. Ep. 4, 7, 2; Cass.
Coni. 11, 5; Ennod. Ep. 7, 2, 3.)
execrabiliter (ebro^ Aey o/xevov in positive) 35, 2 (comp. Conf.
8, 7.)
exitiabiliter (Aug. only) 138, 3. (Civ. Dei 1, 17.)
ferventer (mostly eccl.) 151, 9. (Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 8, 2;
Yen. Fort. 10, 3, 4.)
fiducialiter (eccl.) 147, 47. (Yulg. Psal. 11, 6; Prov. 3, 23;
Eccli. 6, 11; Act. 9, 27.)
fragiliter (airat; Xeyofievov) 150.
gratanter (late) 171; 219, 3. (Aurel. Yict. Ep. 12, 3; Cassiod.
80
Inst. Div. 23; Treb. Poll. 12, 1; Amm. 16, 10, 21; Symm.
Ep. 7, 76.)
hilariter (eccl.) 73, 9; 142, 4; 268, 3. (Civ. Dei 5, 26; Vulg.
Sap. 6, 17.)
honorabiliter (late) 96, 1; 100, 2; 130, 29. (Capitol. Macr. 4,
3; Amm. 29, 2, 11. )
imaginaliter (Ang. only) 102, 7. (Genes, ad Lit. 12, 5, 6.)
imbecilliter 39 (a7ra£ Aey ofxevov) 120, 6.
immaniter (late) 27, 1; 78, 6; 153, 19; 185, 27; 250, 2. (Gell.
1, 26, 8; Amm. 18, 7, 4.)
immobiliter (eccl.) 118, 32. (Cass, in Psal. 99; Prosper in
Psal. 118; Chalcid. Tim. 1913, 77; Claud. Mam. de Sit.
Anim. 1, 18; Cass. Coni. 6, 9, 1.)
immortaliter (Cic. and Aug. only) 120, 19; 148, 3. (Cic. Ep.
ad Q. Fr. 3, 1, 3; Aug. Conf. 4, 2; de Cat. Rud. 23, 42.)
immutabiliter (late) 187, 19. (App. de Mund. 36.)
improbabiliter (eccl.) 153, 14; 199, 46. (Sid. Ep. 1, 11, 13;
Rufin. H. E. 7, 1, 3.)
imputribiliter (a7 ra£ A eyofxevov) 27, 2.
incommutabiliter (eccl.) 102, 1; 120, 19; 137, 12; 140, 6; 147,
22, 47; 148, 15; 169, 7; 242, 1; 257. (Claud. Mam. de
Stat. Anim. 3, 8; Cass, in Psal. 23, 6.)
incomparabiliter (eccl.) 38, 2; 40, 7, 26; 120, 20; 130, 30;
147, 45; 150; 172, 45; 228, 5; 257. (Hier. Ep. 67, 7;
Alcim. Avit. con. Arr. 30.)
incongruenter (eccl.) 93, 38; 118, 8; 147, 8. (Tert. Bapt. 19;
Cass. Coni. 8, 21.)
inconvenienter (eccl.) 55, 22; 102, 1; 140, 66; 166, 6; 175, 3;
187, 37. (Rufin. Orig. in Rom. 3, 8; Chalc. Tim. 138;
Hilar. Ep. ad Galat. 29.)
incorporaliter (eccl.) 118, 27; 147, 37, 38; 148, 3. (Tert. ad
Hat. 2, 12; Ambros. Ep. 9; Claud. Mam. 1, 11; Eugipp.
Exc. 101; Hilar, in Psal. 132, 4.)
incunctanter (late) 26, 5; 44, 2; 147, 40. (Dig. 40, 2, 20;
Cyp. de Laps. 35 ;< Lact. 1, 15 ; Hier. in Is. 12, 43, 1;
Ennod. Ep. 5, 5, 2; Aurel. Viet. Orig. 13, 1; Oros. 3.
2, 6; Mart. Cap. 2, 105.)
indesinenter (eccl.) 248, 1. (Cyp. Ep. 66, 9; Hier. Ep. 117;
^Forcellini notes of this word: “ Usu tantum in gradu comparativo
notum.”
81
Rufin. Orig. Prin. 2, 6, 6; Sid. Ep. 1, 8, 2; Cass. Inst.
1, 1, 5; Ennod. 6, 23, 3; Vulg. Hebr. 10, 1.)
indignanter (late) 238, 8. (Amm. 15, 1, 3; Arn. 3, 7; Rufin.
Apol. 2, 29.)
ineffabiliter (eccl.) 27, 2; 31, 4; 64, 1; 120, 10, 13, 14; 139,
3; 147, 42; 148, 5; 238, 13. (Hier. in Joel 2, 12; Cass.
Coni. 9, 25; Alcim. Avit. con. Arr. 15.)
inexplicabiliter (eccl.) 118, 16. (Rustic, con. Aceph. Migne,
p. 1243.)
infatigabiliter (eccl.) 27, 2; 89, 1. (Yen. Fort. 8, 12, 9; Cass.
Inst. 5, 7, 2; Coni. 1, 2.)
inhianter (eccl.) 147, 20. (Conf. 9, 8; Greg, in 1 Reg. 5, 4, 37.)
inhumaniter (Cicero and Aug. only) 153, 19. (Cic. Yerr. 1,
52, 138; Q. Fr. 3, 1, 6.)
innocenter (Quint, and Aug. only) 220, 12. (Quint. 7, 4, 18.)
innumerabiliter (Lucr., Cic. and Aug. only) 55, 35; 118, 12, 30.
(Lucr. 5, 274; Cic. de Or. 3, 52, 201; de Div. 1, 14, 25.)
inrationabiliter (late) 120, 2, 5. (Fact. Ep. 52, 5; Tert. de
Poen. 1; Hier. adv. Lucif. 4; Amm. 19, 10, 1; Prise. 1,
7, 42; Sulp. Sev. Dial. 2, 4, 9; Cael. Aur. Acut. 2, 37,
199; Hilar, de Synod. 71.)
inreparabiliter (Aug. only) 82, 20. (con. Faust. 15, 13.)
inrevocabiliter (late except Sen.) 140, 61. (Sen. Q. N. 2, 35, 2;
Cass. Coni. 5, 12, 2.)
inridenter (late) 138, 13; 148, 4; 232, 2. (Civ. Dei 20, 30;
Laber. Comin. 3 ap. Char. 2, p. 181; Januar. Nepot.
9, 22.)
inseparabiliter (late) 11, 4; 84, 1; 120, 17; 169, 5, 6; 205, 9;
238, 12, 13; 241, 2. (Fact. 3, 11, 14; Macrob. Somn. Sc.
1, 22; Hier. Did. S. S. 4; Chalc. Tim. 292; Hilar. Trin.
8, 17.)
insonabiliter (anai Xeyofxevov) 147, 37.
intelligibiliter (eccl.) 13, 2, 3; 118, 27; 120, 10. (Chalc. Tim.
137; Mar. Yict. adv. Arium 1, 26.)
intolerabiliter (rare) 43, 24; 93, 48. (Col. 1, 4, 9; Mythog.
Yatic. 1, 198.)
invisibiliter (eccl.) 147, 37; 148, 6; 220, 10. (App. de Mund.
p. 71; Cod. Th. 6, 7, 3; Sulp. Sev. Dial. 3, 10; Tert. adv.
Yal. 14.)
iugiter (late) 93, 43. (Auson. Par. 19, 4; Yulg. Exod. 29, 38 ;
Fevit. 24, 2; Hum. 9, 16; 1 Reg. 1, 22, etc.)
6 W
82
latrocinanter (cbral Aey o/xevov) 35, 3.
localiter (late) 149, 11, 11. (Tert. Pall. 2; Amm. 19, 12, 3;
Hier. in Ephes. 2, 4, 9; Cass. Yar. 1, 35.)
longanimiter (eccl.) 147, 34. (Cass. H. E. 10, 33; Fulg. Ep.
ad Venant.; Yulg. Hebr. 6, 15.)
mendaciter (eccl.) 40, 5; 82, 7; 108, 13, 16; 130, 25; 139, 7;
194, 46; 217, 8; 259, 5. (Hier. in Jerem. ad 15, 17;
Sol. 1, 87; Yulg. Jerem. 7, 9; Ezech. 13, 22; Zach. 5,4.)
misericorditer (a. c. and late) 31, 5; 40, 6; 82, 26, 28, 29; 91, 9;
137, 9, 20; 138, 14; 139, 2; 140, 74; 153, 8; 157, 36, 37;
173, 2; 210, 1; 211, 11; 264, 2; 268, 2. (Claud. Quad.
Frag. 88; Lact. 6, 18, 9; Cass. con. Nestor. 1, 5, 6;
Ennod. Ep. 6, 1, 3.)
mortaliter (eccl.) 102, 17. (Eufin. Interp. Joseph. Antiq. 8,15.)
obedienter (rare out of Livy) 166, 2, 27; 169, 12; 217, 6; 262, 8.
(Liv. 3, 39, 1; Curt. 4, 1, 5; Civ. Dei 14, 23.)
originaliter (Aug. only) 166, 12; 190, 5; 194, 20, 39; 202A, 12,
18. (Trin. 39; Retractr. 1, 15.)
parricidaliter (late) 34, 3. (Lampr. Alex. Sev. 1, 7.)
partiliter (eccl.) 140, 6. (Arn. 1, 12; Iren. 2, 17, 2; Firm.
Math. 1, 5; Cael. Aur. Acut. 2, 10, 65.)
pervicaciter (eccl.) 93, 14. (Sid. Ep. 7, 14, 2; Claud. Mam. 3,
10; TTlp. Dig. 26, 10, 3.)
praetereunter (Aug. only) 9, 4. (Tract, in Joan. 118.)
proficienter (eccl.) 215, 8 (Prosp. Ac. in Psal. 120, 5; Cass.
in Psal. 133, 2; Hilar. Trin. 1, 22.)
rationabiliter (late) 17, 2; 120, 33; 147, 25; 170, 6, 9; 187, 24.
(Hier. Ep. 39, 3; App. Dogm. Plat. 1; Macr. Somn. Sc.
2, 11, 17; Amm. 20, 4, 8; Lact. Ep. 61, 17.)
reverenter (late except Plin.) 262, 8. (Plin. Ep. 3, 21, 5;
Amm. 16, 12, 41; Auson. Epgr. 2, 7.)
saeculariter (eccl.) 27, 5. (Cyp. Fest. 3, 36.)
seminaliter (late) 190, 15. (Claud. Mam. Stat. Anim. 1, 21;
Interpr. Iren. Haeres. 1, 8, 5; 14, 2.)
sinceriter (late) 104, 10; 140, 45; 142, 4; 189, 1; 224, 3; 231,
4; 236, sal.; 256. (Gell. 13, 16, 1; Cyp. Rebapt. 6; En¬
nod. Ep. 8, 12, 1; Hilar, de Syn. 38; Yulg. Tobiae 3, 5.)
solemniter (very rare) 29, 4; 175, 1. (App. 3, 11, p. 193;
Just. 12, 13, 6; Dig. 12, 2, 3.)
spiritaliter (eccl.) 26, 6; 34, 3; 98, 3; 147, 46; 148, 13; 157, 11,
12; 188, 6; 190, 23; 196, 5, 10, 16; 199, 32, 34; 220, 10;
83
228, 14; 237, 4. (Tert. Bapt. 4; Cyp. Ep. 63, 15; Sid.
Ep. 8, 14, 4; Hier. in Is. 1, 2, 4; Cass. Inst. 1, 8; Hilar,
in Matth. 9, 3.)
sufficienter (late except Plin.) 36, 25, 28; 148, 8; 166, 20; 169,
12; 202A, 48; 265, 8. (Hier. Ep. 123, 6; Cass. Inst.
5, 1; Sid. Ep. 2, 1, 2; Dig. 7, 1, 15; Ynlg. Nahum 2, 12;
Aur. Yict. Epit. 20, 7.)
temperanter (late except Tac.) 93, 8; 102, 35; 137, 20; 140, 66;
155, 12; 244, 2. (Tac. A. 4, 33; 15, 29; Amm. 14, 10,
15.)
temporaliter (eccl.) 55, 28; 58, 1; 120, 7; 140, 13; 147, 25;
157, 13, 20; 166, 13; 169, 11; 243, 3. (Tert. adv. Jud.
2; Claud. Mam. 1, 3; Paulin. Nol. Ep. 23, 15.)
terribiliter (eccl.) 78, 3; 134, 2; 185, 12; 214, 7. (Arn. 2, 20;
Hilar, in Ps. 138, x 27; Yulg. Psal. 138, 14.)
transeunter (eccl.) 12. (Amm. 28, 1, 14.)
umbraliter (eccl.) 149, 25; 177, 39. (Gaudent. Brix. Serm.
4, 6.)
unanimiter (late) 211, 6. (Tert. Patient. 1; Oros. Hist. 4, 6,
25; Arn. 1, 54; Yulg. Judith 4, 10; Psal. 82, 6; Act.
I, 14.)
universaliter (late) 190, 22. (Boeth. Inst. Aritb. 2, 46; Cass.
Coni. 13, 7, 2; Yincent. Lerin. Commonit. 3.)
venerabiliter (late) 37, 1; 62, 2; 65, 2; 101, sal.; 115, sal.; 190,
sal.; 211, 4; 236, sal. (Yal. Max. 5, 1, 5; Macr. S. 7,
II, 10; Auson. Parent. Praef.)
veraciter (eccl.) 28, 4; 47, 2; 73, 4; 82, 15, 19; 85, 1; et passim
to 257, 5. (Ambros. Ep. 17, 1; Cass. Coni. 1, 14.)
verisimiliter (p. c.) 13, 2. (App. Apol.)
visibiliter (eccl.) 78, 3; 140, 7; 147, 48. (Ambros. in Luc. 6,
86; Claud. Mam. 2, 5; Cass. Coni. 2, 11, 5; Paulin. Nol.
Ep. 20, 3; Mar. Yict. Hymn, de Trin. 3.)
vivaciter (late) 215, 2. (Fulg. Myth. 1, praef. 22.)
vulgariter (rare and late except Plin.) 19. (Plin. N. H. 8, 4, 5;
Oros. 7, 43, 5; Aurel. Yict. Epit. 9, 10.)
From the number (97) of late and rare words comprised in
the foregoing list, it may be seen tharfc in bis use of adverbs more
than of any other part of speech Augustine shows evidence
of the influence of his age and country on his vocabulary. In
spite of his prolonged and serious classical training, in spite of the
84
years spent in teaching rhetoric, in spite even of his fastidious
taste in the choice of words, he cannot resist the impulse to indulge
in new adverbs, or unusual or even bizarre adverbs. Some of these
he finds it necessary to qualify, either to apologize for his neo¬
logism or to explain it, as when he prefixes quasi to transeunter
(12) and “translato verbo usus” to umbraliter (187, 39). Fif¬
teen of the above words represent Augustine^s own activity in the
fashioning of adverbs, of which the five a7ra$ Aey o^eva need cause
no surprise, considering their highly particularized meaning.
5. Adverbs in -e.
This termination presents nothing especially noteworthy, being
a usual and frequent one. Augustine has, however, a number of
non-classical forms, some of them his own contributions to the
language. ;
acutule (Aug. only) 205, 4. (Conf. 3, 71.)
adulatorie (a7r Xeyofxevov) 21, 1.
anniversarie (a7ra£ Aey o/ievov) 54, 10.
calunmiose (late) 141, 11; 138, 9. (Fig. 46, 5, 7.)
christiane (eccl.) 157, 39. (Hier. Ep. 105, 4.)
circumspecte (late) 147, 24. (Gell. 1, 5, 2; Amm. 27, 3, 14;
Dig. 4, 4, 7.)
confuse (rare out of Cic.) 170, 5. (Cic. Inv. 1, 30, 49; Gell.
14, 2, 17; Auct. Her. 4, 47, 60.)
congrue (late) 236, 3. (Paul. Sent. 2, 3; Mart. Cap. 6, 601;
Yen. Fort. 11, 15, 2.)
contentiose (eccl.) 53, 5. (Tert. adv. Jovin. 2, 10; Vulg. Deut.
31, 27; Hier. Ep. 106, 55.)
conviciose (rare and late) 126, 9. (Schol. Hor. Sat. 1, 5, 65;
Aug. Serm. 125, 81.)
debite (eccl.) 194, 40. (Ps.-Prosp. Hat. Gent. 2, 1; Gaudent.
Serm. Praef. p. 837; Meet. Spir. 18; Ennod. Ep. 3,
72, 76.)
definitive (eccl.) 47. (Tert. Carn. Chr. 18; Cael. Aur. Acut. 1,
praef.)
desperate (Aug. only) 53, 1; 56, 2.
disiuncte (rare and late) 170, 5. (Fest. p. 292, 5.)
dispensative (eccl.) 82, 21, 19. (Hier. Ep. 112, 14.)
erudite (rare in positive) 149, 16. (Gell. 18, 5.)
expresse (rare in positive) 88, 11; 226, 1. (Plin. Ep. 2, 14;
Auct. ad Her. 4, 7.)
85
fastidiose (very rare out of Cic.) 226, 1. (Cic. Plane. 27, 65;
Petr. 13; Auson. Par. praef. 1.)
inconcusse (late) 66, 1; 147, 35; 148, 15; 169, 13; 190, 39.
(Hier. Interpr. Orig. in Is. Horn. 7, 2; Cod. Th. 11,
61, 6.)
incongrne (late) 40, 5; 118, 24. (Macr. S. 5, 13, 31; Hier.
Ep. 67, 5.)
indubie (late) 167, 6. (Mar. Viet. Com. in Gen. 3, 568; Hilar.
Ep. ad Gal. 2; Claud. Mam. Stat. Anim. 1, 16.)
infime (a7ra£ Aey ofxevov) 18, 2.
infructuose (eccl.) 40, 6; 78, 7; 164, 13. (Hier. Ep. 12, 16.)
inlicite (late) 54, 5; 87, 9; 130, 22; 209, 7. (Dig. 32, 1, 11;
48, 5, 38; 49, 16, 9.)
innoxie (= innocently: p. c.) 10, 1. (Min. Fel. Oct. 33.)
licite (late) 125, 3; 153, 26; 187, 31; 237, 31. (Dig. 30, 114,
5; Hier. Ep. 48, 15.)
manifeste (late for manifesto) 55, 22. (Sulp. Sev. Chron. 2, 7,
5; Dig. 50, 16, 243; Paul. Sent. 3, 6, 60; Yulg. 1 Esdr.
4, 18; Tobiae 2, 22; Esth. 16, 10; Psal. 49, 3.)
medie (once in Tac. otherwise late) 18, 2. (Tac. H. 1, 19; App.
Dogm. Plat. 2, p. 22; Eutr. 7, 13; Lact. 6, 15.)
mystice (eccl.) 55, 12; 199, 10. (Ambros. in Luc. 7, 9; Sol.
32; Hier. in Is. 4, 11, 10.)
pacifice (late) 33, 6; 88, 7, 10; 108, 13. (Cypr. Ep. 41; Yulg.
Gen. 26, 31; 1 Par. 12, 17; 1 Reg. 25, 5; 2 Macc. 10, 12,
etc.)
paterne (a7ra| Xeyo/xevov) 37, 3.
perfunctorie (late) 21, 1; 217, 6. (Cod. Th. 12, 3, 2.)
praepropere (rare) 43, 8; 127, 9. (Plaut. Mil. 2, 4, 10; Liv.
27, 23, 10; Quint. 12, 6, 2.)
prophetice (eccl.) 82, 25; 140, 5, 34. (Tert. Mon. 4; Hier.
Ep. 34, 3.)
sacrate (eccl.) 55, 13; 235, 2. (Hier. in Sophon. 3, 8; Aug.
Doctr. Chr. 2, 16.)
sempiterne (a. and p. c. for sempiterno) 238, 13. (Pac. ap.
Hon. 170, 20; Claud. Mam. Stat. An. 1, 3.)
serie (p. c. for serio) 17, 1. (Aur. Yict. Epit. 15.)
tropice (late) 140, 38. (Claud. Mam. Stat. An. 1, 3, 4; Aug.
Genes, ad Lit. 4, 9.)
vane (p. c.) 102, 32. (Tert. Apol. 49; App. Mag. p. 300, 41;
Yulg. 4 Reg. 17, 15 ; Psal. 38, 12; Isai 30, 7; Zach, 10, 2.)
86
ventose (late) 112, 3. (App. M. 10, p. 248, 22.)
veridiee (late) 17, 1. (Amm. 31, 1, 2.)
volupe 40 (Ms. form of volup: a. c.) 3, 5. (Plaut. Am. 3, 3, 3;
Rud. 4, 4, 132, etc.)
6. Miscellaneous Adverbs .
germanitus (a. and p. c.) 140, 79; 186, sal. (Non. 118, 14;
Pompon, ap. Non. 1, 1; Ang. Conf. 3, 2, 3.)
nullatenus (late for minime) 138, 4. (Mart. Cap. 2, 135; Claud.
Mam. 1, 14; Cass. Yar. 3, 4; Fulgent. Myth. 2; Sid. Ep.
6, 14, 2.)
quantocius (late) 124, 2. (Claud. Mam. Act. ad Jul. 2; Lact.
Mort. Pers. 48, 10; Vulg. Gen. 45, 19.)
quotlibet (very rare) 199, 16. (Hyg. Astron. 1, 6.)
quaquaversum (p. c.) 140, 62; 175, 3. (App. M. 4, 6, p. 247;
Sid. Ep. 9, 3.)
perparum (late) 102, 37. (Veg. Vet. 3, 3.)
frequentatum (Aug. only) 104, 2, 3.
Augustine seems to use this word instead of saepe. In both
instances it occurs in the same setting:
“ addis me frequentatum in litteris nosse quod mors . . . auferat
sensum.” 104, 2.
“in qua tu arbitraris et frequentatum in litteris iam mones
aeternam posse esse calamitatem.” 102, 3.
To the atiove may be added two prepositional phrases used ad¬
verbially by Augustine with considerable frequency:
in aeternum—104, 9; 140, 16; 146; 153, 18; 155, 12; 157, 13,
20; 173, 4; 175, 6; 185, 7, 32. (Vulg. Gen. 3; Exod.
3, 15; 1 Reg. 3, 13; 1 Par. 15, 2, etc.)
pro magno—140, 22; 130, 7; 138, 19.
v. Diminutives.
Perhaps no class of derivatives shows more distinctly the separa¬
tion between literary and colloquial Latin than does that of dimi¬
nutives. Their usefulness in intensifying or reducing the meaning
of a word—they could be used for both purposes—ensured them
40 “ Volup et volupe saepissime in antiquis Mss. et editis libris fuerunt
inter se confusa.” Forcellini, 6, 412.
an unassailable place in the speech of everyday; hence we find them
used lavishly by Plantns and Terence, by Cicero in his Letters, by
Catullus in his lighter lyrics, by Petronius and Apuleius. On the
other hand, their undignified character made them inappropriate
for the more elevated diction of classical literature, and they are
found but rarely in the serious works of that period. In the post-
classical period, however, when the colloquial influence was brought
to bear so strongly on the literary language, they are found with
increasing frequency. The African writers, except Cyprian, 41 used
them generously. 42
As might be expected, constant use wore out the meaning of
some diminutives, and they were then reinforced by a second suffix,
giving rise to such reduplicated forms as - ellus, -Ulus, -ellulus,
-illulus. Some lost their diminutive force entirely and ceased to be
felt as such. 43 This was especially the case with implements of
daily use, parts of the body, etc.
The principal diminutive suffixes used in Latin were:
1) the various forms of the Indo-European suffix -lo-, appearing
as -lus, -la, -lum when added to a- and o-stems, or as the
reduplicated endings, -ellus, -illus, -ellulus, -illulus.
2) the I.-E. suffix -co-, seen in homuncio and in the compound
endings, cu-lus, -a, -um, - cellus, -cillus, -a, -urn. Of these
latter -cuius seems to have been felt as a simple suffix and was
used to form simple diminutives of consonant-, i-, u-, and
e-stems. It was also substituted sometimes for -lus, with fl¬
an d o-stems.
3) The Latin suffix -aster, composed of the I.-E. -tero with a
prefixed -as-, carrying an implication of contempt and denot¬
ing usually something which is a poor copy of the original.
This is also sometimes combined with -lus and appears as
- astellus: e. g. Plant. Mil. 1, 1, 54; “at peditastelli quia
erant, sivi viverent.”
In the use of diminutives, Augustine occupies a sort of middle
ground between classical and post-classical usage. He makes a
fairly frequent use of them, but is by no means as prodigal of them
as are most of his successors and some of his contemporaries. When
compared with Jerome, 44 who strews them copiously over his dis¬
course, Augustine seems to have exercised remarkable restraint.
41 Bayard, 25. 43 Goelzer (1), 129.
"Gabarrou, 33. 44 Goelzer (1), 125.
88
He uses -aster only once, -ellulus only once and coins very few new
forms—not more than two. The proportion of classical forms
(57%) is noteworthy. The following is a complete list:
1. Nouns.
agellus (class.) 96, 2. (Ter. Ad. 5, 8, 26; Yarro R. R. 3, 16;
Cic. N. D. 3, 35.)
agellulus (late) 126, 7. (Sym. Ep. 2, 30.)
animula (rare) 137, 1. (Gell. 19, 11, 4; Cic. Att. 9, 7; Hadr.
Imp. ap. Spart. Hadr. 2 Inscr. Orelli 2579, 4761.)
apicula (a. and p. c.) 15, 2; 137, 8. (Plaut. Cure. 1, 1, 10;
Fronto Ep. ad Ver. 8 Mai.)
articulus (class, and freq.) 139, 3; 147, 31. (Plaut. Men. 1, 2,
31; Cic. Quinct. 5, 19; Plin. 2, 97, 99; Yulg. Gen. 7, 13;
Dan. 5, 5.)
cancelli (class.) 43, 2. (Yarro R. R. 3, 5, 4; Col. 8, 17, 6; Cic.
Yerr. 2, 3, 59, etc.; Yulg. 4 Reg. 1, 2; Prov. 7, 6; Cant.
2, 9.)
capitulum (= chapter, summary: late) 29, 2. (Tert. adv. Jud.
9, 19; Hier. in Ezech. 47; Yulg. Hebr. 8, 1.)
castellum (class.) 209, 2. (Caes. B. G. 2, 30; Yerg. A. 5, 440;
Liv. 3, 57, 2, etc.; Yulg. Hebr. 25, 16 to Joan. 11, 30.)
cervicula (rare) 227. (Cic. Yerr. 2, 3, 19; App. Elor. p. 348;
Quint. 11, 3, 180.)
chartula (class, rare) 84, 1; 205, 1; 256. (Cic. Fam. 7, 18, 2;
Gai. Inst. 2, 77.) In 205, 1 this word is still further
diminished by the addition of parva.
conventiculum (rare) 17, 4; 43, 21; 44, 8; 118, 12. (Cic. Sest.
42, 91; Tac. A. 14, 15 ; Amm. 15, 5, 31; Arn. 4,152; Lact.
5, 11, 10; Yulg. Ps. 15, 4.)
corpusculum (class.) 118, 28; 137, 2; 162, 9; 269. (Lucr. 2,
152; Cic. 1ST. D. 1, 24, 66.)
diluculum (rare) 36, 28. (Cic. Rose. Am. 7, 19; Plaut. Am.
2, 2, 105; Yulg. Exod. 14, 7; Job 4, 19; Dan. 6, 19;
Jonae 4, 7; Osee 6, 3.)
facultatula (late) 127, 7. (Hier. Ep. 108, 10.)
facula (mostly a. c.) 55, 21. (Cato R. R. 37, 3; Yarro L. L.
5, 137; Prop. 2, 29, 5; Yulg. Eccli. 48, 1; 2 Macc. 4, 22;
Apoc. 8, 10.)
flagellum (class.) 43, 21; 91, 6. (Hor. S. 1, 3, 119; Cat. 25,
11; Juv. 6, 479; Yulg. Exod. 5, 16; Job 5, 21; Prov.
26, 3; Marc. 15, 5.)
89
\
formicula (p. c.) 137, 8. (Fronto Ep. ad Yer. 8; App. M. 6,
p. 177; Arn. 4, 145.)
gregiculum (a7ra| A eyo^evov) 95, 49.
igniculus (class.) 125, 2. (Cic. Fam. 15, 20, 2; Quint. 6, praef.
7, etc.; Yulg. Isai. 30, 14.)
infantulus (p. c.) 98, 4; 149, 3; 177, 24. (App. M. 8, p. 209;
Hier. in Isai. 3, 7, 16; Yulg. Exod. 2, 3; Levit. 12, 3;
Fum. 11, 12; 1 Eeg. 1, 24, etc.) In 149, 22 infantulis
parvulis occurs.
libellus (class.) 93, 13. (Cic. de Or. 1, 21, 94; Quint. 8, 6, 73;
Cat. 1, 1, etc.; Yulg. Kum. 5, 23; Deut. 24, 1; Matth.
5, 31, etc.)
loculus (class.) 263, 2. (Plaut. Mil. 3, 2, 38; Hor. Ep. 2, 1,
175, etc.; Yulg. Joan. 12, 6; Luc. 7, 14, etc.)
modulus (class.) 47, 4; 82, 22; 91, 1; 127, 8; 257, 9. (Yarro
R. R. 2, 2, 20; Hor. S. 2, 3, 309.)
morula (p. c.) 93, 18; 101, 3. (App. Fragm. M. 10, p. 71;
Aug. Conf. 11, 15.)
muliercula (class.) 137, 12. (Lucr. 4, 1279; Cic. Tusc. 5, 36,
103; Yulg. 2 Tim. 3, 6.)
munusculum (class.) 211, 11. (Cic. Fam. 12, 2; Yerg. E. 4, 18;
Juv. 6, 36; Yulg. Gen. 13, 10; Esth. 9, 22; Jerem. 40, 5.)
navicula (class, rare) 31, 5. (Cic. Ac. 2, 248, 148; Caes. B. C.
2, 3; Yulg. Matth. 8, 23; Marc. 3, 9; Luc. 5, 3; Joan.
6, 22, etc.)
operula (p. c.) 47, 1; 261, 3. (Dig. 50, 14, 3; App. M. 1, p.
105.)
opusculum (class.) 40, 2; 82, 23; 101, 3; 102, 17; 120, 1; 162,
2; 26, 3. (Cic. Ac. 2, 38, 120; Hor. Ep. 1, 4, 3.)
particula (class.) 10, 2; 28, 3; 55, 35; 70, 3; 138, 5. (Cic.
de Or. 2, 39, 162; Hor. C. 1, 28, 23; Quint. 3, 11, 21;
Yulg. Tobiae 6, 8; Eccli. 14, 14.)
pellicula (class.) 15, 1; 93, 21. (Cic. Mur. 36, 76; Juv. 1, 11;
Plin. 30, 11, 30; Yulg. Gen. 27, 16.)
portiuncula (very rare) 91, 1. (Inscr. Orelli 4821.)
possessiuncula (very rare) 96, 2; 185, 36. (Cic. Att. 13, 23, 3;
Yulg. Levit. 25, 25.)
quaestiuncula (class.) 13, 2; 37, 3; 80, 2; 118, 2. (Cic. de Or.
1, 22, 102; Sen. Ep. 117, 1; Quint. 1, 3, 11.)
ramusculus (late) 185, 32. (Hier. Ep. 133, 3 ; Yulg. Isai. 18, 5.)
retiolum (late) 211, 10. (App. M. 8, p. 202; Serv. Yerg. A.
4, 138.)
90
scrupulus (class.) 36, 32; 95, 8; 96, 2; 112, 2; 147, 40; 177, 3.
(Cic. Rose. Am. 2, 6; Suet. Claud. 37; Yulg. 1 Reg.
25, 31.)
sacculus (class, rare) 66, 1. (Plin. 2, 51, 52; Juv. 14, 138;
Cat. 13, 8; Yulg. Gen. 42, 25; Job. 14, 17; Luc. 10, 4,
etc.)
specillum (once only) 3, 3. (Not. Tir. p. 36).
vermiculus (rare) 102, 36; 162, 7. (Lucr. 2, 899; Plin. 10, 65,
85; Yulg. 2 Reg. 23, 8.)
versiculus (class.) 118, 3. (Cic. Ep. ad Brut. 1, 14, 1; Quint.
9, 4, 52; Cat. 16, 3, etc.)
2. Adjectives.
anniculus (a. c. and late) 250, 2. (Yarro R. R. 2, 5, 12; Cato
R. R. 17, 2; Yulg. freq. Exod. 12, 5 to Mich. 6, 6.)
capitulatus (very rare) 53, 4. (Cels. 8, 1; Plin. 17, 21, 35.)
corniculatus 45 (very rare) 55, 6. (App. de Deo Socr. p. 41, 1;
Fulg. Myth. 14, 10.)
Graeculus (class.) 118, 11. (Cic. Tusc. 1, 35, 86; Juv. 3, 78.)
nigellus (a. c.) 162, 9. (Yarro ap. Non. 456, 8; Pall. 3, 25, 12.)
novellus (class.) 173, 10; 186, 3; 202 A 7, 14. (Yarro R. R.
2, 3; Col. 6, 1, 3; 'Cic. Fin. 5, 14, 39; Yerg. E. 3, 11;
Yulg. Josue 24, 32; Psal. 68, 32, etc.)
parvulus (class.) 27, 2; 43, 1; 104, 7; 98, 1; 102, 5; 143, 6;
186, 11. (Cic. Inv. 2, 3, 10; Hor. S. 1, 1, 33; Caes. B.
G. 2, 30; Yulg. freq. Gen. 25, 22 to Hebr. 5, 13.)
pauculus (a. and p. c.) 261, 1. (Cato ap. Front, ad Anton. 1, 2;
Plaut. Merc. 2, 3; Ter. Heaut. 4, 6, 24; Vulg. 1 Reg.
17, 28.)
quantuluscumque (class.) 78, 6; 110, 1; 139, 2; 145, 2; 162, 9;
194, 32. (Cic. de Or. 1, 30, 135; Juv. 13, 183; Col. 2,
11, 17.)
surdaster (once only, in Cic.) 187, 19. (Cic. Tusc. 5, 40, 116.)
3. Adjectives in comparative.
grandiusculus (a. c., very rare) 27, 2; 104, 2. (Ter. And. 4,
5, 19.)
tardiusculus (a. and p. c.) 137, 18. (Plaut. Fragm. ap. Non.
198; Ter. Heaut. 3, 2, 4.)
45 This word, like the preceding, is in reality an adjective formed from a
diminutive rather than a diminutive adjective.
91
4. Adverbs.
acutule (Aug. only) 205, 14. (Conf. 3, 71.)
aliquantulum (class.) 26, 2; 73, 4; 82, 2; 95, 4; 139, 3. (Plaut.
Merc. 3, 4, 55; Ter. Heaut. 1, 1, 111; Cic. Par. 3, 1;
Yulg. Gen. 40, 4; Judic. 15, 1; 1 Cor. 16, 7; Hebr. 40, 4.)
clanculo (p. c. accessory form of clanculum) 153, 25. (App. M.
3, p. 133, 5; Macr. 5, 18; Amm. 21, 12, 13.)
diluculo (rare) 102, 36. (Cic. Ep. Att. 16, 13; Yulg. freq.
Exod. 8, 20 to Joan. 8, 2.)
paululum (class.) 93, 41; 137, 1. (Cic. Quinct. 16, 5, 3; Sail.
J. 65, 1; Quint. 1, 68; Yulg. freq. Gen. 24, 45 to 2 Petr.
2, 18.)
pauxillum (a. and p. c.) 261, 3. (Plaut. Capt. 1, 2, 73; Yulg.
Prov. 24, 33.)
tantillum (a. c.) 137, 1. (Plaut. True. 2, 6, 56; Most. 2, 1, 47.)
CHAPTER II.
Compounds.
One of the most striking points of difference between ante-
classical and classical Latin is the great freedom of forming com¬
pounds shown in the earlier period. This was, no doubt, one of
the effects of the Greek influence, as the writers whose works most
abound in compound words were those who applied themselves to
the study and imitation of Greek originals with the greatest ardor.
But Latin does not lend itself to composition as successfully as
Greek does, and the results were not uniformly happy. Thus Pacu-
vius was held up to scorn by later critics for such monstrous com¬
binations as incurvicervicum and repandirostrum. Plautus, writ¬
ing in the sermo plebeius, for the amusement of the common people
of Rome, gave himself unlimited liberty in that direction and pro¬
duced some of his most comic effects by the use of ludicrous com¬
binations. Thus in the Persae (702-704), he has the amusing
string: “ Yaniloquidorus virginesvendonides, nugiphiloloquides
argentumexterebronides, quodsemellarripides numquampostreddo-
nides.” But by such intentional excesses as these, the doom of
unrestricted compounds in Latin was sealed, and the writers of the
Golden Age rather avoided than invented them. Some, especially
prepositional compounds, did succeed in proving their utility and
their right to exist, but many more were labeled as poor diction
and the practice of making them was greatly restricted in the lite¬
rary language.
In the sermo plebeius, however, composition went on with un¬
abated vigor, and was much resorted to by African writers.
One of the contributing causes of this activity in the making of
compounds was the desire for emphasis, that same tendency toward
exaggeration which also eventuated in the unnecessary use of super¬
latives. The result was inevitable—compound words lost their
force and quickly sank to the level of the uncompounded forms.
Hence arose the singular practice of prefixing a second preposition
and thereby creating a double compound.
Augustine shows all these tendencies in a marked degree, and
indicates, by frequent use, his fondness for certain prefixes. He
has an enormous number of compound words of all sorts, prefer-
92
93
ring the compound to the simple word, where the sense allows,
with a pronounced attraction for words in prae- and con-. It is
scarcely possible to find a sentence without one or more compounds;
sometimes indeed the array of them is bewildering, as in 102, 4
where praedicatum, praedictione, praesciebat, praesentia and prae-
conia occur in one sentence and are not the only compounds therein
used.
In the following section prepositional compounds will be treated
separately; other forms of composition, whether real or apparent,
will be classified according to their component parts.
1. Prepositional Compounds.
These occur in classical Latin in greater numbers than any other
forms of compounds, and are extremely frequent in Augustine’s
Letters. The following list represents only the non-classical, rare
or poetic forms which occur in the Letters.
a) Compounds with ad.
adnuntiare (mostly eccl.) 140, 34. (App. M. 8; Yulg. freq.
Gen. 26, 30 to 1 Joan. 1, 2.)
adtaminare (p. c.) 149, 23. (Capitol. Gord. 27; Just. 21, 3;
Cod. Th. 3, 1, 5; Aur. Yict. Caes. 16.)
b) with circum.
circumlatrare (mostly p. c.) 65, 1; 118, 33. (Sen. Cons, ad
Marc. 22, 3; Amm. 22, 10, 16; Avien. Perieg. 48; Lact.
2, 8, 50; Fulg. de Aet. 135, 7.)
circumspargere (late and rare) 55, 28. (Col. 11, 2; Apic. 8, 8;
Cyp. Yulg. Interp. Num. 8, 7.)
circumstipare (poet, and rare) 194, 43. (Sil. 10, 453; Claud.
Laud. Stil. 2, 356.)
circumstrepere (rare) 118, 2. (Tac. H. 2, 44; App. Mag. 75;
Sid. Ep. 7, 9; Sen. Yit. Beat. 11, 1.)
c) with con (com, co-).
i. Nouns and Adjectives.
coaeternus (eccl.) 102, 11, 12; 120, 6; 137, 12; 140, 83; 153,
13; 169, 7, 5; 170, 4. (Tert. adv. Herm. 11; Hier. Ep.
16 , 4.)
concivis (late: translation of av/^roAtT^s) 84, 1. (Tert. adv.
Marc. 5, 17; Res Carn. 41.)
concolona (obra^ Xeyopevov) 35, 2.
94
condignus (very rare) 93, 15. (Plaut. Am. 1, 3, 39; Gell.
3,7,1.)
condiscipulatus (very rare) 31, 9. (Nep. Att. 5, 31; Just. 12,
6, 17.)
commembrum (cbral Acy o/xevov) 126, 9.
conpauperes (Aug. only) 185, 35. (Serm. 25 ex Horn. 50, 3.)
conpossessor (eccl. very rare) 185, 35. (Tert. Idol. 14.)
conregionalis (Aug. only) 60, 2. (Civ. Dei 2, 17.)
consacerdos (eccl.) 34, 5; 175, 1; 178, sal.; 202A, 13, 245,
sal.; 250, sal.; 254, sal. (Hier. in Ezech. Horn. 5, 4;
Sym. Ep. 10, 74.)
consonus (rare and poet.) 98, 10. (Ov. M. 13, 610; Claud.
Eapt. Pros. 2, 42; App. M. 2.)
ii. Verbs and Participles.
coaequare (= compare: late) 82, 34; 147, 39. (Lact. de Ira
Dei 7; Hier. in Is. 5, 17, 14.)
coaptare (eccl.) 130, 23; 137, 12; 140, 32; 143, 9; 147, 34;
144, 15; 149, 6. (Prud. Psych. 5, 57; Hier. adv. Jovin.
1 , 11 .)
cohabitare (late, rare) 67, 1; 83, 6. (Hier. Ep. 101.)
coinquinare (rare) 108, 13. (Col. 8, 5, 19; Val. Max. 6, 1, 6;
Prud. Cath. 6, 53.)
concertare (rare) 177, 15; 187, 36; 189, 2. (Suet. Aug. 21;
Col. 8, 15; Manil. 5, 507.)
conduplicare (a. and p. c.) 147, 51. (Varro E. E. 2, 4, 15;
Lucr. 3, 71; Ter. Phor. 3, 2.)
conlaetari (very rare) 124, 2. (Tert. Idol. 14.)
conlaborare (very rare) 139, 4. (Tert. Poen. 10; Hier. adv.
Joan. 38.)
commanere (late) 228, 6. (Macr. S. 6, 8; Cod. Th. 7, 8, 1;
Jul. Val. Eer. Gest. Alex. M. 1, 20.)
connumerare (p. c. and rare) 108, 11. (Dig. 1, 5, 14; Amm.
25, 4, 1; Hier. Ep. 36, 15; Am. 2, 187; Gai. Inst. 1, 2,4.)
complanare (rare) 232, 5. (Cato E. E. 151, 3; Suet. Cal. 37;
Auct. B. Alex. 63.)
compericlitari (oltt a£ Xeyo/xevov) 139, 4.
compungere (=feel remorse: eccl.) 93, 49; 153, 15. (Lact. 4,
18, 14; Sulp. Sev. Dial. 3, 13.)
coniugari (== marry: rare and mostly late) 127, 9; 130, 29;
194, 32; 220, 5; 245, 1; 262, 7. (App. M. 5, p. 170;
Treb. Gall. 11.)
95
constipare (very rare) 118, 1. (Cic. Agr. 2, 29, 79; Caes. B. G.
5, 42; Prud. cn-£. 11.)
contemperari (very rare) 140, 80. (App. M. 10, p. 246; Yeg.
Art. Yet. 6, 9, 7; Marc. Emp. 16; Apic. 4, 2.)
convivari and convivare (rare) 29, 5; 84, 1; 199, 52. (Sen. Ep.
104, 20; Lampr. Comm. 2; Quint. 1, 6, 44.)
d) with contra.
contrasistere (ana^ Xeyo/xevov) 147, 6.
e) with de.
deambulare (rare) 36, 16; 102, 32; 140, 20. (Cato R. R. 127;
Ter. Heaut. 3, 3, 26; Suet. Aug. 96; Yulg. Gen. 3, 8;
Dan. 13, 7; Est. 2, 11; 4 Reg. 4, 35.)
deargentatus (late) 98, 5. (Hier. Ep. 120, 1; Hilar, in Ps. 67,
13; Oros. 3, 22; Yulg. Ps. 67, 14.)
debacchari (rare) 104, 6. (Ter. Ad. 2, 1, 30; Hier. in Is. 11,
37, 26; Hor. Od. 3, 3, 55.)
definire (= finish: very rare) 166, 21. (Cic. Yerr. 2, 4, 52;
Apul. M. 8, p. 203.)
degradatus (late) 43, 17; 64, 4. (Cod. Th. 1, 31, 3; Hilar.
frag. Hist. 2, 15; Yenant. Yit. S. Radeg. 3.)
depraedari (p. c. for praedari) 35, 4; 88, 8; 108, 18; 111, 1.
(App. M. 8, p. 215; Hier. in Is. 1, 1, 8; Just. 24, 6, 2;
Yulg. Job 24, 9; Isai. 10, 13; Thren. 3, 51; Ezech. 29,
19; 1 Macc. 6, 3.)
devitare (rare) 39, 10; 83, 5; 95, 1; 188, 2. (Plaut. Rud. 1, 2,
79; Ter. And. 3, 5, 5; Lucr. 3, 1092; Cic. Tusc. 2, 26:
Suet. Tib. 11; Yulg. Judic. 11, 3; Eccle. 2, 3; Eccli. 4,
23; 2 Cor. 8, 20; 1 Tim. 2, 16.)
f) with di ( dis ).
dilaniare (rare) 22, 8; 23, 5. (Cic. Tusc. 2, 10, 24; Ov. M. 6,
645; Tac. A. 11, 22; Yulg. Luc. 9, 39.)
directus (= written, of a letter: late) 141, 10. (Capit. Clod.
Alb. 2.)
g) with ex ( e ).
effari (poet.) 58, 2. (Yerg. A. 10, 523; Lucr. 5, 104; App. M.
7, 25; Cic. de Or. 3, 38; Yulg. Psa. 93, 2; Prov. 18, 23.)
eliquare (= examine thoroughly: late) 83, 1. (Prud. Hamart.
260.)
96
emendicare (rare) 118, 11. (Suet. Aug. 91; Caes. 54; Cod.
Th. 9, 2, 14.)
excaecare (rare) 102, 25; 138, 8. (Plin. 20, 18, 76; Flor. 2,
20, 5. (Col. 11, 3, 45; Ov. M. 15, 272; Yulg. Exod.
23, 8; Deut. 16, 19; Sap. 2, 21; Eccli. 20, 31; Isai. 6, 10 :
Joan. 12, 40; 2 Cor. 4, 4.)
excantare (rare) 231, 4. (Tab. XII ap. Sen. Q. X. 4, 7, 2;
Prop. 3, 3, 49; Hor. Epod. 5, 45; Aug. Civ. Dei 8, 19.)
excommunicare (eccl.) 87, 4; 108, 19. (Hier. adv. Ruf. 2, 18;
Hilar, frag Hist. 11, 4.)
exhilarare (rare) 248, 1. (Mart. 8, 50, 6; Col. 6, 24, 2; Plin.
16, 35, 40; Yulg. Psa. 103, 15; Prov. 15, 13; Eccli.
36, 24.)
exhonoratus (late) 54, 4; 120, 1. (Aug. Tract, in Joan. 36, 4;
Yulg. Eccli. 10, 16; Jacob. 2, 6.)
h) with in. 1
i. Xouns and Adjectives,
infrenis or
infrenus (poet, and p. c.) 43, 9; 243, 8. (Verg. A. 10, 750;
Col. Poet. 10, 215; Gell. 1, 15, 17; Ser. Samm. 43, 804.)
inhospitus (poet.) 197, 4. (Ov. M. 15, 51; Yerg. A. 4, 41;
Hor. Ep. 1, 14, 19.)
innumerus (poet.) 102, 8. (Lucr. 2, 1054; Tac. A. 15, 53;
Yerg. A. 6, 706; Ov. H. 16, 366; Aus. Idyll. 4, 47.)
inoboedientia (eccl.) 35, 2. (Civ. Dei 14, 7; Hier. Quaest. Heb.
ad Reg. 2, 1; Tert. adv. Marc. 4, 17; Yulg. Esth. 16, 24;
Rom. 5, 19; 2 Cor. 10, 6 ; Hebr. 2, 2.)
impaenitens (eccl.) 196, 7. (Hier. in Is. 12, 40, 27; Yulg.
Rom. 2, 5.)
interminus (p. c.) 91, 6. (Avien. Perieg. 74 ; Aus. Ep. 16, 38;
App. Mund. p. 57, 18.)
ii. Yerbs and Participles.
incertare (a. and p. c.) 78, 8. (Plaut. Ep. 4, 1, 18; Pac. ap.
Non. 123, 30; App. M. 11, p. 265.)
inculpatus—See sec. iii, 10, Yerbs.
indebitus—See sec. iii, 10, Yerbs.
indisciplinatus—See sec. iii, 10, Yerbs.
1 “ Non est dubitandiun quin Afri adamaverint substantiva cum in pri-
vativo formata.” Hoppe, p. 55.
97
inemendatus—See sec. iii, 10, Verbs,
infalsatus—-See sec. iii, 10, Verbs,
ingenitus—See sec. iii, 10, Verbs.
inhiare (rare) 27, 3. (Verg. G. 4, 483; Sen. Here. Fur. 166;
Val. FI. 2, 531.)
immaculatus—-See sec. iii, 10, Verbs,
impacatus—See sec. iii, 10, Verbs,
imperturbatus—See sec. iii, 10, Verbs.
innodare (late) 151, 8. (Amm. 28, 6, 27; Ambros. in Psa. 118,
Serm. 8, 44; Sid. Ep. 9, 9; Cod. Just. 5, 31, 14.)
insonare (poet.) 243, 8. (Verg. A. 12, 366; Ov. M. 13, 608.)
insumere (=use up: p. c.) 235, 2. (Cael. Aur. Tard. 2, 2, 60;
Acut. 2, 37.)
inviscerare (p c.) 187, 41; 266, 1. (Hemes. Cyn. 214; Aug.
Serm. 24.)
i) with inter.
interquiescere (rare) 44, 2. (Cato R. R. 159; Sen. Ep. 78;
Plin. Ep. 8, 21.)
j) with ot).
obumbrare (poet.) 138, 18; 140, 9. (Ov. M. 13, 845; Verg. G.
4, 20; Curt. 5, 4, 8; Vulg. Psa. 90, 4; Sap. 19, 7; Matth.
17, 5; Marc. 9, 6; Luc. 1, 35; Act. 5, 51.)
k) with per.
perdurus (p. c.) 70, 4; 71, 4. (Dig. 48, 3, 2.)
percupere (a. c.) 28, 1. (Plaut. As. 1, 1, 61; Ter. Eun. 5,
2, 57.)
perdurare (= persist: poet.) 80, 3; 130, 20; 141, 2. (Ter. Hec.
2, 2, 27; Ov. Med. Fac. 49; Stat. Th. 1, 142; Sen. Ben.
7, 28; Vulg. Act. 2, 46.)
personare (= speak: rare) 140, 44; 145, 10. (Val. FI. 2, 163;
Tac. A. 14, 15; Vulg. Job 6, 30.)
perstrepere (poet.) 44, 2. (Ter. Eun. 3, 5, 52; Sil. 8, 430;
Stat. Achill. 2, 76; Vulg. Exod. 19, 16; Judith 14, 9.)
l) with prae.
i. Houns and Adjectives.
praecelsus (poet, and late) 134, 3. (Verg. A. 3, 245; Sulp. Sev.
Chron. 2, 15, 9; Stat. S. 3, 3; Ambros. Fid. 4, 1, 7.)
praefidens (rare) 26, 5; 43, 18; 140, 50. (Cic. OF. 1, 26; 90.)
IVW
98
praeiudicium (= disadvantage: p. c.) 59, 2; 78, 4; 242. (Gell.
2, 2, 7; Dig. 1, 6, 10; Vulg. 1 Tim. 5, 21.)
praescientia (eccl.) 102, 14. (Tert. adv. Marc. 2, 5; Mart. Cap.
2, 159; Vulg. Eccli. 31, 2; Act. 2, 23; Petr. 1, 2.)
ii. Verbs and Participles.
praecognitus (very rare) 146, 73. (Suet. Aug. 97; Boeth. Con.
Phil. 5, 4; Vulg. 1 Petr. 1, 20.)
praeiigurare (eccl.) 102, 11; 140, 46; 187, 39. (Lact. 6, 20;
Cyp. Ep. 2, 3; Hier. Ep. 18, 14; Hilar, in Ps. 52, 5.)
praefocare (poet.) 23, 4; 167, 12. (Ov. Ib. 560; Macr. Somn.
Sc. 1, 12; Arn. 7, 29; Dig. 25, 3, 4; Calp. Eel. 4, 115.)
praefulgere (rare) 108, 12. (Phaedr. 3, 18, 7; Verg. A. 8, 553;
Gell. 5, 5, 3.)
praenotare (p. c.) 184A, 5. (Ap. M. 11, p. 268; Hilar, in Ps.
15, 1; Hier. Ep. 112, 19; Tert. adv. Jud. 14.)
praepedire (poet.) 151, 8. (Plaut. Poen. 4, 2, 5; Ov. Tr. 1, 3,
42; Lucr. 3, 478; Tac. A. 3, 3.)
praepollere (rare) 91, 3; 140, 27. (Tac. A. 2, 45, 51; App. M.
6, p. 182.)
praescire (of God’s foreknowledge: eccl.) 140, 48; 186, 23; 190,
12. (Ambros. in Luc. 7, 167; Vulg. 4 Peg. 19, 27; Sap.
19, 1; Act. 26, 5 ; Rom. 8, 20 ; 2 Petr. 3, 17.)
praeseminare (late) 9, 2; 118, 20; 242, 3. (Lact. 6, 10; Amm.
30, 2, 1; Ambros. Ep. 5, 3; Cassiod. H. E. 6, 24.)
praesumere (=relv on: late) 82, 20. (Snip. Sev. Hist. Sacr.
I, 47; Vulg. Jud. 6, 16; Sap. 7, 15; Eccli. 32, 13; 1 Cor.
II , 21 .)
m) with re.
reluctare (active form: p. c.) 82, 2; 44, 2. (App. M. 4, p. 151;
Claud. Rapt. Pros. 1, 42.)
reprobus (late) 137, 16. (Dig. 13, 7, 24; Vulg. 1 Reg. 15, 9;
Eccli. 9, 11; 1 Cor. 9, 27.)
repullulare (rare) 211, 3. (Plin. 16, 10, 19; Isid. 17, 6, 10.)
revivere (mostly p. c.) 137, 13. (Paulin. Hoi. Carm. 35, 563;
Sen. Med. 477.)
n) with se.
seducere (= seduce: eccl.) 204, 4. (Tert. adv. Marc. 2, 8; Aug.
Conf. 2, 3; Civ. Dei, 14, 11; Vulg. Exod. 22, 16; Eccli.
13, 10.)
99
selegere (rare) 207. (Ov. Am. 3, 11, 49; App. M. 10, p. 245.)
semovere (rare) 137, 6. (Cic. Har. Resp. 12, 26; Lucr. 1, 51.)
o) with sub.
subaudire (p. c.) 140, 19; 186, 25; 238, 22. (Dig. 28, 51;
Hier. in Is. 12, 43, 14; Greg. M. in Job 33, 17.)
subridere (rare) 151, 9. (Cic. Rose. Com. 8, 22; Ov. Am. 3, 1,
33; Yerg. A. 10, 742; Mart. 6, 827; Pers. 3, 110.)
snbtexere (poet.) 140, 40. (Juv. 7, 192; Ov. M. 14, 368; Yal.
FI. 5, 414; Lucr. 5, 446.)
suffocare (rare) 167, 2; 194, 32. (Sen. Q. N. 6, 2, 4; Lucr. 3,
891; Quint. 11, 3, 51.)
p) with super.
supervolare (poet.) 15, 2. (Ov. M. 4, 624; Yerg. A. 10, 522.)
q) with trans.
transigere (poet.) 126, 10. (Sil. 13, 376; Sen. Oed. 857;
Phaedr. 3, 10, 27.)
transvorare (p. c.) 102, 30. (Cael. Aur. Acut. 1, 3, 36; Arn.
1, 40; App. M., p. 333, 6.)
Of the above prefixes, ad, con, de, dis, ex, per and sub belong
especially to the sermo plebeius; con, ex, per and sub are most fre¬
quent in African Latin; per and sub were more popular in the
earlier period, and where they appear in later Latin are probably
instances of deliberate archaism.
II. Bi-prepositional Compounds.
The use of bi-prepositional compounds is one of the signs of the
weakening of certain prepositional prefixes in popular Latin under
the influence of the tendency to over-emphasis. This tendency was
pronounced in late Latin, but was scarcely ever found in classical
Latin except where the word had ceased to be regarded as a com¬
pound, or where the original meaning had changed: e. g. adsur-
gere = ad -f- sur -f- regere. In the Silver Age, compounds in super-
in came into use but few other double prepositions occur. In late
Latin, however, there was great activity in forming double com¬
pounds, and combinations unheard of in earlier times were freely
allowed. African and ecclesiastical Latin showed the greatest free¬
dom in this respect and produced such groups as ab-re, in-ex,
circum-con, super-ex and others.
100
In addition to the classical forms derelinquere, inconcnssum and
imperfectus, Angnstine has the following in the Letters:
abrennntiare (eccl.) 186, 32. (Jnl. Ep. Nov. C. 34, 121; Cass.
4, 36; Ambros. Sacr. 2.)
adimplere (= fulfill: mostly p. c.) 194, 35. (Dig. 26, 7, 43;
Ynlg. Matth. 1, 22; Joan. 13, 18; Gal. 6, 2; 1 Petr. 1, 2.)
exsufflare (eccl.) 23, 4; 34, 3; 43, 22; 51, 5; 52, 2; 105, 7; 108,
3; 173, 8; 185, 8; 194, 46. (Cael. Anr. Tard. 4, 3, 57;
Vulg. Eccli. 43, 4; Agagei. 1, 9; Malac. 1, 13; Hier. in
Malac. 2, 10.)
inexpiatns (anai Xeyofievov) 118, 2.
inoboedire (eccl.) 187, 31. (Tert. adv. Marc. 4, 16; Ambros.
Serm. Epiph. 1; Vulg. Dent. 8, 20; 3 Reg. 13, 26; 2 Esdr.
13, 27; Tit. 1, 10.)
subintellegere (eccl.) 82, 19. (Tert. adv. Marc. 5, 3; Hier. Ep.
145; Greg. M. in Job 33, 7.)
subintrare (eccl.) 177, 13. (Tert. adv. Marc. 5, 3; Ynlg. Rom.
5, 20; Galat. 2, 4.)
snbintrodncere (eccl.) 78, 3; 219, 1. (Ynlg. Galat. 2, 4.)
snpereminere (poet.) 147, 34, 45. (Yerg. A. 6, 857; Ov. Tr.
1, 2, 49; Amm. 22, 15, 27; Ynlg. Ephes. 1, 19; 3, 19.)
snperindnere (= clothe with: eccl.) 193, 11. (Tert. Apol. 48;
Res Carn. 42; Ynlg. 2 Cor. 5, 2.)
III. Non-prepositional Compounds.
Compounds of this class are far less numerous in Latin than
prepositional compounds, and are found almost exclusively in early
and late Latin. The dramatic writers who first brought the Hel-
lenizing influence to bear on Latin literature abound in them,
attempting evidently to reproduce, in the rather stiff medium they
employed, the flexibility and freedom of their Greek models. With
few exceptions however the compounds they formed were harsh and
awkward, and it became more and more apparent that the Latin
language was better fitted for derivation than for composition. Of
the few classes of compounds which survived, those of adjectives
in -fer and -ger, and of present participles, especially -potens and
- tenens , were soon appropriated by the poets.
In the post-classical period, the influence of the sermo plebeius,
where freedom of composition seems to have persisted, is mani¬
fested by a new activity in the forming of compounds. In this,
101
as in other plebeian tendencies, African Latin took the lead, and
writers like Apnleins, Fronto, Martianus Capella, Caelius Aure-
lianus, Tertnllian, Cyprian and Augustine show an unusual num¬
ber of such formations.
In the following list of non-prepositional compounds found in
the Letters, the classification is by component parts.
A. Nouns and Adjectives. Words compounded of:
1) Two Nouns.
ventricola (Augustine only) 36, 3, 4, 8, 10, 11.
ventricultor (cwra£ Aey o/xerov) 36, 11.
2) Noun and Adjective.
longanimis (eccl.) 55, 25. (Yulg. 2 Esdr. 9, 17; Psa. 102,8.)
pusillanimis (late) 211, 15; 219, 1. (Claud. Mam. Stat. Anim.
1, 20; Sid. Ep. 7, 17; Tert. Fug. in Pers. 9; Yulg. Eccli.
7, 9; Is. 35, 4; 1 Thess. 5, 14.)
tardicordes (Aug. only) 93, 31. (Enchir. 103.)
3) Noun and Participle.
manufactus (in one word: rare) 187, 39. (Ovid lb. 147; Cels.
3, 27; Quint. 5, 14.)
versipellis (a. and p. c.) 194, 46. (Plaut. Bacch. 4, 4, 12; App.
M. 2, p. 124; Prud. Cath. 9, 91; Yulg. Prov. 14, 25.)
4) Adjective and Advert.
paenultimus (p. c.) 3, 5. (Aus. Eel. Quotae Cal. sint Mens. 12;
Gell. 4, 7, 2.)
5) Adjective and Participle.
omnipotens (poet.) 29, 2; 52, 4; 98, 4; 133, 3; 134, 4; 137, 9;
140, 13; 141, 11; 147, 47; 149, 17; 157; 171A, 1; 187,
4; 190, 1; 237, 9; 239, 1. (Cat. 64, 171; Ov. M. 1, 154;
Yerg. A. 8, 334; Yal. Max. 1, 6, 12; Ambros. Fide 4, 8,
85; Yulg. freq. Gen. 17, 1 to Apoc. 21, 22.)
6) Numeral and Noun, Adjective or Participle.
biformis (poet.) 241, 2. (Yerg. A. 6, 25; Ov. M. 8, 156; Claud,
in Euf. 1, 329.)
triformis (poet.) 241, 1, 2. (Ilor. C. 1, 27, 23; Sen. Here. Oet.
1202; Ov. M. 7, 94.)
unanimis (p. c.) 80, 1; 211, 2, 5. (Claud. Cons. Prob. et Olybr.
102
231; Epigr. 37, 3; Schol. Juv. 5, 134; Yulg. Jud. 6, 14;
Psa. 54, 14; Eccli. 6, 12; Act. 12, 30.)
unigenitus (eccl.) 147, 22, 29; 187, 7, 20, 40, 41; 190, 25; 205,
19; 219, 3; 237, 9; 238, 10, 25. (Hier. adv. Helv. 9;
Tert. adv. Gnost. 7; Vulg. Gen. 22, 2; Prov. 4, 3; Joan.
1, 14; Hebr. 11, 17.)
semicirculus (rare) 55, 7. (Cels. 7, 26; Col. 5, 2, 8.)
quinquepertitus (very rare) 137, 5; 187, 40. (Cic. Inv. 1,
34, 59.)
7) Verb and Adjective.
blandiloquium (Ang. only) 3, 1; 82, 33.
mendaciloqnns (a. and p. c.) 185, 13. (Plaut. Trin. 1, 2, 163;
Tert. adv. Psych. 2.)
mnltiloquium (a. and p. c.) 130, 15, 19. (Plant. Merc. Prol.
31; Ambros. de Job 1, 6, 20; Hilar, in Psa. 139, 15;
Vulg. Prov. 10, 19; Matth. 6, 71.)
soliloquium (Aug. only) 3, 1, 4.
vaniloquium (eccl.) 87, 1; 134, 4; 157, 41; 166, 6; 167, 2;
204, 4. (Hilar. Trin. 8; Vulg. 1 Tim. 1, 6; 2 Tim. 2, 16.)
vaniloquus (a. and p. c.) 237, 9. (Plaut. Amph. 1, 1, 223;
Ambros. Ep. 63; Aus. Epigr. 42, 4; Vulg. Tit. 1, 10.)
veridicus (rare) 51, 2; 73, 3; 108, 6, 14; 157, 2; 232, 2. (Lucr.
6, 6; Mart. 5, 1, 3; Liv. 1, 7.)
B. Verbs. Compounded of:
1) Verb and Adjective.
parvipendere (in one word: a. and p. c.) 56, 2. (Plaut. Rud.
5, 2, 36; Hier. Ep. 51, 3; Rufin. Interpr. Euseb. Hist.
Eccl. 8, 8; Vulg. Gen. 25, 34; Levit. 20, 4; 2 Par. 36, 16;
Esth. 1, 18.)
2) Verb and Adverb.
benedicere (tr. = to bless: eccl.) 27, 2; 40, 1; 93, 3, 15; 108, 6;
149, 16; 175, 5. (Lact. 7, 14, 11; Hier. Vita Hilar,
med.; Tert. Mart. 1; Vulg. very freq. Gen. 1, 22 to 1
Petr. 3, 9.)
satagere (in one word = to bustle about: very rare) 10,1; 124,2 ;
125, 1; 188, 12. (Quint. 6, 3, 54; Petron. 58, 9; 137,
10; Vulg. Mich. 4, 10; Luc. 10, 40; 2 Petr. 1, 10; 3, 14.)
103
3) Verb and Noun.
tabefacere (eccl.) 23, 5. (Vulg. Judith 14, 14; Eccli. 31, 1;
1 Macc. 4, 32.)
tergiversari (rare out of Cic.) 19. (Cic. Tusc. 5, 28, 81; Att.
7, 12, 3; Dig. 48, 16.)
Cf. also verbs in -ficare, Sec. iii, p. 73.
IV. Hybrids.
The foreign element in Latin came in early and continued stead¬
ily, notwithstanding the disapprobation of the purists. This was
inevitable for several reasons; first the poverty of the Roman
speech in abstract terms, second, the geographical proximity of
Greek colonies to Roman territory and the ultimate subjection of
both colonies and mother-country to the Roman conqueror. Per¬
haps one might add to these elements the respect felt, if not always
acknowledged, by the Romans for the superior culture and intel¬
lectual development of the Greeks. In view of these facts, it seems
not unnatural, that when the Romans needed a new word, especi¬
ally an abstract term, they should have borrowed without hesita¬
tion from the Greek.
There were various ways of handling these foreign words—some¬
times they w T ere simply quoted in the original Greek, as we might
quote a French word today, and then they can hardly be said to form
part of the Latin vocabulary; sometimes they were transliterated,
with certain changes of spelling, and were then used as freely as
Latin words. The third and final change, which naturalized them,
so to speak, in the Latin tongue, occurred when they were inflected
wholly or in part like Latin words, or when they were joined to
Latin suffixes or compounded with Latin words. When the last-
named phenomena occur, we have hybrids.
The Letters of Augustine show all three varieties of Greek loan¬
words. Of these, the purely Greek words will be treated in the
next chapter; the interesting collection of hybrids follows.
1. Verbs in -are from Greek Substantives.
Verbs do not form a large part of Greek loan-words in Latin,
and those which occur belong almost entirely to late Latin. Eccle¬
siastical writers are responsible for many of them, and Augustine
uses them liberally. The following occur in the Letters:
anathemare (from avaOe^m: form used by Augustine only) 55,
104
6; 141, 6; 157, 4; 175, 1, 14; 177, 7, 15; 186, 22, 32, 38;
238, 4; 250, 1, 2. (Cf. anathemizare, infra.)
angariare (from ayyapia : eccl.) 138, 9, 11; 139, 3. (Hier. in
Matth. 4 ad 27, 32; Vulg. Matth. 5, 41; Marc. 15, 21.)
bacchari (from /Myyos: class, and freq.) 17, 4.
machinari (from class.) 194, 47.
moechari (from fxo lyei'a,: poet, and late) 55, 22; 262, 1. (Cat.
94, 1; Hor. S. 1, 2, 49; Mart. 6, 91, 2; Ynlg. Exod. 20,
14; Jerem. 3, 8; Matth. 5, 27, etc.)
subsannare (from ad was: eccl.) 217, 2. (Tert. adv. Jud. 11;
Hier. Ep. 40, 2; Ynlg. 4 Eeg. 19, 21; 2 Esdr. 2, 19;
Psal. 2, 4; Prov. 1, 26.)
2. Per55 in -izare.
These verbs are most numerous in early and late Latin. Plautus
has a number of them and African Latin abounds in them, while
the ecclesiastical vocabulary seems to find them indispensable. The
following is a complete list of those found in the Letters :
anathemizare (from eccl.) 178, 3; 185, 4; 194, 7,
8. (Hier. Ep. 75; Hilar. Cont. Constant. 25; Yulg. 1
Macc. 5, 5; Marc. 14, 71. Cf. anathemare, supra.)
baptizare (from /?a7rrt£eiv: eccl.) 23, 4; 35, 4; 43, 21; 93, 10;
106, 1; 140, 48; 193, 3 et passim. (Hier. Ep. 38, 3;
Yulg. freq. Judith 12, 7 to Gal. 3, 27.)
colaphizare (from KoXa^eiv: eccl.) 95, 2; 130, 25; 140, 74;
194, 21. (Tert. adv. Marc. 5, 12; Hier. Ep. 108, 8;
Hilar, in Ps. 118, 3; Yulg. 2 Cor. 12, 7; 1 Petr. 2, 20.)
dogmatizare (from SoypurL^eLv : Aug. only) 36, 29; 175, 6;
187, 29.
evangelizare (from evayyeX eccl.) 53, 1; 93, 23, 47, 52; 164,
11; 243, 12. (Hier. in Is. 11, 40, 12; Interpr. Iren.
2, 32, 1; Yulg. freq. Psa. 67, 12 to Apoc. 14. 6.)
exorcizare (from e|op/d£av: eccl.) 194, 43, 46. (Civ. Dei 10, 22.)
iudaizare (from lovSauos: eccl.) 82, 4, 8, 10, 15, 22, 24; 93, 38;
196, 2, 7, 16. (Yulg. Gal. 2, 14.)
rebaptizare (from /Mttti&iv: late) 23, 2, 5, 6, 8; 34, 2; 35, 2, 4;
89, 4; 139, 2 et passim. (Cod. Just. 1, 6, 2.)
scandalizare (from aKav&aXl&Lv : eccl.) 36, 17; 82, 16; 124, 2;
194, 12; 217, 12 ; 262, 4, 7. (Tert. Yirg. Yel. 3; adv.
Marc. 15, 18; Hilar, in Ps. 118, 20; Yulg. Eccli. 1, 37;
Malac. 2, 8; Matth. 5, 29; Marc. 4, 17 etc.)
105
thesaurizare (from dyvavpi&iv: late) 157, 34, 35, 39; 185, 49;
262, 8; 264, 1. (Hilar, in Matth. 5, 7; Salv. adv. Avar.
1, 2; Ynlg. Tobiae 4, 10; Psa. 38, 7; Isai. 39, 6; Matth.
6, 19; Rom. 2, 5 etc.)
3. Hybrids from Greek Verbs.
blasphemare (from (3Xa o-^/xeA: eccl.) 43, 21, 22; 77, 1; 79; 85,
2; 93, 9, 25, 26; 111, 2; 138, 14; 185, 19; 217, 6; 236,
2; 262, 5. (Tert. adv. Jnd. 13; Prud. Apoth. 415;
Hilar, in Matth. 12, 15; Yulg. freq. Levit. 24, 11 to
Apoc. 16, 21.)
prophetare (from dvai: eccl.) 49, 2; 102, 12, 15, 36, 37; 105,
14; 137, 13; 140, 9; 187, 34; 199, 5, 20, 47. (Tert.
Anim. 47; Res. Carn. 28; Hilar, in Ps. 6; Vulg. freq.
Hum. 11, 25 to Apoc. 11, 3.)
propinare (from TrpoTrimv: mostly p. c.) 26, 6; 108, 6; 264, 3.
(Capitol. M. Aurel. 15; Yulg. Isai. 27, 3; Jerem. 25, 15,
27; Amos 2, 12.)
psallere (from ifdWeiv = sing psalms: eccl.) 29, 11. (Hier. Ep.
107, 10; Yulg. freq. Judic. 5, 3 to Jacob 3, 15.)
4. Hybrid Compounds.
These are usually nouns or adjectives formed of a Greek noun
and a Latin prefix or suffix. The majority of them are ecclesi¬
astical terms.
apothecarius (aTrobrjKr) -(- arius: late) 185, 15. (Dig. 12, 58, 12.)
clericatus (kAt/pwcos atus: eccl.) 35, 2. (Hier. Ep. 60, 10;
125, 8.)
coapostolus (from con^- a7rooroAos: eccl.) 82, 7. (Cass. Complex.
ad 2 Petr. 10; Auctor Hist. Datian. 3.)
COepisCOpatuS (from COn + Ittlctkottos -f- atus : a7ra$ Xeyopcevov)
31, 4.
coepiscopus (from con + Itt'mjkotvos : eccl.) 137, 21; 139, 1; 141,
1; 143, 1, 4; 170, 10; 200, 1; 202A, 13; 206; 224, 1 et
passim. (Hier. adv. Lucif. 9; Sid. Ep. 4, 25.)
conclericus (from con + : eccl.) 88, 6; 122, sal. (Jul.
Epit. Nov. c. 115, 475.)
condiaconus (from con -f- SkIkovos : eccl.) 101, 4; 110, 1; 149, 1;
173, sal.; 192, sal.; 222, sal.; 243, sal.; 249, sal. . (Eulg.
Ep. 14.)
conpresbyter (from con -f- 7rpeo-/h'repos: eccl.) 35, 2; 36, sal.; 48,
106
sal.; 74, sal.; 114; 134, 2; 149, 1, 34; 170; 176, 4; 194,
sal.; 200. (Cyp. Ep. 18, 1; Hier. in Ep. ad Tit.)
daemonicola (from Saifjnov + cola: Aug. only) 69, 1; 231, 4.
episcopalis (from €7rto-K07ro? -|- alis: eccl.) Cf. adjectives in
- alls , p. 51.
leprosus (from AeVpa + osus: late). (Cf. adjectives in - osus,
p. 64.
praeputium (from prae + ttouOlov : class, but rare) 82, 15, 26,
27; 149, 22, 26; 196, 3. (Juv. 6, 238; Sen. Apoc. 8, 1;
Yulg. freq. Gen. 17, 11 to Colos. 3, 11.)
subdiaconus (from sub + Sia/covo*?: eccl.) 35, 2; 53, 4; 63, 1;
105, 3; 106 ; 108, 1; 222, 3; 236, 1, 3. (Isid. 7, 12, 23;
Cod. Just. 1, 3, 6.)
thelodives (from OeXio + dives : avXeyo^evov) 149, 27.
thelohumilis (from fle'Aw -f- humilis : aira£ Xeyo/xevov) 149, 27.
thelosapiens (from 0eXw + sapiens : a7ra£ Aeyo/xevov) 149, 27.
5. Hybrids from Hebrew Words.
Davidicus (late) 101, 4. (Sedul. Car. 4, 42; Cass. Yar. 2, 20.)
Hebraicus (eccl.) 102, 15. (Alcim. Avit. 5, 544; Lact. 4, 7.)
Israeliticus (eccl.) 102, 11. (Civ. Dei, 15, 20.)
paschalis (eccl.) 36, 30; 51, 4, etc. Cf. adjectives in -alis, p. 52.
CHAPTER III.
Foreign Loan-Words.
At all periods of the Latin language, we may discover non-Latin
words forming part of the ordinary vocabulary. These may be
really necessary additions, such as technical terms, or proper
names, or they may be the affectation of an author desirous of
showing his reverence for and acquaintance with another literary
medium beside his own, or finally they may be an intentional
humorous exaggeration of a popular tendency, designed to produce
a burlesque effect.
By far the greatest number of foreign loan-words were Greek.
Early writers showed great activity in this direction—Plautus,
Terence and Yarro borrowed freely and unscrupulously, as did also
Lucilius and other writers whose works survive only in fragments.
The age of classicism, on the other hand, regarded this admission
of an alien element into Latin as a defect to be avoided by every
possible means, preferring to invent new Latin words or to use
inconvenient phrases of description. During this period, borrow¬
ing was therefore conducted with caution and the words adopted
were usually spelled 1 in accordance with Roman phonetics.
Whether this was done as an unconscious expression of that Roman
arrogance which tried to Romanize everything it touched, or
whether it was necessary thus to disarm a real prejudice against
Greek words by presenting them in Latin dress, or whether finally
it was merely a concession to Roman vocal chords, it would be
difficult to say. Cicero 2 and Horace 3 inveighed vigorously against
this practice of borrowing, but it is hardly possible to take Cicero
seriously, when we consider the astonishing number of Greek words
which appear in his Letters. Other writers, especially those on
philosophical and technical subjects, seem to have had no misgiv¬
ings in appropriating Greek words and we know that their readers
must have understood them as Greek was included in the course of
studies of the young Roman. 4
In the sermo plebeius there were no scruples, literary or other¬
wise, to prevent the liveliest traffic in Greek loan-words, and when,
3 Goelzer (1), p. 221.
2 Off. 1, 3; Tusc. 1, 15.
8 Sat. 1, 10, 20.
4 Inst. Or. 1, 1, 12.
107
108
after the Second Pnnic war, the Roman armies returned from their
long campaigning in Magna Graecia, and Greek prisoners of war
became the slaves and schoolmasters of their Roman conquerors,
the use of Greek words in everyday Latin was inevitable. As we
might expect from the predominance of the plebeian element in it,
the African Latin is rich in Greek words.
With the extension of the Roman empire the literary attitude
of the classical age underwent a change—it had probably not been
a very sincere one in any case—and just as throngs of foreigners
were admitted to Roman citizenship, so numbers of foreign words,
especially Greek words were freely incorporated into the Roman
literary tongue and bade fair eventually to displace native terms.
Petronius, for instance, has such an abundance of them, that his
language at times appears hardly to be Latin at all; Pliny and
Celsus 5 found Greek words most convenient for scientific purposes,
and the ecclesiastical writers would have been seriously handi¬
capped by the concrete propensity of Latin, if the resources of
Greek had not been open to them.
In the Letters of Augustine there are three foreign elements:
Greek, Hebrew and Punic. The Greek words are largely ecclesi¬
astical with a few rhetorical terms; the Hebrew and Punic loan¬
words are largely proper names. Each of these groups will be
treated separately. A complete list of the Greek words in the
Letters (excepting those quoted in the original tongue) follows:
1. Greek Words.
a) Nouns.
absida (aif/U: late) 23, 3. (Paulin. Ep. 12; Isid. Orig. 15, 8.)
absis (axj/U: mostly late) 125, 2; 126, 1. (Plin. Ep. 2, 17; Isid.
Orig. 15, 18.)
acolithus (aKoXovdos: eccl.) 191, 1; 193, 1; 194, 1. (Isid. Orig.
12, 2, 3; Cvp. Ep. 28, 55; Hier. Ep. 52, 5.)
adytum ( aSvrov : class.) 10, 3. (Caes. B. G. 3, 105; Yerg. A.
2, 297; Hor. C. 1, 16, 8.)
aenigma (awy/m: class.) 27, 3, 4; 55, 5;' 92, 4, 7; 140, 66.
(Cic. de Or. 3, 42; Quint. 8, 6, 52; Juv. 8, 50; Arn. 3,
p. 109; Vulg. 3 Reg. 10, 1; Num. 12, 8; 1 Cor. 13, 12;
Hier. Ep. 70, 2.)
6 Goelzer (1), p. 223.
109
agon (aycov: class.) 140, 33; 147, 19. (Plin. Ep. 4, 22; Suet.
Ner. 22; Vulg. 2 Macc. 3, 21; 1 Cor. 9, 25; 2 Tim. 2, 5.)
alapa (KoXaoo<;: eccl.) 148, 13. (Cass. Col-
lat. 2.)
antichristus (dvrixp^ro^: eccl.) 199, 11, 30. (Yery frequent in
Fathers; Yulg. 1 Joan. 2, 18; 4, 3; 2 Joan. 7.)
apocalypsis (dTroKaXvif/is : eccl.) 43, 22; 55, 10; 78, 9; 93, 30;
95, 8; 187, 38; 193, 5. (Tert. adv. Marc. 4, 5; Yulg.
1 Cor. 14, 26; Apoc. 1, 1.)
apophoretum (ctTroc^dpT/ro?: in sing, twice only) 150. (Paulin.
Ep. 5. In plu. Suet. Yesp. 19; Cal. 55; Ambros. Exh.
Yirg. 1.)
apostasia (dnocrrama : eccl.) 194, 42. (Salv. Gub. Dei 6, p. 128.)
apostata (a^oo-rcln/s: eccl.) 93, 12; 105, 9, 10; 149, 22; 217, 10;
238, 6. (Tert. adv. Marc. 5, 11; Sedul. 5, 138; Cod. Th.
16, 7, 1; Yulg. Job 34, 18; Prov. 6, 12.)
apostolus (d.7rdiov: rare) 40, 2. (Inscr. Orelli 1022, 4518;
Cic. Tusc. 5, 12.)
eremus ( eprjuo ?: late) 55, 30; 205, 2. (Cod. Just. 11, 57, 4;
Tert. Idol. 5; Hier. Ep. 17, 3; Sulp. Sev. Dial. 1, 15;
Vulg. Deut. 1, 19; 1 Par. 59; Psal. 77, 15; Sap. 18, 20;
Eccli. 6, 3; Jerem. 52, 7.)
eucharistia (tvxapuo-TLa : eccl.) 44, 10; 54, 47; 98, 7. (Tert. adv.
Haer. 47; Hier. Ep. 71, 6; Cyp. Ep. 10.)
eulogia ( ivXoyla : eccl.) 36, 19. (Ambros. Distich. 6; Gennad.
42; Alcim. Avit. Ep. 65.)
evangelista (emyyeAio-T?;?: eccl.) 36, 30; 55, 2; 138, 12; 149, 11;
199, 17, 28; 242, 2; 265, 5. (Prud. Cath. 677; Hier. Ep.
57, 7; Vulg. Isai. 41, 27; Act. 21, 8; Ephes. 4, 11; 2
Tim. 4, 5.)
exochas (e^oxcG: aira£ Aey o/xevov) 38.
evangelium (euayy€Aiov = gospel: eccl.) very freq. 29, 2 to 268, 1.
(Vulg. freq. Matth. 4, 23 to Apoc. 14, 6.)
exhedra (i£e$pa : class.) 29, 8. (Cic. de Or. 3, 5; Vitr. 5, 11, 12;
Quint. 10, 1, 89; Dig. 9, 3, 5; Vulg. 4 Reg. 23, 11; 1 Par.
9, 26; Jerem. 35, 2.)
exodus (e£o8o5: eccl.) 55, 30. (Tert. adv. Jud. 11.)
extasis (eKo-racr t?: eccl.) 80, 3; 147, 31, 47. (Serv. ad Verg. A.
1, 343; Hier. in Is. pr.; Tert. Anim. 45; Vulg. Psa. 30,
1; Act. 3, 10.)
genesis (ycmm: class.) 55, 17, 18; 143, 4; 166, 11; 190, 18;
205, 9. (Plin. 36, 5, 4; Juv. 6, 579; Suet. Vesp. 14.)
gymnasium (yv/xvaaiov: class.) 118, 9, 21. (Plant. Am. 4, 1, 3;
Cic. Tusc. 2, 15, 151; Ov. H. 16, 15, 1; Cels. 5, 11; Plin.
Ep. 10, 40, 12; Vulg. 1 Macc. 1, 15; 2 Macc. 4, 9.)
gyrus (yi'pos: poet.) 185, 15. (Verg. G. 3, 115; Tib. 4, 1, 93;
Manil. 5, 74; Ov. A. A. 3, 384; Vulg. freq. Exod. 28, 32
to 1 Macc. 13, 10.)
haeresis (iAdo-o(£os: class.) 1, 1, 2; 3, 2; 82, 13; 101, 2;
102, 14, 23; 104, 3 et passim. (Cic. Or. 1 , 49, 212;
Macr. S. 7, 1, etc.; Vulg. Act. 17, 18.)
platea ( 7 rA .arela: class.) 17, 3, 50; 155, 10. (Plaut. Trin. 4, 1,
21; Ter. And. 4, 5, 1 ; Caes. B. C. 1, 27; Hor. Ep. 2, 2,
71; Vulg. freq. Gen. 10, 11 to Apoc. 22, 2 .)
pompa (^7rofX7nj : class.) 22 , 8 ; 88 , 6 ; 130, 12 ; 262, 9. (Cic. Tusc.
5, 32, 91; Verg. A. 5, 53; Vulg. Jerem. 47, 3.)
presbyter ( 7 r/oea/hrrepos: eccl.) 23, 1; 29, 12; 31, 4; 34, 5; 43, 7;
44, 9; 56, 1 et passim to 268, 3. (Hier. Ep. 146; Tert.
Bapt. 17; Vulg. 1 Esdr. 6 , 8 ; Judith 6 , 20; Dan. 13, 28;
1 Tim. 4, 14.)
presbyterium ( TrpecrfivTepLov: eccl.) 126, 3, 12 ; 175, 4. (Vulg.
1 Tim. 4, 14.)
prooemium ( -npooiixiov : class.) 11, 1; 153, 1 ; 174. (Cic. de Or.
2, 80, 325; Quint. 4, 1, 1; Juv. 3, 288.)
propheta (tt/oo^t^? : p. c.) 29, 6 , 7; 33, 3; 36, 5; 44, 11; 55,
28; 71, 3 ; 78, 5 et passim to 238, 24. (App. de M. p. 56,
29; Macr. S. 7, 13, 9; Lact. 1, 41; Vulg. very freq. Gen.
20, 7 to Apoc. 22, 19.)
prophetia ( 7 rpocj>r)TeLa: eccl.) 49, 2, 3; 55, 20; 82, 15; 88 , 11; 93,
9; 130, 5 ; 132; 137, 16; 140, 14, 15, 21, 41; 149, 10, 67,
69; 164, 3, 8 , 9 ; 169, 2 et passim. (Tert. Anim. 35;
Hier. Ep. 18, 15.)
118
protoplastus (7rpojT07rAao-Tos: eccl.) 202A, 8, 11, 12. (Tert. Ex.
ad Cast. 2; Alcim. 2, 35.)
psalmus (\{/a\fws: eccl.) very freq. 29, 10 to 266, 23. (Lact. 4,
8, 14; Tert. adv. Prax. 11; Vulg. freq. Judith 16, 2 to
Colos. 3, 16.)
psalterium (i/zaAr^ptov: class.) 49, 2; 261, 5. (Cic. Har. Resp.
21, 44; Verg. Cir. 178; Quint. 1, 10, 31; Arn. 6, 209;
Tert. Cor. Mil. 9; Hier. Ep. 58, 3; Vulg. 1 Reg. 10, 5;
2 Par. 5, 12; Eccli. 40, 21; Amos 6, 5, etc.)
pseudoapostolus (»//euSa7r6o-ToAo?: eccl.) 43, 22. (Tert. Praescr.
4; Res Car. 24; Vulg. 2 Cor. 11, 13.)
pseudopropheta (i}/ev$oTrpoyTr)s: eccl.) 29, 6; 44, 9; 93, 6. (Tert.
adv. Haer. 4; Vulg. Zach. 13, 2; Matth. 24, 11; Marc.
13, 22; Luc. 6, 26; Act. 13, 6, etc.)
rhagades (paydSes: p. a.) 38. (Plin. 23, 4, 44; Cels. 6, 18, 7.)
rhetor (/bjrwp: class.) 118, 9, 21; 259, 4. (Cic. de Or. 1, 18, 84;
Quint. 2, 2, 1; Tac. Dial. 30, 35.)
rhythmus (pvOfios: mostly p. a.) 101, 3. (Quint. 9, 4, 45; Mart.
Cap. 9, 967.)
satanas (varavas: eccl.) 26, 6, 11; 53, 7; 82, 12; 93, 7, 8; 194,
21. (Tert. Apol. 22; Vulg. in N. T. freq. Matth. 4, 10
to Apoc. 20, 7.)
scandalum (aKauSuXov: eccl.) 23, 5; 29, 12; 54, 3; 55, 35; 62, 2;
63, 2; 64, 3; 69, 1; 73, 10; 77, 1; 78, 1, 2, 3; 82, 35;
93, 30; 95, 4; 120, 6; 176, 15; 185, 2; 207, 2; 208, 2;
209, 4; 211, 2; 249; 262, 9. (Prud. Apoth. 47; Tert.
Virg. Vel. 3; Hier. passim; Vulg. Exod. 10, 7; Matth.
13, 41, etc.)
schisma (o-xbr/xa: eccl.) freq. 203 to 232, 2. (Tert. Praescr. 5;
Hier. Ep. 17, 2; Prud. o-re. 11, 19; Vulg. Joan. 9, 16;
1 Cor. 1, 10; 12, 25.)
schola ( cryo\y] : class.) 138, 10; 259, 4. (Cic. Tusc. 1, 4, 7; Plin.
36, 5, 4; Cod. Th. 12, 20, 20; Amm. 14, 7, 12; Vulg.
Act. 19, 9.)
sphaera (o-^alpa: class.) 3, 2. (Cato R. R. 82 ; Cic. Fat. 8, 15;
Macr. Som. Sc. 2, 48; Mart. Cap. 7, 741; Vulg. Isai.
29, 3.)
syllaba (<™AAa/^: class.) 26, 4; 137, 7; 166, 13. (Plaut. Bacch.
3, 3, 29; Cic. Par. 3, 2, 26; Quint. 1, 5, 62.)
symbolum (<™'p,/?oAov: a. and p. c.) 93, 46; 214, 2; 219, 1; 227.
(Plaut. Ps. 1, 1, 53; App. Dogm. Plat. 2, p. 16, 9; Vulg.
Prov. 23, 21.)
119
symphoniacus (avfMfxoviaKos: class, rare) 60, 1. (Cic. Mil. 21, 5,
5; Arn. 2, 73.)
synagoga (crw'aywyf): eccl.) 140, 60. (Tert. adv. Jud. 8; Schol.
Juv. 6, 159; Hier. Ep. 112, 13; Vulg. freq. Exod. 34, 31
to Apoc. 3, 91.)
synodus (o-woSos: eccl.) 175, 1. (Cod. Just. 1, 3, 23; Amm. 15,
7, 7; Hier. Ep. 143, 2.)
theologia (OeoXoyia: eccl.) 149, 25. (Chalc. in Tim. 264.)
thesaurus (O^aavpo^: class.) 31, 5; 47, 3; 157, 39; 166, 12; 261,
1; 268, 3. (Plaut. Trin. 3, 3, 53; Cic. Div. 2, 65; Sail.
J. 10, 4; Hor. C. 3, 24, 2; Vulg. freq. Gen. 43, 23 to
Ilebr. 11, 26.)
tomus (to^os: rare) 175, 3. (Mart. 1, 67, 3; Hier. Ep. 22,38.)
trigonum (rptywvov: rare) 55, 31. (Varro L. L. 7, 4; Gell. 2, 21,
10; Col. 5, 10, 13; Vitr. 10, 11; Hier. adv. Euf. 2, 19.)
tropus (rpo7ros: p. a.) 180, 3. (Quint. 9, 1, 4; Veil. Carm. 10,
10, 54.)
typhus ( TV(f>o ‘>: eccl.) 22, 1, 6; 102, 32, 38; 153, 3; 187, 21.
(Arn. 2, 43; Mart. Cap. 5, 566.)
typus (tvttos : class.) 147, 32; 186, 31; 187, 37. (Cic. Att. 1,
10, 3; Plin. 35, 12, 43; Hier. Ep. 64, 19; Cael. Aur.
Acut. 1, 14, 108; Vulg. 2 Reg. 13, 31.)
tyrannis (mpaws: class.) 204, 2. (Cic. Att. 14, 9, 2; Quint. 1,
10, 48; Val. Max. 2, 10; Juv. 8, 223; Vulg. 3 Reg. 16,
20; Job 15, 20; Sap. 16, 4.)
zelus (^Ao?: mostly p. c.) 2, 7; 22, 7; 186, 9. (Vitr. 7, Praef.;
Prud. Ham. 188; Hier. in Gal. 2, 4, 17; Vulg. freq. Hum.
25, 11 to Jacob 3, 16.)
zizania (£i£cma: eccl.) 23, 6; 27, 6 ; 43, 22; 53, 6 ; 76, 2, 3; 93,
15, 31, 32, 33, 36; 105, 16; 108, 10, 11, 12; 129, 5.
(Prud. Apoth. 6, 8; Hier. Ep. 130, 7; Ambros. in Luc.
8, 49; Vulg. Matth. 13, 25; 26, 27, 29, 30, 36, 38, 40.)
b) Adjectives.
Of Greek loan-words in Latin, by far the largest number are
nouns, being introduced principally to supply philosophical, tech¬
nical and theological or other abstract terms in which the genius
of the Latin language was deficient. Other parts of speech bor¬
rowed from Greek usually took on Latin prefixes or terminations
and became hybrids. There is one suffix, however, which was bor¬
rowed from Greek and attached to Greek as well as to Latin words
120
to form adjectives. This is the ending -lkos, -icus, which is fairly
common in Latin, and was especially useful in forming or adapting
Greek adjectives. The following list will show that this termina¬
tion predominates in the Greek adjectives found in the Letters.
agonisticus (from dywv: eccl.) 108, 18. (Tert. Cor. Mil. 13;
Cael. Aur. Cron. 5, 11.)
allegorieus (aXXrjyoptKos : late) 55, 21. (Arn. 5, p. 183; Hier. in
Gal. 2, 4, 24.)
alogus (dAoyos: eccl.) 36, 11. (Capitol. 6, 9, p. 329.)
angelicus (dyyeAi koL: eccl.) 112, 3; 140, 56; 147, 31; 162, 5;
186, 24; 187, 10; 205, 2. (Prud. Tetr. 11; Vulg. Judic.
13, 6, 1.)
apocryphus (d? roKpv^os: eccl.) 237, 2, 3, 4. (Hier. Ep. 107, 12;
Commod. Apol. 823; Tert. Anim. 2.)
apostolicus (d7roaToAiKO's: eccl.) 35, 3; 36, 24; 43, 7, 10, 26; 44,
3; 49, 3; 52, 3; 53, 1 et passim to 268, 4. (Tert. Praescr.
adv. Haer. 32.)
barbaricus (/?ap/?api/. 1, 75; Tert.
Res Car. 26; Hier. Ep. 21, 3; Vulg. Levit. 24, 14; 2
Macc. 9, 28; 1 Tim. 1, 13.)
canonicus (KavoviKos — canonical: eccl.) 28, 2; 44, 14; 54, 1;
55, 7; 64, 3; 71, 4; 82, 3, 22, 24; 93, 32, 38; 147, 2, 4;
148, 15; 164, 6; 190, 17; 202A, 10; 237, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
(Civ. Dei 18, 36; Hier. Ep. 112, 19.)
catholicus (i. 11, 24; Cod. Th. 16, 5, 47; Hier.
Ep. 82, 2.)
comicus (kw/ukos: class.) 155, 14. (Cic. Or. 20, 67; Quint. 11,
3, 125; Hor. S. 2, 5, 91.)
daemoniacus 9 (SatptovtaKos: eccl.) 149, 26. (Tert. Anim. 46;
Lact. 4, 15.)
diabolicus (Sta(3oXwo?: eccl.) 36, 12; 82, 16, 20; 88, 3; 108, 8;
128, 2 ; 141, 2; 149, 26; 177, 18; 185, 14; 262, 2. (Paulin.
Hoi. 29, 11; Vulg. 3 Reg. 21, 13; Jacob 3, 15.)
ecclesiasticus ( eKKXrjcrtacrTtKos : eccl.) freq. from 21, 4 to 268, 3.
(Tert. Pudic. 22; Hier. Ep. 62, 2; Cod. Th. 1, 3, 22.)
0 The correct form should be daemonicus. Cf. Goelzer (1), p. 153 and
219.
121
evangelicus (ewyycAwco's: eccl.) 36, 7, 24, 25; 44, 4; 55, 37; 57,
1; 82, 20, 22; 84, 2; 89, 5; 93, 9, 11, 23; 95, 2; 102, 21,
36; 108, 11; 147, 34; 153, 2, 4; 157, 15, 17; 164, 16;
177, 8; 194, 31; 199, 22; 237, 2, 8; 243, 6. (Tert. adv.
Marc. 39; Prud. Apoth. 495.)
grammaticus (y/m/*/wrri/<6pevr)TiKo<;: class.) 7, 2, 3; 89, 6; 93, 2, 4; 157, 7;
185, 7. (Cic. Div. 1, 38, 81; Cels. 3, 18; Mart. 11, 28.)
propheticus (ttpoc/j^tiko's : eccl.) 33, 4; 44, 9; 51, 1; 53, 1; 54, 1;
55, 5, 23; 57, 1; 80, 3; 82, 9, 14, 16; 93, 9; 102, 15, 21;
108, 10, 16; 137, 16; 140, 5; 177, 8; 185, 19, 20; 194,
15, 39; 197, 1; 199, 5, 22, 39, 50; 233. (Tert. Cor. Mil.
7; Hier. Ep. 130, 14; Vulg. 2 Petr. 1, 19.)
rhetoricus (prjropLKos: class.) 118, 9. (Cic. de Or. 1, 29, 133;
Quint. 5, 10, 3.)
rhythmicus (/E^/aiko? : class.) 7, 4. (Cic. de Or. 3, 49, 190;
Quint. 9, 4, 68; Mart. Cap. 2, 121.)
scenicus (o-k^iko?: class.) 91, 5. (Cic. Arch. 5, 10; Suet. Caes.
84; Quint. 6, 1, 26.)
122
schismaticus (o-xtcr/mriKos: eccl.) 53, 6; 61, 1; 76, 4; 88, 11; 93,
12; 129, 1, 4. (Hier. Ep. 10, 3.)
scholasticus (. 10, 1086; Tert.
Yirg. Yel. 2; Yulg. Judith 14, 6).
gratia, 27, 2; 35, 3; 40, 6; 53, 3; 58, 1; 65, 2, etc. passim,
class. = 1) favor, esteem (Plaut. Trin. 1, 1, 12; Cic. Plane.
13, 32; Caes. B. C. 1, 1).
= 2) gratitude (Cic. Inv. 2, 22, 66; Liv. 37, 37, 8, etc.).
= 3) charm, beauty (Ov. M. 7, 44; Suet. Tit. 3; Quint.
6, 3, 26, etc.).
eccl. = divine grace (Cyp. Donat. 2; Hier. Ep. 130, 12; Phi-
lastr. 107; Vulg. Luc. 1, 28; Joan. 1, 14; Act. 6, 8;
Rom. 3, 24, etc.).
153
grex, 19; 2 2, 11.
class. = 1) flock, herd (Cic. Att. 7, 7, 7; Yarr. R. R. 2, 6, 2;
Yerg. G. 3, 287).
= 2) band, company (Cic. Sull. 28, 77; Hor. Ep. 1,
9, 13, etc.).
eccl. = the flock of Christ (Yulg. Luc. 12, 32; Act. 20, 28;
1 Petr. 5, 2).
haeresis, 23, 4; 29, 12; 36, 27; 44, 6; 82, 15; 93, 18; 236, 2;
237, 15.
class. = a school of thought (Cic. Par. Proem. 2; Yitr. 5
Praef.).
eccl. — heresy (Tert. adv. Idaer.; 'Sid. Ep. 7, 6; Lact. 4, 30, 2;
Yulg. Act. 5, 17, etc.).
humilitas, 2, 7 ; 22, 7; 29, 7; 88, 4; 102, 20; 111, 4, etc. passim,
class. = lowness, meanness (Cic. Tusc. 5, 10, 29; Liv. 26, 31,
4; Caes. B. G. 5, 25).
eccl. = humility (Lact. 5, 15; Sulp. Sev. Yit. S. Mart. 2;
Yulg. Judith 6, 15; Prov. 11, 2; Eccli. 2, 4; Dan. 3, 39;
Luc. 1, 48, etc.).
indulgentia, 102, 6, 17; 126, 7; 157, 29; 243, 12.
class. = fondness, tenderness (Cic. Yerr. 2, 1, 44; Tac. Ag.
4, etc.).
p. c. = remission (Capitol. Anton. 6, 3; Amm. 16, 5, 16;
Yulg. Is. 61, 1; 1 Cor. 76).
infidelitas, 140, 50; 144, 21, 22; 174A, 4; 185, 22; 186, 38; 217,
6, 10; 232, 4.
class. = untrustworthiness (Cic. Tusc. 5, 22; Caes. B. C. 2, 33).
eccl.= lack of faith (Hier. Ep. 60, 5; Yulg. Sap. 14, 25).
inimicus, 31, 6; 48, 2.
class. = enemy (Cic. Yerr. 2, 2, 24; Liv. 29, 38, etc.),
eccl. = the evil spirit (Yulg. Matth. 13, 39; Cyp. Hab. Yirg.
20; Philastr. 101).
instructio, 21, 4; 44, 1; 60, 1; 184A, 1.
class. = 1) erecting (Traj. Ep. ad Plin. 10, 35; Yitr. 5, 9).
= 2) arranging (Cic. Caes. 15, 43; Auct. Herenn. 3,
10, 18).
late= instruction, teaching (Arn. 5, 163; Hier. Ep. 130, 15).
(In Ep. 243, 1, it has meaning (2).)
intentio, 11, 4; 55, 20; 82, 19; 98, 5, 7; 118, 1, 4, 6; 120, 10,
etc. passim.
154
class. = attraction for, application to (Cic. Tusc. 2, 23, 54;
Liv. 4, 17).
late = design, purpose (Hier. in Ezech. Horn. 12, 1; Papin.
31, 77, 26).
ira, 190, 9; 193, 3; 194, 23, 30, 31.
class. = anger (Cic. Tusc. 4, 9, 21; Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 62; Juv.
6, 647, etc.).
eccl. =the wrath of God, i. e. eternal punishment (Vulg. Job
6, 2; Psa. 57, 10; Eccli. 5, 7; Matth. 3, 7; Luc. 3, 7;
Joan. 3, 36, etc.).
iudicium, 23, 35; 87, 4; 98, 3; 100, 1; 104, 9; 105, 7; 138, 12,
etc. passim.
class. = trial, judgment (Cic. Caec. 2; Caes. B. G. 1, 41,
2, etc.).
eccl. = the Last Judgment at the end of the world (Cyp. Lap.
23; Yulg. Jerem. 25, 31; 2 Macc. 15, 20 ; Matth. 10, 15;
Luc. 10, 14, etc.).
iustitia, 44, 4, 7; 53, 7; 55, 8; 120, 12; 125, 1; 127, 5; 138,
14; 140, 50, etc. passim.
class. = justice according to human laws (Cic. Fin. 5, 23, 65;
Flor. 1, 24, etc.).
eccl. = goodness according to the law of God (Vulg. Gen. 15,
6 to Joan. 3, 7).
laesio, 73, 9; 120, 11.
class. = rhetorical term: attack in argument on an opponent
(Cic. de Or. 3, 53).
eccl. = injury (Dig. 10, 3, 28; Lact. Ira D. 17; Yulg. Esdr.
4, 14; Dan. 6, 23).
lapsus, 78, 8.
class. = a slipping (lit, or fig.) (Lucr. 6, 324; Cic. Div. 1, 11,
19; Yerg. A. 10, 750).
Aug. = apostasy,
lapsi, 23, 2; 157, 34.
class. = fallen, either into error or wrongdoing (Caes. B. G.
5, 3; Prop. 1, 1, 25; Tac. A. 4, 6).
eccl. = apostates (Cyp. Ep. 30, 1).
lavacrum, 35, 3 ; 108, 3, 6, 10 ; 127, 7; 185, 39; 187, 28: 190,
21; 193, 3; 194, 32; 250, 1.
p. c . = hath (Gell. 1, 2, 2; Amm. 16, 10, 14; Tert. Cor. 3).
eccl. = baptism (Tert. Virg. Yel. 2 ; Cyp. Hab. Yirg. 2; Pa¬
rian. Bapt. 6: Yulg. Tit. 3, 5).
155
lectio, 20, 3; 22, 8; 174, 9; 209, 3.
class. = act of reading (Cic. Ac. 2, 2, 4; Liv. 9, 29; Quint. 1,
8, 2, etc.).
late = that which is read, a lesson (Macr. S. 7, 7, 5; Isid. 1,
20, 3; Amm. 30, 4, 18; Cael. Aur. Tard. 1, 5, 163).
Aug. = the office of lector, one of the Minor Orders,
lector, 40, 33; 43, 22; 63, 2; 64, 3.
class. = a reader (Cic. de Or. 2, 55, 223; Hor. Ep. 21, 1, 214,
etc.).
eccl. = a lector, a cleric in Minor Orders (Tert. adv. Haer. 4,
1; Sid. Ep. 4, 25).
lex, 40, 6; 55, 5; 82, 9; 88, 10; 105, 2; 137, 17; 140, 11; 149, 9;
155, 14, etc. passim.
class. = law (Cic. Caec. 14, 40; Liv. 3, 33; Sen. Ep. 108, 6,
etc.).
eccl. = the Mosaic law or the law of God (Vulg. Psa. 42;
Esdr. 10, 28; Matth. 5, 17, etc.),
lignum, 140, 15; 147, 34; 187, 3; 199, 34.
class. = wood (Cato R. R. 130; Cic. Yerr. 2, 1, 27; Hor. C.
1, 9, 5, etc.).
eccl. = the Cross of Christ (Vulg. Act. 5, 30; 1 Petr. 2, 24).
machinamentum, 43, 18; 137, 13.
class. = engine, instrument (Liv. 24, 34; Tac. H. 4, 30; Sen.
Ep. 24, 14).
late = trick, device (Cod. Th. 6, 28, 6).
maledictio, 184A, 3.
class., very rare = abuse (Cic. Cael. 3, 6).
eccl. = curse (Vulg. Gen. 24, 41; Num. 5, 21; Deut. 11, 26,
etc.).
man datum, 125, 3.
class. = a command (Cic. Att. 5, 7, 3; Liv. 1, 56; Sail. J.
35, 5, etc.).
eccl. = the Law of God (Vulg. Deut. 30, 11, 1; 1 Reg. 13, 13;
Matth. 22, 38).
membrum, 58, 1; 60, 2; 71, 2; 87, 8; 93, 31; 95, 7; 108, 3;
122, 1; 128, 3; 129, 2, etc. passim,
class. = a limb, part (Verg. G. 4, 438; Suet. Vesp. 20; Juv.
2 , 11 ).
eccl. = a member of the Church (Vulg. Rom. 12, 5; Eph.
5, 30).
mors, 157, 32; 166, 21; 190, 8; 217, 19.
156
class. = death (Cic. Fam. 6, 21, 1; Yerg. A. 2, 62; Hor. S.
2, 3, 197, etc.).
eccl. = eternal death, i. e. hell (Lact. 7, 10; Vulg. Apoc. 2,
11, 20; Joan. 5, 16, etc.).
mundus, 11, 2; 27, 2; 43, 1; 53, 6; 55, 29; 93, 32; 95, 1; 129, 2,
etc. passim.
class. = the universe (Cic. Univ. 10; Plin. 2, 4, 3; Juv. 10,
169, etc.).
eccl. = this world as opposed to heaven (Yulg. Joan. 17, 9;
Eph. 2, 2).
mysterium, 11, 2; 134, 1; 137, 18; 140, 5; 147, 32.
class. = something secret, a rite (Cic. N. D. 2, 24, 62).
eccl. =that which transcends human intelligence (Tert. Apol.
39; Yulg. freq. Judith 2, 2 to Apoc. 17, 5).
naevus, 85, 1.
class. = wart, mole (Cic. N. D. 1, 28, 79; Hor. S. 1, 6, 67;
Plin. 22, 25, 67).
late = fault, blemish (Symm. 3, 34).
novitas, 21, 2; 36, 24; 44, 8; 54, 6; 55, 5; 140, 19, 30; 151, 6;
166, 23; 190, 13; 211, 4.
class. = novelty (Cic. Div. 2, 28, 60; Quint. 1, 6, 39, etc.),
eccl. = newness of life, conversion (Yulg. Rom. 6, 4).
oblatio, 22, 6; 149, 16.
p. c. = act of offering (Eum. Pan. ad Const. 16; Dig. 5, 2, 8).
eccl. = sacrifice (religious) (Ambros. Cain 2, 6, 18; Yulg.
Eph. 5, 2; Heb. 10, 5).
obligatio, 157, 22; 190, 5.
class. = an engaging or pledging (very rare: Cic. Ep. ad
Brut. 1, 18).
p. c. = an entanglement (Dig. 48, 10, 1; Yulg. Psal. 124, 52;
Act. 8, 23).
observantia, 262, 9.
class. = reverence (Cic. Inv. 2, 22, 65; Quint. 18, 59; Liv.
1, 35).
eccl. = observance of religious duties (Cod. Th. 16, 5, 12;
Yulg. 2 Macc. 6, 11).
officium, 115.
class. = service, duty (Sen. Ben. 3, 18, 1; Cic. Lael. 16, 58;
Col. 2, 14, 6, etc.),
p. a. = law-court (Plin. Ep. 1, 5, 11).
opinator, 268, 1.
157
class. = a supposer (once only: Cic. Ac. 2, 20, 66).
late = a tax-collector (Cod. Just. 12, 38, 11; Cod. Th. 7,
4, 26).
oratio, 20, 2; 21, 6; 22, 3; 29, 36; 65, 1; 78, 4; 111, 7; 124, 2;
126, 1, etc. passim.
class. = language, discourse (Cic. Off. 1, 16, 50; Plaut. Mil.
3, 1, 155, etc.).
eccl. = prayer (Fathers; Yulg. 3 Reg. 8, 28; 2 Macc. 10, 16;
Luc. 6, 12; Act. 1, 14, etc.).
ordinatio, 21, 2; 43, 4; 61, 2; 78, 3; 108, 5; 126, 6; 185, 17.
class. = a regulating, an ordinance (Suet. Aug. 31; Plin. Ep.
8, 24, 8, etc.).
eccl. = ordination (Sid. Ep. 7, 6; Cassiod. H. E. 9, 36).
ordinator, 43, 3, 9; 88, 5; 129, 4; 140, 57; 161, 10.
class. = a regulator (Sen. Ep. 109).
eccl. = an ordainer (Ambros. in 2 Tim. 4, 13).
paenitentes, 185, 32; 265, 2, 7.
class, as adj. = repentant, regretful (Cic. Phil. 2, 2, 7; Suet.
Claud. 43).
Aug. as noun = penitents.
paenitentia, 35, 3; 54, 4; 55, 9; 93, 41; 102, 37; 104, 9; 137, 16,
etc. passim.
class. = regret for failure (Sen. Q. FT. 3. 3; Phaedr. 1, 13, 2;
Tac. A. 1, 45).
eccl. = penance (Cyp. Ep. 55, 22; Tert. Poen. 2; Hier. Ep.
77, 4, etc.).
paganus, 31, 8; 35, 3; 43, 1; 45, 2 ; 91, 8; 93, 26; 102, 18; 184A,
5; 185, 41; 186, 1; 232, 4; 235, 1; 255.
class. = countryman, peasant (Cic. Dom. 28, 74; Tac. H. 3,
24, etc.).
eccl. = pagan, heathen (Cod. Th. 16, 7, 2; Tert. Cor. Mil. 11;
Hier. in Psa. 41).
paradisus, 36, 11; 38, 12; 147, 26; 157, 15; 164, 8; 187, 3, 5,
6, 9.
p. c. = a park (Gell. 2, 20, 4).
eccl. = paradise (Tert. Apol. 47; Yulg. Gen. 2, 8; Cant. 4,
13; Apoc. 2, 7, etc.).
passio, 36, 29, 30; 40, 6; 44, 10; 54, 1, 8; 55, 2, etc. passim,
p. c. = suffering (Maxim. Gallus 3, 42; Prud. . 10, 464; Hier. Ep. 22,
30; Yulg. Tob. 1, 12; Act. 14, 5).
infideles (plu.) 102, 4, 14; 120, 5; 140, 8, 9.
class. = faithless, unreliable (Caes. B. G. 7, 59; Cic. Off. 3,
29, 106, etc.).
eccl. = unbelieving, infidel (Salv. de Gub. 5; Yulg. Rom. 15,
31; 1 Cor. 6, 6).
166
instils, 138, 12; 140, 71; 147, 19; 153, 26; 157, 4; 164, 9; 167,
20; 177, 15, etc. passim.
class. = upright, honorable (Cic. Off. 2, 12, 42; Ov. P. 4, 3,
22; Hor. C. 1, 12, 54).
eccl. = virtuous according to divine law (Vulg. Psa. 1, 5;
Prov. 3, 33, etc.),
latebrosus, 95, 3; 137, 5; 164, 10.
class. = full of hiding-places (Plaut. Bacch. 3, 3, 26; Cic.
Sest. 59, 126, etc.).
Aug. = obscure, intricate (Retract. 1, 19).
litterarius, 37, 2; 40, 1, 9.
class. = of or pertaining to reading and writing as elementary
subjects (Quint. 1, 4, 27; Tac. A. 3, 66; Plin. 9, 8, 8).
Aug. = literary.
omnis = totus in 22, 1, 1.
pastoralis 175, 4; 178, 2; 185, 23; 191, 2; 194, 47; 208, 2; 209,
9; 237, 9.
class. = of or belonging to a shepherd (Varro. R. R. 2, 1, 15;
Cic. Div. 1, 48).
Aug. = of or belonging to a shepherd of souls, a pastor,
pius, 55, 18; 73, 10; 92, 1, 3, 4; 102, 38; 104, 3; 118, 21, etc.
passim.
class. = conscientious, filial (Verg. A. 6, 662; Cat. 16, 5;
Cic. Leg. 2, 7, 15, etc.).
eccl. = pious, devout (Cyp. Ep. 55, 29; Vulg. 2 Petr. 2, 9).
pontificalis, 82, 23.
class. = belonging to a pontifex (Cic. Leg. 2, 21, 52; Ov. F.
3, 420).
Aug. = belonging to a bishop,
prolixus, 36, 2; 40, 1; 73, 8; 82, 20; 111, 9, etc. passim.
class. = tall, far-reaching (Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 49; Ov. Tr. 4,
2, 34; Verg. E. 8, 38).
p. c. =long, prolix (Gell. 13, 28, 3; Macr. S. 3, 7).
publicanus, 140, 67.
class. = of or belonging to public revenue, a tax-gatherer (Cic.
Verr. 2, 3, 34; Liv. 43, 16).
eccl. = a sinner (Vulg. Luc. 18, 10).
saecularis, 27, 2; 33, 5; 40, 1; 48, 1; 55, 37; 64, 4; 69, 1, etc.
passim.
class. = of or belonging to a saeculum (Suet. Aug. 31; Plin.
7, 48, etc.).
167
eccl. = worldly, profane, pagan (Hier. Ep. 60, 11; Tert. Ex¬
hort, ad Cast. 13; Vulg. 1 Cor. 6, 4; 2 Tim. 2, 4; Tit.
2 , 12 ).
salntaris, 20, 3; 22, 18; 29, 9; 36, 15; 93, 3; 140, 46; 173, 10;
217, 7; 243, 7.
class. = healthful, beneficial (Cic. Leg. 1, 16, 44; Quint. 12,
10, 79, etc.).
eccl. = of or pertaining to salvation (sometimes salutare =
salus) (Vulg. Psa. 26, 9; Eccli. 15, 3; 2 Macc. 3, 32).
salvus, 78, 6; 82, 8; 137, 9; 140, 26; 145, 8; 149, 3; 157, 8;
167, 2; 169, 4; 185, 43; 187, 34; 217, 19.
class. = safe, uninjured (Cato R. R. 141, 3; Plaut. Aul. 4, 6,
11; Liv. 22, 10).
eccl. = saved from sin, redeemed’ (Vulg. Act. 2, 21; 1 Cor.
7, 6, etc.).
sanctus, 14, 3; 26, 5; 36, 16; 43, 23; 55, 23; 78, 3; 82, 14,
etc. passim.
class. = sacred, holy (Cic. Leg. 3, 3, 9; Liv. 8, 37; Quint. 6,
36, etc.).
eccl. = a saint (Fathers; Vulg. 2 Par. 6, 41; Psa. 30, 24, etc.),
spiritalis, 22, 1, 5, 9; 29, 2; 31, 7; 34, 3; 36, 11; 37, 2; 43,
27, etc. passim.
class. == belonging to breathing (Vitr. 10, 1; Veg. 5, 75, 1);
eccl. = spiritual (Tert. Apol. 22; Prud. 10, 13; Vulg.
Gal. 6, 1, etc.).
terrenus, 9, 3; 15, 2; 27, 1; 31, 5; 35, 4; 36, 11; 43, 13, etc.
passim.
class. == earthy, earthen (Caes. B. G. 1, 43; Liv. 38, 20, 1;
Suet. Calig. 19, etc.).
eccl. = transitory as opposed to eternal (Cyp. de Zelo 2; Lacfc.
5, 22).
transmarinus, 22, 4; 29, 10; 43, 11; 44, 5; 52, 3, etc. passim,
class. = transmarine, foreign (Plaut. Most. 2, 2, 66; Liv. 26,
24; Caes. B. G. 6, 24).
Aug. = non-African (applied to Churches).
unus = primus, 36, 28.
c) Verbs.
aedificare, 31, 7; 47, 3; 69, 1; 82, 7; 87, 5; 104, 12, etc. passim,
class. = to build (Cato R. R. 3, 1; Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 56; Caes.
B. G. 6, 22, etc.).
168
eccl. = to edify (Vulg. 1 Cor. 8, 1; 1 Thess. 5, 11).
Augustine also uses this verb with the classical meaning in
127, 7; 157, 33; 186, 36; 187, 19, 31, 41; 243, 1.
angariare, 138, 9, 11; 139, 3.
class, (rare) = to exact something as quit-rent, villainage
(Dig. 49, 18).
eccl. = to compel (Vulg. Matth. 5, 41; Marc. 15, 21).
cibare, 102, 2, 6.
class. = to feed animals (Col. 8, 10; Suet. Tib. 72).
late = to feed men, to take food (Hier. in Ezech. 1, 3, 2;
Vulg. Deut. 8, 16; Psal. 79, 6; Prov. 25, 21; Jerem. 9,
15, etc.).
circumcidere, 23, 4; 82, 8, 12, 16, 18, 19.
class. = to cut around, to trim (Lucr. 3, 412; Caes. B. G-. 25,
5; Cic. Fin. 5, 14).
eccl. = to circumcise (Vulg. Gen. 17, 10; Exod. 4, 25; Levit.
12, 3, etc.).
communicare, 64, 2; 70, 2; 76, 2; 87, 1; 93, 13; 102, 38, etc.
passim.
class. = to share, divide (Cic. Lael. 19, 70; Caes. B. G. 7, 37;
Sail. C. 56, 5).
Aug. = 1) to form part of a Church congregation.
= 2) to receive the Holy Eucharist (Hier. Ep. 48, 15).
compungere, 93, 49; 153, 15.
class. = to prick, sting (Phaedr. 3, 6, 3; Col. 8, 14, 8; Cels.
6, 18, 9).
eccl. = to feel remorse (Lact. 4, 18, 14; Sulp. Sev. Dial. 3, 13;
Vulg. Psa. 4, 5; Act. 2, 37).
convertere, 82, 3; 83, 3; 91, 6; 93, 26; 97, 4; 102, 37; 104, 9;
105, 4; 140, 30; 166, 18; 217, 29; 227; 232, 2.
class. = to turn or whirl around (Lucr. 2, 1097; Cic. Rep. 6,
17, 17, etc.).
eccl. = to convert (Hier. in Philem. 5, 10 ; Vulg. 3 Reg. 8, 35;
2 Par. 6, 24; Tob. 13, 8; Job 17, 10, etc.),
coronare, 108, 9.
class. = to wreathe, crown (Ov. M. 8, 264; Hor. C. 3, 23, 15,
etc.).
Aug. (in passive) =to be crowned with martyrdom,
dealbare, 34, 3.
class. = to whiten (Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 55; Suet. Gall. 9; Vitr.
7, 4, etc.).
169
eccl. = to purify (of the soul) (Yulg. Apoc. 7, 14; Hier. Ep.
108, 17).
decolorare, 77, 1; 123, 8; 138, 10.
class. = to discolor (Sen. Q. N. 2, 41; Hor. C. 2, 1, 35; Cels.
2 , 8 ).
late = to disgrace (Cod. Just. 1, 3, 19; Capitol. Ant. Phil. 19).
diffamare, 71, 6; 87, 5; 97, 4; 102, 35; 104, 7.
class. = to divulge wrongly (Ov. M. 4, 236; Tac. A. 14, 22).
late = to publish (in good sense) (Aug. de Mor. Eccl. 14;
Yulg. Marc. 1, 45).
dimittere, 43, 10; 73, 3; 82, 33; 93, 21; 104, 8; 157, 2; 167, 19;
185, 49; 194, 42; 211, 14.
class. = to dismiss, release (Cic. Sull. 20, 57; Caes. B. C.
1, 18). '
eccl. = to forgive sins (Pacian. Ep. 3, 24; Philastr. 107, 125;
Yulg. Marc. 2).
dirigere, 161, 10; 191, 1; 215, 2.
class. = to arrange, direct (Caes. B. G. 6, 8, 5; Liv. 2, 6;
Yerg. A. 5, 162, etc.).
late = to send a letter (Capitol. Clod. Alb. 2; Hier. Ep.
134, 2).
donare, 43, 11; 48, 3; 193, 5.
class. = to give (Plaut. Mil. 4, 4, 5; Cic. Rose. Am. 8; Caes.
B. G. 7, 11, etc.).
Aug. = to forgive sins,
dormire (in pres, part.) 22, 6.
class, (dormire) = to sleep (Plaut. Most. 3, 2, 4; Hor. Ep. 1,
7, 13, etc.).
eccl. (dormientes) = those who sleep, i. e. the dead (Yulg. 1
Thess. 4, 12; Hier. ad Rufin. 3, 2).
electus, 236, 1, 2; 264, 2—in Manichaean sense of the initiated,
eligere, 110, 4; 127, 2; 140, 81; 147, 19; 149, 16; 185, 33; 197,
5; 202A, 17; 211, 2.
class. = choose, select (Yarro R. R. 3, 9, 14; Cic. Tusc. 3, 34,
83, etc.).
Augustine uses it regularly for malle with a verb in the infini¬
tive, e. g. elegerunt vivere (166, 18) ; eligitis confidere
(140, 8); eligant vitam finire, 127, 2), etc.
eructare, 27, 4.
class. = to vomit forth (Cic. Pis. 6, 13; Yerg. A. 3, 6, 32;
Lucr. 3, 1012).
170
eccl.= to utter (Civ. Dei 18, 32; Vulg. Psa. 44, 2; Matth.
13, 35).
evacuare, 177, 11; 185, 17; 186, 37; 196, 16.
class. = to empty (Plin. 20, 6, 23).
late = to cancel (Cod. Just. 8, 43, 4; Vulg. 1 Cor. 1, 17;
Galat. 3, 17).
habere—frequent passim. Begins to lose its meaning of have,
hold and shows signs of becoming an auxiliary verb, as it
later developed in the Romance languages. In 209, 3;
occurs the expression “ habebam . . . paratum presby-
terum,” which indicates the beginning of this develop¬
ment.
In 82, 32 non habeo is equivalent to nescio.
insinuare, 11, 4; 18, 2; 36, 2; 44, 2; 49, 1; 53, 1; 54, 8; 55,
14; 64, 2; 65, 1; 95, 7, etc. passim,
class. = 1) to bring in by windings or turnings (Lucr. 6, 860;
Liv. 44, 41).
= 2) to ingratiate oneself (Suet. Gram. 21; Plin. Pan.
62).
late = to make known, to teach (cf. French enseigner) (Dig.
32, 1, 11; Rutil. Nam. 1, 590).
inter pellare, 194, 16.
class. = to interrupt, importune (Plaut. Men. 5, 9, 62; Cic.
Tusc. 1, 8, 16).
eccl. =to intercede (Vulg. Hebr. 7, 25).
intimare, 55, 21; 57, 1; 65, 1; 82, 31; 126, 6, etc. passim,
p. c. = to put or bring in (Sol. 5; Tert. adv. Valent. 17).
late = to announce (Amm. 21, 11, 1; Treb. Gall. 16; Cod.
14, 3, 1; Mart. Cap. 3, 274).
invenire—has a quite peculiar use in Augustine. It is used
with a negative as a synonym for nescio, e. g. quid melius
facerem non inveni.”; 48, 5. Also in 76; 82, 34; 118,
5; 148, 5; 250, 2.
lucrari, 73, 9; 83; 84; 105, 1; 108, 13; 185, 31; 262, 1.
class. = to acquire profit (Cic. Par. 3, 1; Hor. A. 238; Tae.
G. 24).
eccl. = to convert (Vulg. 1 Cor. 9, 20).
magnificare, 93, 52; 217, 24.
a. and p. c. = to esteem highly, praise highly (Plaut. Stieh.
1, 2, 44; Auct. Her. 3, 4, 8).
eccl. = to worship (Vulg. Psa. 34, 3; Matth. 1,5, 31, etc.).
171
memoratus, 32, 3; 114; 115; 141, 9; 148, 12; 190, 22; 200, 1;
209, 2; 215, 2; 222, 3.
class. = renowned (Verg. A. 5, 391).
p. c. = above-mentioned (Amm. 15, 15, 4).
Augustine prefers this word to supradictus, but the latter
occurs in 185, 6; 214, 2, 3; 219, 2.
mundare, 82, 18; 93, 2, 2; 120, 3; 147, 25; 148, 12; 157, 3;
164, 19; 187, 29.
class. = to cleanse (Plin. 33, 6, 34; Col. 12, 3).
eccl. = to purify from sin (Vulg. Psa. 18, 13; Ezech. 16, 30;
2 Cor. 7, 1, etc.).
operari, 55, 19; 69, 2; 87, 7; 126, 10; 137, 10; 140, 77; 166, 18;
169, 6; 176, 3; 179, 3, etc. passim,
class. = to labor, toil (Liv. 4, 60, 2; Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 29; Tac.
A. 2, 14, etc.).
eccl. = to carry into effect, to administer (Lact. 6, 12, 38;
Ambros. in Luc. 4, 47; Vulg. Levit. 20, 12; Joan. 9, 4;
2 Cor. 7, 11, etc.).
ordinare, 21, 3; 41, 8; 43, 16; 44, 8; 51, 4; 53, 2; 60, 2; 63, 1,
2, etc. passim.
class. = to set in order, arrange (Liv. 29, 1; Hor. C. 3, 1, 9;
Cic. Inv. 1, 14, etc.).
eccl. == to ordain to the priesthood (Lampr. Alex. Sev. 45;
Cass. H. E. 9, 36).
peregrinari, 55, 17; 69, 2; 91, 1; 138, 17.
class. == to travel (lit.) (Cic. Brut. 13, 51).
Aug. = to go through life as a pilgrim. (In 54, 5 this verb
has the literal meaning).
perfectus, 13, 4; 31, 5; 48, 2; 55, 19; 127, 5; 140, 33; 145, 5;
147, 11; 185, 40; 187, 4; 188, 9.
class. = finished, perfect (Cic. de Or. 1, 13, 58; Ov. A. A.
2, 547).
eccl. = perfect in virtue (Vulg. 3 Reg. 11, 4; Matth. 5, 48).
persequi, 93, 8.
class. = to pursue (Plaut. Cist. 1, 3, 35 ; Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 35;
Verg. A. 9, 218, etc.).
eccl. = to persecute for religious belief (Tert. ad Scap. 5;
Vulg. Joan. 15, 20; Act. 7. 52; Rom. 12, 14, etc.),
perseverare, 29, 12 ; 78, 6; 102, 9; 108, 2; 140, 62; 149, 22;
150; 153, 4; 185, 8; 187, 27, etc.).
172
class. = to continue, to persist (Cic. Leg. 3, 11, 26; Caes. B.
G. 1, 26, 2, etc.).
eccl. = to continue in the state of grace (Matth. 24, 13; Hebr.
12, 7).
praedestinare, 102, 20; 149, 21; 177, 7; 190, 12; 204, 2.*
class. = to determine beforehand (Liv. 45, 40).
eccl. = to determine who are to be saved, to predestine (Vulg.
Eph. 1, 5).
praeiudicare, 43, 18; 53, 3; 129, 5; 140, 32; 141, 6; 142, 3;
144, 3; 177, 9.
class. = to judge beforehand (Cic. Inv. 1, 20, 60; Liv. 42, 61).
eccl. = to be injurious to (with dative) Dig. 42, 1; Paul. Sent.
5, 3, 3; Ambros. in Luc. 3, 41).
praescire, 140, 48; 186,' 23; 190, 12.
class. = to know beforehand (Ter. And. 1, 5,4; Suet. Tib. 67).
eccl. = of God’s foreknowledge (Ambros. in Luc. 7,167; Vulg.
4 Reg. 19, 27; Sap. 19, 1; Act. 26, 5; Rom. 8, 2; 2 Petr.
3, 17).
praevaricare, 157, 15 (Augustine prefers the active form),
class. = to walk in zigzag fashion (Plin. N. H. 18, 19, 49).
eccl. = to commit sin (Hier. c. Pel. 3, 6).
propinare, 26, 6; 108, 6.
class. = to drink one’s health (Plaut. Cure. 2, 3, 8; Cic. Tusc.
1, 40, 96).
p. c. = to give to drink, to set before (Capitol. M. Aur. 15;
Vulg. Isai. 27, 3; Jerem. 24, 15, 17; Amo9 2, 12).
radicare, 58, 1.
p. a. = to take root (lit.) (Col. 4, 22; Plin. 13, 4, 8).
eccl. = to take root (fig.) (Vulg. Eccli. 24, 16; Eph. 3, 17).
reconciliare, 228, 8; 265, 7.
class. = to reconcile, reunite (Cic. Dom. 50, 129; Suet. Caes.
19; Liv. 1, 50).
Aug. = to reconcile to the Church, to absolve from sin or ex-
communication.
redimere, 76, 1; 82, 33; 244, 2.
class. = to buy back (Cic. Phil. 13, 5, 10; Liv. 26, 27; Plin.
37, 1, 2).
eccl. = to redeem (Vulg. Psa. 25, 11; Isai 43, 1; Luc. 24,
21; Tit. 2, 14).
regenerare, 186, 27; 187, 21; 217, 14; 228, 8.
class. (Plin. only) = reproduce (Plin. 7, 11, 10; 50, 12, 1).
173
eccl. = to regenerate spiritually (Firm. Matern. 18, 8; Yulg.
1 Petr. 1, 3).
remittere, 185, 49; 193, 3; 194, 45.
class. = to send back, restore (Caes. B. G. 1, 43; Cic. Div. 1,
54, 123, etc.).
eccl. = to forgive sin (Fathers; Yulg. Matth. 9, 2; Luc. 5,
20; Joan. 20, 23, etc.).
renasci, 130, 22; 140, 9; 187, 30, 31, 32, 33; 190, 3, 9, 10, 21;
194, 31, 32, 44, 46.
class. == to be born again, revive (Ov. M. 15, 402; Plin. 13,
4, 9; Liv. 6, 1, etc.).
eccl. = to be born again spiritually by baptism (Firm. Matern.
18, 8; Yulg. Joan. 3, 3; 1 Petr. 1, 23).
resurgere, 140, 38.
class. = to rise, to appear again (Ov. M. 5, 3, 349; Hor. C.
2, 17, 14; Tac. A. 3, 46.
eccl. = to rise from the dead (Lact. 4, 19, 6; Yulg. Marc. 9,
8; Luc. 7, 22).
sonare, 1, 2; 33, 7; 98, 4; 102, 19; 118, 2; 143, 5, 9, has the
meaning of crebrescere, but in 137, 7 means literally to
sound.
temptare, 43, 23; 78, 7; 95, 2.
class. = to handle, try, attack (Ov. M. 10, 282; Caes. B. C.
3, 40; Cic. Tusc. 4, 14).
eccl. = to tempt to sin (Yulg. Matth. 4, 1; Marc. 1, 13; Luc.
4, 2; Act. 5, 3, etc.),
tepescere, 130, 18.
class. = to grow warm (Cic. N. D. 2, 10, 26; Cels. 3, 6; Ov.
M. 3, 412, etc.).
Aug. = to decrease in fervor, to grow tepid in virtue,
tradere, 43, 6; 76, 2.
class. = to give up, surrender (Plant. Trin. 1, 2, 14; Caes.
B. G. 1, 27; Cic. Fam. 7, 17, 2; Liv. 22, 22, etc.).
Aug. = to deliver the Holy Scriptures to be burned under
persecution.
tribulare, 140, 35; 199, 37; 248, 1.
a. c. = to press (Cato R. R. 23, 4).
eccl. = to oppress (Tert. adv. Gnost. 13; Ambros. Serm. 22;
Cass. H. E. 1, 11; Yulg. Psa. 3, 2; Isai. 19, 20; 1 Macc.
10, 46; 2 Cor. 1, 6, etc.).
174
d) Other Parts of Speech.
The process noted" above in the change of meaning of nouns,
adjectives and verbs, went forward more thoroughly, if less con¬
spicuously in pronouns, particles and prepositions. The distinc¬
tion between hie and ille, always so carefully observed by classical
writers, the peculiar force of iste, the difference between quam,
quantus and quot, or between num and utrum began to be disre¬
garded, with a consequent confusion of meaning and usage in the
words in question. Augustine was the child of his age in this as
in other points of style. He seems to choose his pronouns more
or less at random, and while he may sometimes refer to a pair of
objects or persons as hie and ille, he is quite as likely to use hie,
iste, or ille, iste, or ille, ille, or alius, alius: e. g. alius pro isto,
alius pro illo (130, 23) ; clamor iste ipsa est tuba ilia quam com-
memorat apostolus (140, 78) ; hoc animo, hac voluntate, ista inten-
tione (82, 19). So also tarn magna occurs for tanta, tarn multi
for tot, aliquis for quis after si, ne, num; quis for uter, etc.
In the use of negatives, the variety is even greater. Nemo,
nullus, nihil appear as non quisquam or quispiam, non aliquid or
non quicquam; while non is quite regular in questions for nonne,
and also for ne.
The following are the principal variations found in the Letters
in the usage of pronouns, particles and prepositions.
i. Pronouns and Pronominal Adverbs and Adjectives.
aliquis, aliquid for quis } quid.
si aliquis, 11, 2; 143, 11; 162, 4; 173, 7; 231, 2 ; 228, 5, 10.
ne aliquis = ne quis, 111, 5; 141, 2; 213, 1. (Cf. nisi quis,
153, 14.)
utrum aliquid = numquid, 51, 5; 58, 2. (Cf. numquidnam,
194, 32.)
sine aliquo = ullo, 53, 7; 122, 1; 167, 10.
Other uses of aliquis.
aliqui . . . aliqui = alii . . . alii, 118, 33; 88, 9.
non aliquid == nihil, 19; 126, 10; 155, 17; 162, 1; 164, 5; 190,
17; 228, 8.
non aliquem = nullum or neminem, 141, 5; 166, 23.
altera . . . altera (5 times) for alia . . . alia, 140, 1.
una . . . altera for altera . . . altera, 93, 7; 118, 16; 130, 29;
202A, 20.
175
unus . . . alter = alter . . . alter, 17, 1; 36, 5; 78, 2; 139, 3;
147, 9; 155, 14; 159, 1; 164, 22; 185, 33; 237, 30;
222, 2; 224, 2.
ille . . . ille for hie . . . ille, 31, 5; 149, 30; 185, 7; 187, 5;
199, 16.
ille . . . iste for ille . . . hie, 4, 2; 7, 2; 10, 3; 15, 2.
iste = ille or is, 23, 2; 29, 3, 4; 34, 4; 35, 3; 36, 1 and very fre¬
quently.
hie . . . ille are used with the classical sense in 98, 2; 104, 14;
162, 1; 153, 14; 185, 45; 187, 19; 193, 7.
iste with its classical sense is found in 36 passim.
Nemo shows only two variations:
ut nemo = ne quis (purpose idea) 185, 11.
non quisque (nostrum) = nemo, 93, 28.
quisquam, quicquam:
non quisquam = nemo, 89, 4; 228, 5.
non quicquam = nihil, 10, 1.
non fere quisquam = paene ullus, 184A, 6.
ne quisquam = ne quis, 34, 4; 95, 1; 141, 2; 148, 8 ; 149, 17;
164, 3; 166, 4; 178, 3; 185, 45; 188, 3; 205, 3; 214, 4;
237, 2; 238, 21, 26.
si quisquam = si quis, 148, 8; 164, 7; 185, 23; 243, 12.
quantum = quam, 31, 5; 150 (quantum mirabili gaudio, 31, 5).
quam multi = quot, 44, 9; 55, 35; 88, 8; 93, 2; 98; 102, 41;
118, 10; 127, 4; 195, 10; 202A, 17; 231, 5. (Cf. quot,
199, 35.)
Quid horum duorum occurs for utrum in 36, 5, and quodlibet
horum duorum for utrumlibet in 55, 7.
Tam multi for tot is regular: 11, 1; 87, 3; 88, 9; 93, 16; 102,
14; 118, 10; 137, 3; 140, 29; 142, 3; 170, 5; 173, 2;
185, 46; 188, 3 ; 200, 2; 211, 4; 218, 19; 220, 6; 238, 16.
(Cf. tot 190, 19; 164, 16.)
Tam magnus for tantus: 11, 2; 87, 4; 124, 2 ; 138, 9; 175, 13;
188, 6; 189, 3, 4; 190, 12; 217, 8, 24; 220, 7; 236, 1;
247, 1. (Cf. tot et tanta, 220, 5.)
Totum for omnes, 15, 1.
ii. Particles.
aut = neque, 23, 1.
non = nonne, 118, 2.
176
non = ne, 141, 12; 142, 1; 143, 11; 147, 21; 170, 10; 177, 6;
185, 46; 188, 3; 199, 16; 209, 9; 211, 7, 10, 13, 14, 16;
217, 7, 8; 220, 12; 228, 2 (Cf. ne, 228, 3).
quando non = nisi, 36, 29.
non habere non possum = non possum quin, etc,, 140, 35.
ut ne = ut non, 21, 6; 243, 12; 246, 3.
ut non = ne, 117, 2; 194, 40; 218, 3.
In single indirect questions, utrum is used almost exclusively for
num (whether) :
1, 3; 36, 1, 3; 43, 19; 44, 5, 6, 9; 63, 3; 82, 1; 87, 2, 6; 93, 4,
9; 102, 13; 104, 2; 113; 114; 115; 118, 11; 137, 2; 138,
18; 139, 1; 147, 10; 167, 10; 169, 6; 185, 5; 188, 4, 8;
191, 2; 196, 9; 197, 3; 205, 2, 19; 207; 211, 13; 213, 1;
237, 1; 242, 4; 244, 2; 250, 2; 250A; 254, 1; 261, 1;
262, 3 (Cf. num in 137, 14; 147, 3).
iii. Prepositions.
The study of prepositions in an author might seem to belong to
syntax rather than to a vocabulary study; but inasmuch as the
peculiarities of usage in the Letters arise for the most part from
an extension of meaning of certain prepositions, this seems to be
the proper category to which to refer them.
Absque.
Plautus and Terence used this word with pronouns only; classi¬
cal authors proscribed its use almost entirely; but beginning with
Apuleius and Aulus Grellius it came to be felt as a synoymn for
sine and is so used by Augustine.
absque detrimento, 137, 3.
absque peccato, 179, 7, 9; 186, 32, 33, 36 (Hier. Ep. 50, 1; Sid.
Ep. 2, 7; Sulp. Sev. 1, 22).
absque paenitentia, 83, 1; 186, 32.
absque ullo rancore, 73, 1.
Ad.
Ad with gaudere is rare and mostly p. c. Tacitus has it once
in H. 2, 36.
In the Letters it is found in 98, 15: ad minus gaudet quam si
ad Dei potestatem gaudet (also Hier. Ep. 43, 2).
177
Apud meaning simple location, not proximity is used for a locative
case in:
apnd Caesaream, 190, 1.
apud Carthaginem, 193, 1.
Circa with a figurative meaning of de or in is post-classical:
circa eos, 100, 1.
omnia quae circa nos sunt, 178, 1; 186, 1; 209, 1.
circa me, 213, 5.
circa verbum Dei, 157, 1.
circa ecclesiam, 253.
De is used for propter, per or a case-construction:
95, 9; 98; 153, 25.
Erga is used for de in 99, 1; for in in 138, 17; 139, 2.
Iuxta for secundum occurs in 208, 7.
Praeter has the force of contra in 63, 1; of extra in 29, 5; 166, 25;
185, 2.
Super means on account of in 153, 8; 175, 1.
The general tendency in the Letters is towards a more extended
use of prepositions with a resultant weakening of the force of those
so used.
iv. Other Peculiarities of Usage.
Without actually changing the meaning of some words, August¬
ine manages to use them either more frequently or more emphatic¬
ally than is common with classical writers. Such are utique = at
any rate, certainly; omnino = altogether, entirely; tan turn modo
= only; propterea = therefore, which recur so often as to consti¬
tute a distinct mannerism. The use of absit is another idiom much
favored by Augustine. This verb has two distinct meanings. Some¬
times the force of the optative subjunctive is brought into strong
relief, and the word is used almost as an expletive: “ Far be it! ”
either to modify an otherwise harsh statement or to express the
writePs profound feeling on the subject under consideration. Such
use of the word is seen in the following:
hoc si ita est, quod absit, 82, 5.
si hoc praeceptum rationabile non est, ergo inrationabile est;
absit!
absit ab eius moribus et fide, 125, 4.
12 w
178
neque enim odio, quod absit a nobis, 126, 9.
modo autem tanto—quod absit—miserior, 127, 8.
num . . . deus pater malorum est ? absit!
quod malum absit a vobis, 188, 10.
This use of absit recalls the “ absit omen!” so devoutly uttered
by the pagan Romans when they were obliged to advert to mis¬
fortune. The other meaning given to the expression by Augustine
is that of the classical tantum abest ut, the force of the subjunctive
being so much diminished as to be practically non-existent. It is
found in:
ego autem absit ut laedar, 73, 1.
ego tamen absit ut eos credam haec . . . suggerere, 82, 32.
quos absit ut amiseris, 82, 33.
absit ut tales servi simus, 91, 10.
absit ut ista . . . instemus, 104, 1.
absit ut ideo credamus, 120, 3.
absit a nobis ut sic . . . defendatur, . . . absit . . . ut dicatur,
126, 12.
absit ut dicamus tot ac tantos fideles, 167, 11.
absit ut haec libenter audiat virgo Christi, 188, 5.
auxilium absit ut subtraham, 213, 6.
The total list of passages in which absit occurs follows:
36, 28; 73, 1, 1; 82, 3, 5; 32, 33; 91, 10 ; 92, 3; 99, 2; 101, 2,
25; 104, 1, 4, 8, 8; 105, 7, 12; 111, 5; 118, 2; 120, 3, 3,
20; 124, 1; 125, 4; 126, 9, 12, 14; 127, 8; 129, 7; 130,
10, 20; 151, 7; 153, 14; 166, 7, 28; 170, 10; 180, 4, 15;
186, 18; 187, 13; 188, 4, 5, 10, 19; 190, 21, 23; 194, 34,
39; 199, 24; 202A, 1, 6, 8; 213, 6; 217, 7; 228, 6, 11;
238, 21.
A final phenomenon to be noted is the infrequent occurrence of
simple for compound words, where the meaning of the compound
is expressed by the uncompounded form:
crementum (very rare) for incrementum, 9, 4 (Isid. Orig. 9, 5,
5; Plin. 11, 37)
and the opposite phenomenon of compound for simple:
depraedemur (late) for praedemur, 35, 4.
179
3. Change of Meaning in Word-Groups.
In this category are placed those expressions in which the change
of meaning does not arise from any one word, but rather from the
particular juxtaposition of the words. It might be advanced with
truth that the meaning of any word may be altered by joining a
modifier to it, but that is not the sort of temporary modification
observable in the following expressions. These are mostly theo¬
logical or religious phrases which tended to take a special form.
Sometimes a tropical meaning is given to a word, usually taken
literally, as e. g. ancilla, servus; or again a word may be given a
wider or narrower comprehension than that commonly accepted.
One of the most interesting groups is that connected with the word
homo, e. g. novus homo, vetus homo, interior homo. Augustine
also treats it sometimes as an indefinite pronoun, joining it to
adjectives and demonstrative pronouns in complete disregard of
classical usage.
In the following list the arrangement is alphabetical by the
first word:
ancilla Christi, 211, 14. | = a religious. (Cf. also virgo Christi,
ancilla Dei, 111, 3. ) famula Christi).
apostolica sedes (or v. v.) = The Holy See, 175, 2, 4; 178, 1, 5;
178, 3; 190, 1; 209, 8, 9; 250A.
Catholica mater = the Church, 170, 10; 185, 13, 30, 32, 36, 44.
convivium sanctum = Holy Communion, 185, 24.
Corpus et Sanguis Domini = Holy Communion, 29, 3. (Cf.
sacra cena.)
famulus Christi = disciple, 186, 1.
famulus Dei = a saint or patriarch, 29, 4; 147, 32. (Vulg. Jos.
1, 13; Judic. 2, 8, etc.)
famula Dei = a religious, 147, 12; 211, 9, 12.
Filius hominis = Our Lord, 93, 23, 49. (Vulg. Matth. 8, 20;
Marc. 2, 10; Luc. 6, 5, etc.)
Homo occurs in the following combinations:
homo Christianus, 36, 29; 130, 21.
homo fidelis, 159, 4; 120, 8.
homines infideles, 140, 57.
hominem Graecum, 118, 10.
homini apostatae, 105, 9.
unus homo erat habens duo nomina, 140, 49.
180
regi homing 137, 20.
carissimus homo, 151, 8.
multi homines, 220, 6.
nec quisquam erit homo nostrorum temporum, 232, 4.
eos homines, 185, 16.
eorum hominum, 118, 27; 185, 4; 188, 2.
unus homo, 110, 4.
homo = tu in 217, 2.
= quis in 217, 4.
= ille in 71, 5; 73, 5.
= an indefinite pronoun (cf. French on) in 130, 7.
In the above expressions homo is a more or less unnecessary word
with a rather vague meaning; in the following the meaning is
specialized: j
Interior homo, 92, 1, 3, 4; 120, 20, means a man whose thoughts
are more on spiritual than on temporal things. In 92, 1; 120, 20;
148, 17 the same combination means the inner man, i. e. the soul
as distinguished from the body. (Vulg. Eph. 3, 16.)
Exterior homo, 148, 17, means the body as distinguished from
the soul.
Primus homo, 186, 27, is used in reference to Adam (Vulg. 1
Cor. 15, 45) while secundus homo, 186, 27, means Christ (Vulg.
1 Cor. 15, 47). Novus homo, 187, 30, also means Christ as Ke-
deemer (Eph. 2, 15; 4, 24) and vetus homo, 187, 30; 140, 5, is
used of Adam, and also of sin (Eom. 6, 6; Eph. 4, 22; Colos. 3, 9).
These four expressions are borrowed from St. Paul.
ignis aeternus, 122, l = hell (Vulg. Matth. 25, 41).
immundus spiritus, 82, 17; 130, 26 = the devil (Vulg. Matth.
10, 1; Marc. 1, 23, etc.),
infernae umbrae, 2, 37 = hell.
libri sancti, 21, 4; 28, 3, 4; 52, 3; 102, 38; 111, 2; 147, 12, 39;
238, 4; 249; 258, 3.
libri divini, 125, 3.
litterae sacrae, 102, 17, 18; 104; 132; 167, 14; 264, 3.
litterae sanctae, 28, 2; 189, 8.
The last four expressions are used regularly of the Holy Scrip¬
tures. Sometimes the position of the words is reversed.
mater ecclesia., 185, 51; 243, 8 = our holy mother, the Church,
originale peccatum, 184A, 2 = original sin, the sin of Adam.
181
panem frangere, 36, 28; 207= to administer Holy Communion.
regnum caelorum, 29, 5; 127, 8; 130, 2; 140, 54; 149, 22; 157,
23, 27, 28, 30; 177, 10; 186, 11, 27, 33; 189, 3, 5; 193,
4, 31, 32. (Yulg. Matth. 3, 2; Marc. 1, 14.)
regnum Dei, 127, 7; 157, 23; 164, 11. (Luc. 4, 43; Joan. 3, 3;
Act. 1, 3, etc.).
These two mean either heaven or the Church,
sacra cena, 93, 15 = the Holy Eucharist.
saecula saeculorum, 148, 11. (Yulg. Dan. 7, 18; Rom. 16, 27;
2 Tim. 4, 18, etc.)
saeculum saeculi, 140, 53, 61, 63. (Yulg. Psa. 9, 6; 51, 10, etc.)
These two are expressions of perpetuity and mean forever.
sancta civitas, 164, 9 = Jerusalem (Apoc. 11, 2; 21, 2).
servus Dei, 20, 2; 26, 5; 43, 23; 77, 1, 5; 87, 9; 91, 8; 96, 2;
111, 5, 6, 7; 125, 2, 3; 126, 3; 133, 1, 2; 134, 3; 145;
159, 1; 173, 4; 177, 6; 178, 1; 185, 31; 186, 1; 197, 4;
213, 1; 215, 1; 220, 3, 5; 262, 5. (Yulg. Act. 16, 17;
Tit. 1, 1.)
servus Christi, 167, 11 (Yulg. Rom. 1, 1; 1 Cor. 7, 22; Eph.
6, 6, etc.)
These two, like famulus Dei, famulus Christi, are frequently
added to names of saints or patriarchs as titles of respect.
susceptio hominis, 11, 2 = the Incarnation,
timor Dei, 20, 3; 23, 1; 129, 6 = one of the seven gifts of the
Holy Ghost (Yulg. Gen. 20, 11; 2 Reg. 23, 3; Psa. 13, 3;
Prov. 1, 7, etc.)
ultimum examen, 153, 4 = the last judgment,
ultimus dies, 56, 2 = the last day of the world,
verbum Dei, 21, 2; 137, 6, 7, 11, 12, 15; 140, 6, 11; 149, 17;
169, 7, 8; 170, 4; 175, 3; 187, 4 = the Truth, the teach¬
ing of Christ (Yulg. Eccli. 1, 5; Marc. 7, 13; Luc. 8, 1;
Act. 6, 2, etc.).
Ex hac vita migrare is a favorite expression to designate death.
It is found in: 71, 2; 98, 10; 149, 22; 151, 10, 23; 159, 7; 164,
2, 12; 166, 20; 194, 32.
4. Titles.
If the Letters of Augustine are any indication of the customs
of his time—and there is every reason to believe that they are—•
182
then we must conclude that people in the fourth and fifth cen¬
turies A. D. addressed each other in the most complimentary fash¬
ion. “Your Benignity/’ “Your Charity/’ “Your Highness/’
“ Your Magnificence/’ seem to have been ordinary modes of ad¬
dress, with “ Your Eminence,” “ Your Reverence,” “ Your Holi¬
ness,” “Your Sublimity,” “Your Yenerability,” as variations.
few of these have remained in use in the Church, but are restricted
to special ecclesiastical positions, as priests, cardinals, popes. In
Augustine’s time anybody might be addressed as Your Holiness
or Your Reverence—even women were awarded this latter title.
Sometimes one of these high-sounding titles was felt to be insuffi¬
cient and was then combined with another or modified by a super¬
lative: e. g.
tua sanctitas et gravitas, 59, 1.
eximietas tua ac praestantissima caritas, 27, 4.
honorabilem benignitatem tuam, 35, 1.
tuam sanctitatem et caritatem, 148, 4.
sanctam et sincerissimam benignitatem tuam, 149, 34.
By the side of such superlative cordialities, a simple “ bone vir
et bone frater,” sounds almost like a studied insult.
Dominus was freely used in both masculine and feminine forms,
e. g.
domine dilectissime frater, 23, 8.
domine beatissime et plenissima caritate venerabilis, 22, 1.
dominis in Domino insignibus et sanctitate carissimis ac deside-
rantissimis fratribus Albinae, Piniano et Melaniae, 124,
sal.
dominae religiosissimae, 262, sal.
The following list contains the titles used by Augustine in ad¬
dressing his correspondents in the body of his Letters, but does
not include the combinations found in the salutations. It will be
noticed that the words are all abstracts.
beatitudo tua, 60, 1; 177, 5, 9; 197, 1; 199, 31; 209, 1, 13;
219, 3.
benignitas tua, 33, 2; 35, 1; 40, 9; 60, 1; 82, 17; 89, 8; 99, 1;
104, 2; 113; 146; 149, 34; 151, 2, 12; 178, 1; 179, 1;
191, 1; 222, 3; 234, 3; 253; 256.
benivolentia tua, 23, 1, 8; 33, 2; 35, 3; 57, 1; 61, 1; 84, 2;
108; 151, 1; 189, 1; 235, 1; 242, 1.
183
benivolentia vestra, 223, 6; 232, 1; 241, 2.
caritas tua, 27, 6; 31, 7; 62, 1; 73, 9; 74; 82, 1; 92, 4; 96, 2;
97, 2; 101, 1; 111, 9; 122, 1; 148, 4; 149, 2; 170, 2;
173A; 175; 181; 184A, 6; 189, 1; 193, 13; 194, 1; 196,
1; 204; 222, 1; 224; 227; 244, 1; 246, 1, 3; 250, 1; 254.
caritas vestra, 31, 1; 45, 1; 48, 3; 78, 9; 82, 3; 199, 1; 213, 1,
6; 214, 5; 215, 1, 7.
celsitudo tua, 48, 1; 140, 66; 204, 6; 232, 6.
dignatio tua, 37, 2; 65, 1; 241, 2.
dilectio tua, 92A; 104, 1; 120, 20; 139, 3; 151, 6; 177, 21;
180, 1, 5; 185, 1; 190, 25; 193, 1; 201A, 6, 16; 204, 3.
dilectio vestra, 209, 3; 122, 1.
excellentia tua, 86; 100, 2; 133, 3; 134, 1, 4; 137, 20; 139, 4;
151, 14; 200, 1.
eximietas tua, 27, 4; 34, 4; 35, 1; 56, 1; 58, 3; 97, 3, 4; 99, 1;
113; 116, 1; 139, 1, 4; 189, 1; 203; 257.
fraternitas tua, 52, 1; 269.
germanitas tua, 63, 2; 82, 1; 186, 39; 263, 2.
germanitas vestra, 173A.
tua gravitas, 32, 3; 35, 1; 69; 88, 10.
tua magnificentia, 86.
tua nobilitas, 133, 1; 143, 2.
tua potestas, 134, 2.
praestantia tua, 97, 3; 104, 11; 116; 131 (to a lady); 133, 3;
139, 13; 137, 20; 150, 13; 151, 2, 5, 11, 12; 206.
prudentia tua, 57, 1, 2; 60, 2; 62, 2; 65, 1; 104, 1; 170, 6;
257; 258, 5.
religio tua, 113; 114; 251; 252.
reverentia tua, 177, 6; 179, 8; 188, 1, 14; 200, 3; 262 (to a
lady); 266 (to a lady),
tua sanctimonia, 59, 2; 177, 15; 209, 6.
sanctimonium vestrum, 45, 2.
sanctitas tua, 20, 1; 21, 4; 22, 1, 8, 9; 27, 2, 3, 4; 31, 1, 7, 8;
37, 1; 82, 32; 83, 1 and very frequently passim,
sinceritas tua, 82, 14; 145, 1; 186, 1; 190, 1, 2; 193, 1; 194, 1.
spectabilitas tua, 128, 1; 129, 7.
tua strenuitas, 204, 1.
tua suavitas, 110, 1.
tua sublimitas, 86; 134, 3; 133, 1; 200, 1.
venerabilitas tua, 59, 1; 60, 1; 65, 1; 110, 6; 176, 5; 177, 2;
179, 5; 199, 13, 46.
184
veneratio tua, 149, 2; 174; 175, 4; 176, 1; 177, 1, 3; 179, 1;
186, 1; 190, 1, 22; 187; 199, 1, 5, 19; 202A, 1; 209, 4;
212; 237, 2, 9; 250, 1.
5. Parallel Forms.
Several sets of parallel forms showing little if any divergence
of meaning are used by Augustine in the Letters. Sometimes this
may have arisen from uncertainty of the correct form, but usually
it is sheer exuberance of vocabulary.
anathemare, 94, 7, 8; 186, 27; 238, 4, etc.
and
anathemizare, 94, 7, 8; 185, 4.
daemon, 130, 26; 137, 12; 138, 18, etc.
and
daemonium, 17, 1; 91, 5; 98, 1, 3; 187, 36, etc.
sine dubio, 130, 4; 147, 7
and
sine dubitatione, 120, 4; 126, 3 (with meaning of doubt)
gustus, 137, 56 4
and V = sense of taste,
gustatus, 118, 19 )
idolum, 29, 4, 9; 36, 15; 43, 23; 47, 3, etc.
and
idolium, 47, 6.
promissum
and
promissio
propagatio
and
propago
tegmen, 211, 10
tegmentum, 211, 10 covering, clothing,
tegumentum, 211, 15
contagium, 178, 2; 192, 4 (poet, and late),
contagio, 53, 6; 93, 44; 131; 190, 5; 211, 11.
177, 13 = promise.
190, 1.
PART II.—STYLE.
CHAPTER I.
Tropes.
The style of an author may be defined as the manner in which
he sets forth his thoughts in words. It will be modified in differ¬
ent ages by various factors, such as canons of criticism or literary
movements. It is also powerfully affected by the personality of the
author. In the time of Augustine, a certain literary mould had
come to be adopted, which differed widely from the standard of
classical times. A greater freedom in the choice of words, allow¬
ing the circulation in prose of a whole vocabulary of poetical and
rare words, new words and foreign words gave a greater fluency and
amplitude of expression, at the same time that a passion for the
oratorical introduced a demand for a profusion of images and for
those ingenious turns of phrase known to rhetoricians as figures
of speech. The result of these innovations was to change pro¬
foundly the periodic style of Cicero and Livy, breaking up the
rhythms in which the prose of the past had been set, and giving a
new range of tone and color to the language.
Passing over the question of sentence rhythm and clausulae as a
topic which is at present in the state of theory only and uncertain
theory at that, we shall consider the use made by Augustine of
rhetorical ornament, an aspect of his work, which added to the
study already made of his vocabulary, ought to give a fairly ade¬
quate idea of the nature of his style as shown in his Letters.
Erasmus 1 speaking of Augustine’s style characterizes it as dif¬
ficult and involved, requiring an alert, attentive, careful and pa¬
tient reader, such as is not easily found. He admits however that
the author lightens his work by the use of figures, and adds that
the Letters are less diffuse in style than his other works. Another
interesting criticism is that of Sixtus Senensis, which as an esti¬
mate of Augustine in an imitation of Augustine’s own style,
deserves to be quoted: 2
“ Orationis eius et dictionis genus fecundissimum et exuberan-
1 Antibarb. 1 and Praef. cited in Weissenbach, 223.
2 Weissenbach, 221, 222.
185
186
tissimum est, ditissima et copiosissima ne dicam nimia diversarum
rerum affluentia redundans, et periodis in longum productis mistim
et indiscriminatim quam plurima secum volvens ac rapiens, digres-
sionibus excursibus et ambagibus vagabundum, quod ingeniosum
attentum memorem et patientem requirat lectorem, quern, ne mul-
tiloquii taedio fastidiat Punicis quibusdam argutiis recreare solet,
ludens saepissime in similiter progredientibus, similiter cadentibus
sententiis, aliisque non iniucundis Rhetorum figuris quae longum
et implicatum prolixae lectionis iter emolliant.”
This criticism, while probably a general one of all Augustine’s
w T orks, nevertheless applies in many respects to the Letters, especi¬
ally in the stress laid on the “ similiter progredientibus, similiter
cadentibus sententiis,” for hardly any figures are more common
in the Letters than homoioteleuton and homoioptoton. Taking
into consideration Augustine’s expressed views on the use of rheto¬
rical devices by Christian writers (cf. Introd. p. 14) we must be¬
lieve that his use of them in such profusion is often an unconscious
result of the habits formed in the years when he was a professional
rhetorician.
The highly artificial character of these embellishments and the
foreign aspect of them lead to the question of their origin. They
were not native to Latin, except such as are common to all lan¬
guages, like metaphor, but were adapted, like the hexameter, from
Greek.
The Greeks regarded Gorgias of Leontini as the founder of their
art of oratory. He was a Sicilian sophist who flourished between
485 and 380 B. C. The principal object of his endeavor was to
secure brilliancy and effectiveness of expression, which he did by
the use of poetical words and by a certain symmetry in the arrange¬
ment of clauses, designed to produce a rhythmical 3 prose. He is
credited with the invention of certain figures called Gorgianic:
antithesis, parison and homoioteleuton. His pupil Isocrates car¬
ried his work still farther and set a standard of prose style which
was to affect all subsequent prose literature. 4 Through the schools
of rhetoric his style was then passed on to the Romans and first
appears in the conflict between the so-called Asianism and At¬
ticism, whereof the leaders in Rome were respectively Hortensius
and Cicero. The word Asiatic in this connection is properly a
3 Je.bb, cxxiii.
4 Jebb, II, 427.
187
geographical term only, gaining its significance from the fact that
between 320 and 280 B. C. the Greek colonies in Asia Minor were
of all parts of Hellas the most actively and successfully engaged
in cultivating the arts of oratory and prose literature, for both of
which they formulated the canons of style. They called their
school the New Oratory to distinguish it from the Old Oratory or
Atticism. The difference between them was that the latter was an
art based upon theory, the former a knack acquired by practice. 5
There were two tendencies in Asianism, one sententious and epi¬
grammatic, the other ornate and declamatory. Both were com¬
bined in Hortensius (flor. c. 95 B. C.). Cicero, on the other hand,
appeared as the representative not precisely of Atticism, but of an
eclecticism which was a preparation for Atticism. This attitude
he owed to his master, Molon of Rhodes. His Greek counterpart is
not Demosthenes but Isocrates. 6 True Atticism was represented at
Rome by Calvus (B. C. 82-48), poet and orator, and owed much
to the literary criticism of Dionysius of Halicarnassus and Cae-
cilius.
While these developments were taking place in Roman litera¬
ture, there had come a reaction and a decline in Greek oratory,
and rhetoric became rather the occupation of the schools than the
profession of the orator. But towards the close of the first century
A. D. a renaissance of Greek rhetoric began in the schools of Asia
Minor, spreading thence to Athens during the reign of Hadrian.
The avowed object of this movement w^as to revive the classic pur¬
ity and simplicity of Lysias and Demosthenes, Thucydides, Xeno¬
phon and Plato; but the artificialities of the Early Sophists proved
more congenial to the taste of these New Sophists and they were
soon exaggerating the worst defects of the earlier school. Their
principal aim was to please an audience, their ideal the ability to
speak on any subject without preparation, developing their theme
by means of the “loci communes^; quis, quid, ubi, quibus auxi-
liis, cur, quomodo, quando; adorning it with all the embellishments
of rhetoric. This New or Second Sophistic, penetrating with its
teachings all the departments of literature, continued until the
fifth century A. D. and because of its control of the schools exerted
an influence out of all proportion to its importance. Many of the
Church Fathers, both Latin and Greek, were trained in this school
and show the effects of it in their preaching and writing.
5 Jebb, II, 441.
6 Jebb, II, 450.
188
None of the Neo-^Sophists were great orators or writers although
they enjoyed a resounding fame in their own day. Must of their
works have disappeared and of some we know little more than
their names: Dio Chrysostom, Nicostratus, Polemon, Maximus of
Tyre, the Philostrati, Aelius Aristides, Libanius, Themistius and
Himerius were the famous orators of their time. Lucian, a prose-
writer of the Neo-Sophistic style, can be estimated through his
extant works, and is especially interesting for Roman literature
as having been imitated by Apuleius.
The characteristics of this style were unreality of subject and
artificiality of treatment, affectation of learning, carefully balanced
periods, forced and unnatural comparisons, redundancy of epithet
and excessive use of rhetorical ornament. The principal figures
affected by the Neo-Sophists were: metaphor, simile, hyperbole,
anaphora, asyndeton, polyptoton or oonversio, paronomasia, oxy¬
moron, isocolon, parison, paramoiosis, antitheton, hyperbaton and
homoioteleuton. Ecphrasis, another form of rhetorical embellish¬
ment, was also much favored by them. These figures and devices
were not new, but the excessive use of them in the Second Soph¬
istic makes them in a way peculiar to that style.
Among Roman writers the influence of this new school first ap¬
pears in Apuleius 7 and is visible throughout the whole of the
elocutio novella. The African temperament must have found it
particularly congenial, as the eagerness with which public declama¬
tions were attended in African cities shows. Even young boys of
fourteen and fifteen declaimed in public 8 and the travelling lec¬
turer, a familiar figure from the time of Apuleius to that of Au¬
gustine, found all doors open to him as he made his tours from
town to town, stopping to speak or to add to his store of infor¬
mation. These itinerant speakers, equally versed in the lore of
natural phenomena and the mysteries of religious rites, were noth¬
ing else than Neo-Sophists.
The schools were affected by the movement almost from the be¬
ginning—when such brilliant careers were open to accomplished
rhetors, sophistic school-masters were inevitably in great demand.
We have seen that it was Augustine’s earliest ambition to become
one himself. There is no doubt then that this was the rhetorical
school in which he was trained. An examination of his rhetoric
7 Goelzeri (2), 730.
8 Bouchier, 35.
189
will show that all the devices except ecphrasis are found in the
Letters.
Before proceeding to an examination of the figures found in the
Letters it might he well to establish the distinction between tropes
and figures. While they agree as to the general definition of a
trope, authors are not of one opinion regarding the number and
classification of the same. Quintilian defines trope as follows : 9
“ tropus est verbi vel sermonis a propria significatione in aliam
cum virtute mutatio,” and again 10 “ est igitur tropus sermo a
naturali et principali significatione translatus ad aliam ornandae
orationis gratia.” After admitting that even in his day, authori¬
ties 11 differed, Quintilian enumerates fourteen tropes : 12 metaphor,
synecdoche, metonymy, antonomasia, onomatopoeia, catachresis,
metalepsis, epitheton, allegory, aenigma, irony, periphrasis, hyper¬
baton and hyperbole. Tryphon 13 adds to these but some of the
additions are obviously subdivisions of the others as e. g. parable, a
form of allegory, sarcasm, a form of irony, etc.
Tropes may be divided into two groups according as they are
expressed in one word or several. Tropes of one word are: meta¬
phor, synecdoche, metonymy, antonomasia, epitheton, catachresis
and metalepsis. Tropes of phrase are: allegory, aenigma, hyper¬
bole, irony, periphrasis, hyperbaton, onomatopoeia. All of these
are found in Augustine’s Letters except catachresis, metalepsis,
aenigma and onomatopoeia.
Figures are thus defined by Quintilian : 14 “ figura sicut nomine
ipso patet est conformatio quaedam orationis remota a communi
et primum se offerente ratione.” Ancient authors, from Theo¬
phrastus on recognized tw T o classes of figures: ■ - , ;
215
8) Theatre (120, 5).
9) Golden chalice (26, 6).
10) Architecture (243).
In Ep. 243 there is a remarkable extension of the parable of the
man who started to build and fortify a tower, without having com¬
puted the cost (Luc. 14, 28). Augustine makes an elaborate alle¬
gory of this, applying it to a young man who wanted to lead a
religious life, but was being severely tried by his family. This is
the longest of the allegories in the Letters, but at no time does the
application become strained or unnatural. Augustine handles this
difficult figure exceptionally well.
Examples:
si calicem aureum invenisses in terra donares ilium ecclesiae dei,
accepisti a deo ingenium spiritaliter aureum et ministras
inde libidinibus et in illi satanae propinas te ipsum!
(26, 6.)
si enim quisquam inimicum suum periculosis febribus phreneti-
cum factum currere in praeceps nonne tunc potius malum
pro malo redderet si eum sic ire permitteret, quam si cor-
ripiendum ligandumque curaret ? et tamen ei tunc moles-
tissimus et adversissimus videretur quando utilissimus et
misericordissimus extitisset; sed plane salute reparata
tanto uberius ei gratias ageret quanto sibi eum minus
pepercisse sensisset (93, 2).
The argument here is for the use of force to compel schismatics
to return to the unity of the Church.
An unusual topic for Augustine is a reference to acrobatic feats
in public spectacles:
nam et in theatris homines funiambulum mirantur, musicis
delectantur in illo stupetur difficultas in his retinet pas-
citque iucunditas (120, 5).
Six examples of allegory are of scriptural origin:
Ep. 53, 6, on the winnowing of grain (Matth. 13, 30).
Ep. 55, 8, on the sun of justice (Malac. 4, 2).
Ep. 185, 44, on the pruning and grafting of the vine (Joan.
15, 45).
Ep. 243, 1, on the building of a tower (Luc. 14, 28-31).
Ep. 76, 4, on the sheepfold (Matth. 15, 24; Joan. 21, 17).
216
Ep. 185, 23, on the mark impressed on all the soldiers of God’s
army (Apoc. 13, 61).
II. Hyperbole —a deliberate over- or understatement of the
truth with no intent to deceive—is used but twice by Augustine
in the Letters. Doubtless the serious nature of the topics of which
he treats and the weight of his episcopal position did not allow
him to descend often to this rhetorical device, never a very dignified
one. One example occurs in the first letter of the collection,
written while he was a layman.
indormiscent . . . ut nec caelesti tuba evigilent (1, 2). (Cf.
Matth. 24, 31; 1 Cor. 15, 52).
puto quod ipse diabolus, si auctoritate iudicis quern ultro ele-
gerat totiens vinceretur, non esset tarn impudens ut in ea
causa persisteret (89, 3).
III. Irony, called in Latin illusio 24 consists in saying the oppo¬
site to what one means, yet in such wise that the author conveys
his intended meaning through his contrary terms. It is often
combined with hyperbole and is used either to raise a laugh or to
heap ridicule on the head of an opponent. The effect desired may
be produced by praising what one intends to condemn, or vice
versa, by questioning what is certain, exaggerating what is self-
evident or by understating the truth. Augustine makes rather
frequent use of this figure especially when he deals with the Maxi-
mianists, Donatists and other trouble-makers of northern Africa.
It is also effective in his hands as a means of rebuke. He uses it
carefully as befits so dangerous a weapon, dropping it as soon as
he has scored his point, and he never descends to mere vituperation.
A few of the more forceful examples follow:
subsanna pias voces . . . beatissimi Cypriani librum . . . con-
demna, aude maiora, reprehende Apostolum Paulum
(217, 3).
se videlicet fortissimo et praefidenti collo iugum mundi iugo
Christi est iucundius (36, 5).
sed da veniam: erravi, quando te volui de ebrioso baptizante
convincere; exciderat mihi cum Eogatista me habere rem,
non cum qualicumque Donatista. Potes enim tu in tarn
paucis collegis tuis et in omnibus clericis tuis nullum in-
24 Quint. 8, 6, 54.
217
venire forsitan ebriosum. Yos enim estis qui non ex
totius orbis communione sed ex observatione praeceptorum
omnium divinorum atque omnium sacramentorum tenetis
catholicam fidem in quibus earn solis inventurus est, cum
venerit filius hominis quando non inveniet fidem in terra,
quia nee terra estis nee in terra sed caelestes in caelo
habitatis! (93, 49).
an forte istae leges imperatoris vos non permittunt nostros
episcopos convenire? (88, 10).
an forte Christus baptismo Joannis baptizabat? (44, 10).
Cf. also 26, 5; 28, 5; 34, 3; 36, 10; 44, 10; 56, 2; 88, 8, 10;
89, 4; 93, 22, 49; 102, 31; 108, 13, 18, 20; 118, 2, 3, 9, 9,
10; 138, 2, 16; 141, 3, 12; 190, 14, 35; 217, 3; 259, 3.
TABLE OF
TROPES
Nam©
No. of times
Metaphor
730
Metonymy
13
Synecdoche
3
Antonomasia
13
Pages of text:
Epitheton
19
Vienna Corpus 2005.
Allegory
16
Hyperbole
2
Irony
29
From this table it will be seen that Augustine does not make
a lavish use of tropes and that he prefers those which give an
oracular and almost epigrammatic turn to his style. He uses them
almost entirely to make his ideas clear and to drive them home as
forcefully as possible. He does not rely upon them for ornament;
when he needs that he makes use of figures.
The scriptural element in the other tropes is quite as prominent
as it is in the metaphor. Treating nearly always of theological or
scriptural subjects, quoting long passages from the Bible, as he
does, it is not astonishing that Augustine should clothe his thought
so naturally in scriptural images and expressions.
CHAPTER II.
Figures of Rhetoric.
The essential difference between trope and figure may be seen
from the very terms themselves. Trope, as the name implies,
consists in turning away from the usual term to adopt another,
while figure, called by Cicero forma, by the Greeks oxw^a, has to
do with the inter-relations of words and their arrangement in the
sentence. 1 As has been said above (p. 189), the ancients dis¬
tinguished two sorts of figures: figurae sententiarum and figurae
verborum. The German terms Sinnfiguren (thought-figures) and
Wortfiguren (word-figures) give us a clear idea of the nature of
each sort. The former depend on the general form in which the
thought is cast, the latter on the words used or their exact position
in the sentence, by changing which one may destroy the figure.
Augustine makes use of both sorts of figures in the Letters, but
the figurae verborum are by far the more numerous. This is not
surprising if we consider that the Figures of Rhetoric or Thought-
figures are highly oratorical and are much more appropriate to
Speeches and sermons than to letters. In view of this fact, the
number of those that occur may be considered high.
1) Correctio is defined by Cicero 2 as a rejection by the author
of his own statement. Quintilian passes it over in silence as pro¬
bably unimportant in comparison with other figures. Augustine
uses it as a figure of emphasis, making first a deliberate under¬
statement of his facts, then correcting himself by either strengthen¬
ing his assertion or denying it. He has a sort of formula for this
process, which takes one of seven forms:
vel potius (2). immo etiam (4).
immo (13). immo vero (5).
immo et (1). immo non (2).
immo vero non (2).
Vel potius is a rather mild corrective, immo a more vigorous one,
while the addition of et, etiam, vero, non, or vero non strengthen
still further the statement to which he wishes to call attention.
1 Quint. 9, 1, 5. Volkmann, 392.
2 De Or. 3, 53, 204.
218
219
Examples:
contra quae idola facilius templa vestra quam corda clauduntur,
vel potius idola non magis in templis quam in vestris cordi-
bus includuntur (232, 1).
non invidemus, immo amplectimur, optamus, hortamur (185,
46).
negare non ausi sunt, immo et gloriari ausi sunt (185, 6).
non amamus, immo etiam odimus (95, 1).
si quis autem dixerit quod gratiam bene operandi fides mereatur,
negare non possumus, immo vero gratissime confitemur
(186, 7).
vix mihi obtemperat, immo non obtemperat (27, 1).
alia quaestio est . . . immo vero non alia quaestio sed nulla
quaestio est (28, 3).
Cf. also 26, 5; 82, 24; 91, 2; 108, 6; 110, 4; 112, 2; 118, 6;
140, 43; 141, 8; 166, 6; 170, 10; 177, 16; 180, 2; 187, 24;
190, 25; 220, 3; 254; 259, 3.
2) Exclamatio is a figure, according to Quintilian, 3 only when
it is feigned and artfully composed. Its purpose is, not to prove
an argument, but to rouse certain feelings in the hearer or reader.
In the hands of a skilled orator it is an effective weapon as well
as a means of introducing life and variety into the form of ex¬
pression. Augustine shows his good taste and true rhetorical
feeling by not using it too often, thereby making a stronger appeal
when he does use it. One hundred and twenty-nine is not an ex¬
cessive number—less than one-third of the number of cases of
interrogatio, with which it is sometimes combined. The feeling
he most frequently expresses is indignant surprise or sarcasm;
sometimes admiration or wonder.
Examples:
O virum spiritalem ! O magnum ieiunatorem ! O carnalium repre-
hensorem et non ventricultorem! (36, 11).
O quam multorum tecum pariter senatorum pariterque sanctae
ecclesiae filiorum tale opus desideramus in Africa de quali
tuo laetamur! (58, 3).
si enim movent ad fidem quae figurate tantum dicta non facta
sunt, quanto magis movere debent quae figurate non tantum
dicta sed facta sunt! (102, 33).
3 Inst. Or. 9, 2, 27.
220
This example is further strengthened by its combination with
metathesis.
hoc scilicet in malis libeat! ita est prorsus! fumant adhuc ruinae
incensae ecclesiae et in ea causa nos iocamur! (104, 17).
(combined with interrogate) ubi si ministri desint, quantum
exitium sequatur eas, qui de isto saeculo vel non regenerati
exeunt vel ligati ? quantus est etiam luctus fidelium suorum
qui eos secum in vitae aeternae requiem non habebunt!
quantus denique gemitus omnium et quorundam quanta
blasphemia de absentia ministeriorum et ministrorum!
( 228 , 8 ).
3) Interrogatio. The rhetorical question is one of the most
commonly used of figures, and at the same time, one of the most
effective. It consists in giving one’s speech an interrogative turn,
not for the sake of seeking information, but to lend greater em¬
phasis to a statement or to give it a strong emotional coloring.
Quintilian 4 thus enumerates the uses to which it may be put:
i. to drive home a point in an argument.
ii. to deny something very forcibly.
iii. to suggest doubt or impossibility.
iv. to heap ridicule on an opponent.
v. to arouse pity.
vi. to excite admiration.
vii. to arouse indignation.
Augustine makes a most lavish use of this figure, of which the
examples repeat themselves to satiety. All of the above uses of it
are well illustrated in the Letters; it is his favorite method of
clinching an argument, and he seems to prefer the interrogative to
the declarative form of denial. One of his most characteristic and
effective devices is to reduce the argument of the opposing side to
an absurdity by means of a double question, and he has no more
successful way of expressing his indignation than by making an
unanswerable query.
Examples:
huic tarn sano rectoque consilio quisquis infrenis obtemperari
noluisset, quid esset facturus aut quomodo aliquem absen-
tium collegarum esset damnaturus, cum in potestate acta
consilii non haberet contradicente primate? (43, 9).
4 Inst. Or. 9, 2, 6.
221
numquid ideo neglegenda est medicina quia nonnullorum est in-
sanabilis pestilentia? (93, 3).
ubi enim nobis a spinis talibus securitas et requies praeparari vel
praeberi potest, si adversus nos in tam sanctis nobisque
carissimis cordibus nostris pullulare potuere? (125, 2).
quod ergo ad magisterium eius adtinet, quis nunc extremus idi-
ota vel quae abiecta muliercula non credit animae immor-
talitatem vitamque post mortem futuram? (137, 12).
nonne inter haec verba ecce senuimus dum vita ducitur prius
finienda quam corrigenda? (259, 2).
nam quid melius et animo geramus et ore promamus et calamo
exprimamus quam e deo gratias?’ (41, 1).
quis est tam demens qui neget istis debuisse per iussa imperial!a
subveniri, ut de tanto everterentur malo, dum illi quos time-
bant, timere coguntur et eodem timore aut etiam ipsi cor-
riguntur aut certe, cum se correctos esse confingunt, cor¬
rects parcunt a quibus antea timebantur? (185, 13).
Cf. also 78, 3; 82, 4, 6, 10; 87, 5; 88, 5; 89, 2; 91, 2; 92, 2, 3,
5, 6; 93, 3, 5, 6, 7; 100, 15; 102, 25; 125, 12; 127, 9; 128,
3; 130, 1; 134, 4; 137, 5, etc.
The instances of Interrogatio found in the Letters are distri¬
buted among the various uses as follows:
argument denial doubt ridicule pity admiration indignation Total
100 135 57 59 27 17 77 472
4) Litotes is not included in Quintilian’s enumeration of fig¬
ures but is defined by Servius 5 as “ figura per contrarium signi-
ficans.” Augustine uses it fairly often but shows little variety in
the choice of his negations. Of 45 examples, 27 have non parvus
in some form, 8 have non mediocris or non mediocriter. Other
expressions are non levis, non brevis, non pauci, non parum, non
incongruenter, non minimam and two negatives with verbs. The
effect of the figure is to intensify the statement made in the terms
of its contrary, a cautious under-statement having frequently the
force of an exaggeration. It also lends variety to the form of the
truths advanced.
Examples:
non parvo scandalo erit ecclesiae nee immerito (36, 2).
“Aen. 1, 387.
222
non mediocriter reprehensos nec de mediocribus quaestionibus
(82, 23).
etiam an episcopis tibi haec exponi non incongrnenter petas
(118, 8).
non post levem animi perturbationem (63, 3).
sed nolendo credere infidelitatis crimine non carebant (186, 38).
qui codex non paucis diebns apud te fuit (57, 1).
Cf. also 10, 1; 22, 1, 6; 29, 11; 40, 1; 44, 1; 45, 1; 69, 2; 71,
6, 6, 8; 73, 8; 82, 32; 84, 2; 91, 8; 97, 3, 4; 100, 1; 101,
1; 102, 1; 108, 10; 130, 29; 130, 4; 139, 3; 140, 28; 145,
2; 167, 14; 169, 1; 151, 8; 155, 17; 157, 23; 166, 6; 167,
1; 177, 1; 187, 2; 188, 12; 188, 3; 205, 18 ; 237, 4; 246, 1;
250, 1; 266, 1.
5) Praesumptio or prolepsis is an argumentative figure in which
the speaker or writer anticipates the objections of his opponent. 6
It is appropriate to any part of a speech but especially so to the
prooemium. Augustine uses it fairly often but always effectively
in the Letters, especially in those which are of a controversial
nature. He usually prefaces each instance with the formula, hie
forsitan dicas or dicturus es, or alii dicant, or some similar varia¬
tion. One remarkable example introduces six successive objections,
which must surely have left little for an adversary to say in re¬
buttal; and Letter 93 has no less than thirteen instances of it.
Examples:
hie forsitan dicas: * quid enim ? J et apud nos germanus meus
ecclesiae non erit utilis aut propter aliud eum mecum habere
desidero? (84, 2).
acutum autem aliquid videris dicere cum catholicae nomen non -
ex totius orbis communione interpretaris sed ex observatione
praeceptorum omnium divinorum atque omnium sacra-
mentorum quasi nos etiam si forte hinc sit appellata catho-
lica quod totum veraciter teneat, cuius veritatis nonnullae
particulae etiam in diversis inveniuntur haeresibus, huius
nominis testimonio nitimur ad demonstrandam ecclesiam in
omnibus gentibus et non promissis dei et tarn mult is tamque
manifestis oraculis ipsius veritatis (93, 23).
hie tu oppositurus es exemplum iusti illius in diluvio qui cum
domo sua solus liberari dignus inventus est (93, 27).
6 Quint. 9, 2 , 16.
223
Cf. also 54, 4; 75, 21; 84, 21; 87, 5; 93, 15, 18, 18, 18, 18, 18,
18, 23, 26, 27, 44, 46, 47; 102, 14; 118, 5; 138, 9.
6) Praetermissio; called also praeteritio, paralepsis, occultatio
or omissio is not mentioned by Quintilian, but is defined by Corni-
ficius (4, 27, 37) as a figure in which we pass over or pretend not
to know, or say that we are unwilling to mention something which
we thereby assert with greater emphasis. It is an effect which
would quickly diminish if it were used too often, and Augustine
shows himself an accomplished rhetorician by his choice of the
few occasions on which he elects to use it.
Examples:
ut enim omittam commemorare quanta magnitudo beluarum
marinarum ab eis qui experti sunt iudicetur, venter quern
costae illae muniebant quae Carthagine in publico fixae
populo notae sunt, quot homines in spatio suo capere posset,
quis non coniciat? (102, 31).
This is in answer to an objection to the probability of the Bible
narrative of Jonas and the whale.
nam ut omittam quod mecum nosti quam sit tremendum de per-
iurio divinum iudicium (125, 4).
non novimus quid de traditoribus quos numquam convincere,
numquam ostendere potuistis, non dico, quia vestri potius
in tali crimine detecti et confessi manifestantur, quid ad nos
pertinet de sarcinis alienis? (105, 16).
nam cum adverterint homines in hac re tarn ingentem flammam
cordis tui, multi gaudebunt se invenisse occasionem ut ad
pauca f euge, euge’ tarn potentem virum faciant amicum,
nolo dicere quia si non foveant vel si contrariam sententiam
proferant etiam formidare potuerunt inimicum inepte qui-
dem et stulte, sed tamen plerique homines itasunt (238, 27).
7) Prosopopoeia or fictio personarum consists in so narrating
an event that the characters in it speak for themselves. It is a
figure which lends variety and vivacity to the discourse, but the
words attributed by the author to his character must be appro¬
priate. It is much better adapted to speeches than to compositions
intended to be read and we should therefore not expect to find it
in Augustine’s Letters. The two examples which occur show him
forgetting that he is not speaking from the pulpit.
224
fugitur unitas ut hue maritus illuc uxor conveniat, dicat ille:
'mecum tene unitatem quia ego sum vir tuus,’ respondeat
ilia: f ibi moror, ubi est pater meus,’ ut in uno lecto dividant
Christum, quos detesteremur si dividerent lectum (108,17).
nonne tibi videtur dixisse parricidaliter frendens: ‘ quid faciam
ecclesiae quae me prohibet caedere matrem meam? inveni
quid faciam: iniuriis quibus potest, etiam ipsa feriatur;
fiat in me aliquid, unde membra eius doleant; vadam mihi
ad eos, qui noverunt exsufflare gratiam, in qua ibi natus
sum, destruere formam quam in utero eius accepi; ambas
matres meas saevis cruciatibus torqueam; quae me posterior
peperit, efferat prior; ad huius dolorem spiritaliter moriar,
ad illius caedem carnaliter vivam.’ . . . ecce iam conscientia
cruentus veste dealbatus perficit partem pollicitationis suae;
restat pars altera, ut matris sanguinem bibat (34, 3).
This latter example is most skilfully designed to produce an
effect of horror in Augustine’s readers. No amount of statistical
details of outrages committed by heretical sectaries—and these are
not wanting in other letters—could give the impression of un¬
natural excess which the simply-drawn picture of the murderer
planning his horrible deed makes upon us. Cicero himself could
not have done better.
TABLE OF FIGURAE SENTENTIARUM
Name of Figure No. of times
Correctio 27
Exclamatio 119
Interrogatio 472 Pages of text
Litotes 45 2005
Praesumptio 34
Praeteritio 9
Prosopopoeia 2
Total. 708
Augustine’s use of the figurae sententiarum shows even more
clearly than his use of tropes, his own reaction to his rhetorical
training in the schools of the Neo-Sophistic. The quiet atmosphere
and limited scope of personal correspondence would not naturally
suggest themselves as a field for rhetorical flourish, or if they did,
one might suspect the writer of poor taste or of a disregard for
242
impertiat, addat, auferat, detrahat, augeat, minuatve (138, 5).
c) with asyndeton:
arant, navigant, comparant, generant, militant, administrant
(199, 38).
piis, iustis, puris, castis, veris dictis (235, 2).
d) with polysyndeton:
ut et cnstodiantur et angeantur et perficiantnr et remunerentur
(69, 2).
qnod vos de Afris ant nostis aut creditis ant andistis ant fingitis
(87, 7).
The above examples will give a fair idea of the rapidity and viva¬
city of style secnred by the nse of this figure. It is especially
adapted to descriptive passages, lends itself to the expression of
various emotions, and does not condnce to monotony because of the
wide range of possibilities it allows. Any part of speech may be so
treated except conjunctions and prepositions, and there is no re-
striction of the inflectional forms which
may be
repeated.
TABLE OF CONGERIES
Synonymous
66
with asyndeton
108
nouns
63
Non-synonymous
66
“ polysyndeton
14
adj.
16
“ anaphora
20
adv.
2
remainder
10
verbs
58
gerundive
56
word-groups
7
Total
152
Total
152
Total
152
9) Climax or gradatio. The range of this figure is necessarily
limited, because of its artificial character and elaborate arrange¬
ment. The name climax, a ladder, or gradatio, a set of steps, de¬
scribes as well as identifies it. It is a form of repetition in which the
last term of the previous statement becomes the first of the succeed¬
ing one, and thus the thought or argument really mounts by steps.
It is, says Quintilian 11 a more affected figure and therefore should
be used more rarely, an admonition which Augustine evidently
heeded in the Letters, as he uses it not more than 21 times in all.
He finds it especially useful in proving or disproving, a statement
which is not evident or not admissible at first sight, going back to
u Inst. Or. 9, 3, 55.
241
quam sapiens ferre non debeat eamque fugiat, abrumpat, abiciat
(155, 3).
qna diligentia, qua cautela, qna provisione . . . iudicavit (43, 20).
Occasionally the synonymous terms are arranged in an ascending
scale of emphasis, which is highly effective.
Examples:
eatur, ambuletur, curratur in via domini (41, 1).
snggero, peto, obsecro, fiagito (97, 3).
me misernm si ego non inbeo, si non cogo atqne impero, si non
rogo ac supplico (26, 4).
qni furtis, rapinis, calumniis, oppressionibus, invasionibus, ab-
stulerit (153, 24).
ii. Congeries of non-synonymous terms.
Examples:
ita ut presbyteri expoliarentnr, caederentur, debilitarentnr, ex-
caecarentur, occiderentur (209, 2).
vide illius derelictionis, tribulationis, deprecationis frnctu, quid
agatur, quid insinuetur, quid commendetur, quid inlustretur
(140, 43).
tot locis pingitur, funditur, tunditur, sculpitur, scribitur, legitur,
agitur, cantatur, saltatur, Juppiter adulteria tanta commit-
tens (91, 5).
solem, lunam, stellas, arnnes, maria, montes, colies, urbes, pari-
etes denique domus suae (147, 43).
iii. Congeries combined with other figures.
a) with anaphora:
dent tales provinciales, tales maritos, tales coniuges, tales pa-
rentes tales filios, tales dominos, tales servos, tales reges,
tales iudices, tales denique debitorum ipsius fisci redditores
et exactores (138, 15).
in conviviis ineundis, in matrimoniis tradendis et accipiendis,
in emendo ac vendendo, in pactis et placitis, in salutationi-
bus, in consensionibus, in conlocutionibus, in omnibus suis
rebus negotiisque Concordes sint (108, 17).
b) with antithesis:
laudes, vituperationes, exhortationes, terrores, praemia, supplicia
(246, 2).
16 w
240
Examples:
non doctor perfectus sed cum docendis perficiendus (266, 2).
dens verus et verax veraciter consoletur cor tuum (131).
incorporeas similitudines corporum incorporaliter commendat
memoriae (147, 38).
sed ut remissa iniuria qnocl iniuriose abstulit reddat (153, 22).
It is combined with polyptoton in:
ut tides praecedat rationem rationabiliter iussum est, nam si hoc
praeceptum rationabile non est, ergo inrationdbile est;
absit. Si igitur rationabile est ut magnam quandam quae
capi nondum potest tides antecedat rationem, procul dubio
quantulacumque ratio . . . antecedit rationem (120,3).
8) Synonimia or congeries occurs when the same thought is
repeated under slightly different terms. It is usually associated
with either asyndeton or polysyndeton. Quintilian avows a diffi¬
culty in assigning its proper name to this figure, 10 admitting that
there are instances in which the accumulation of terms does not
express the same idea, yet produces the same effect of vehemence.
He finds some who give the name ploche to this latter variety of
the figure, while others call it diallage. On the w'hole he decides
that it is better to call the figure dissolutio, which is the Latin
equivalent for asyndeton. In this however the rhetorician over¬
looks the fact that the same phenomenon occurs in connection with
polysyndeton, so that it is evident that the figure as such consists
in the accumulation of terms and not in the presence or absence
of conjunctions. In order to represent the use made of it by Au¬
gustine in the Letters, all the examples have been grouped together
under the above name of congeries, with due observance of the dis¬
tinctions of similar or dissimilar terms, of asyndetic or polysvn-
detic connection. It is one of Augustine’s favorite figures, quite
in line with the copiousness of his vocabulary and the generally
pleonastic character of the African school to which he belongs. It
may be said on the whole that he does not abuse it and that he
shows considerable ingenuity in his methods of varying it.
i. Congeries of synonymous or nearly synonymous terms.
Examples:
finem certe iam sentis esse nugatorium, inanem, ventosum
(118, 5).
10 Inst. Or. 9, 3, 45-48.
239
The two following have deteriorated into an almost meaningless
jingle because the figure is exaggerated:
eadem scilicet cum frater refertur ad fratrem, amicus ad amicum,
vicinus ad vicinum, cognatus ad cognatum (170, 6).
ut cederet altare altari, gladius gladio, ignis igni, panis pani,
pecus pecori, sanguis sanguini (36, 24).
This latter one sounds almost like a school exercise in declension,
while the following cacophony rivals Cicero’s famous “ 0 fortuna-
tam natam me consule Romam ! ”
quae utique in fine sine fine habebitur (194, 19).
iii) Repetition of Verbs.
de nullo enim sanctorum dici potuit aut potest aut potent
(187, 40).
doctrina igitur constans mutato praecepto non mutata mutavit
(138, 2).
si ergo nec vituperari nec corripi nisi interrogatum Spiritus
Sanctus noluit, quanto sceleratius non vituperati aut cor-
repti sed omnino damnati sunt qui de suis criminibus nihil
absentes interrogari potuerunt (43, 11).
Triviality of expression marks the following:
nos non solum dileximus verum etiam diligimus sed aliter nunc
diligimus aliter aliquando dileximus (186, 1).
ut et ipsum non manducantem manducans quisque non sperneret
et ipse non manducans manducantem non iudicaret (36, 20).
Confusion and faulty diction have fallen upon this one:
nemo autem diligit proximum nisi diligens deum ut hoc quan¬
tum potest proximo impendat quern diligit tamquam se
ipsum ut et ille diligat deum, quern si ipse non diligit, nec
se nec proximum diligit (167, 16).
A modification of this figure known as paragmenon or derivatio
is not included in Quintilian’s enumeration, but is defined by
Julius Rufinus. It consists in repeating a word in the form of a
derivative, as e. g. an adverb from an adjective, or an adjective
from a noun. It is used by Augustine in the Letters fairly often
(65 times), and is sometimes combined with polyptoton, anaphora
or conversio. It gives an oracular effect when used in short sen¬
tences.
238
inflectional form, that is in a different case, mood, tense or degree
of comparison. As in the case of other figures of this sort, the
repetition must be intentional, and must be designed to produce
a certain effect. A particularly emphatic variety of it shows ad¬
jectives in the three degrees of comparison. It is a figure which
would soon cheapen a style, if misused, and it may be said that
Augustine does misuse it in the Letters. There are, it is true,
instances in which he secures a fine rhetorical elevation of ex¬
pression by this device, but there are other and much more
numerous instances in which his sentences degenerate into a jing¬
ling formula because of it. The words repeated are chiefly:
adjectives (58 times), nouns (64 times) and verbs (58 times).
Examples:
i) Repetitions of Adjectives.
non parti rerum partem suam praesentem praebet et alteri parti,
alteram partem,, aequales aequalibus, minori vero minorem,
maiorique maiorem, (187, 17).
felix es talis fideliter cogitando, amando felicior, et ideo eris
felicissima consequendo (267).
scelerati omnes . . . quibus . . . volentibus ista commissa sunt,
sceleratiores qui commiserunt, sceleratissimi qui immiserunt
(91,9).
The following shows clearly Augustine’s abuse of this figure:
sic est deus . . . ut non sit qualitas mundi sed substantia crea-
trix mundi sine labore regens et sine onere continens
mundum, non tamen per spatia locorum quasi mole diffusa
ita ut in dimidio mundi corpore sit dimidius et in alio
dimidio dimidius atque per totum totus sed in solo solus
et in sola terra solus et in caelo et in terra totus et nullo
contentus loco sed in se ipso ubique totus (187, 14).
ii) Repetitions of Nouns.
ut laudemur ab hominibus, id est finem recti nostri in hominum
laudibus ponere et tamen propter ipsos homines quaerere
laudes hominum (231, 4).
Verbum . . . per quod facta sunt tempora tempus eligit quo
susciperet carnem, non tempori cessit ut verteretur in car-
nem (137, 10).
237
ii) Repetitions of two or more words.
The largest number of words repeated is five, the most common,
three. By some authors, 8 this figure is called epanalepsis when
more than one w T ord is repeated.
Examples:
tibi dico . . . tibi, inquam, dico (10, 3).
bene est ergo quia aequo animo ferre non possum, quod si aequo
animo ferrem, aequo animo ferendus non essem (27, 1).
amplector istam defensionem tuam . . . amplector, inquam., de-
fensionem tuam (118, 17).
si verum est, quod miror, si verum est . . . si tamen ut dixi,
verum est quod audivi (253).
proinde hoc opus est gratiae non naturae, opus est inquam gra-
tiae (217, 11).
isto autem periculo non tantum nos, . . . non ergo nos tantum
isto periculo (266, 3). (5 words repeated but not in the
same order.)
his virtutibus divinitus impertitis per gratiam mediatoris dei
. . . his, inquam virtutibus divinitus impertitis, et bona
vita nunc agitur et . . . beata vita persolvitur (155, 16).
It is in general extremely rare in this figure to find the repeated
word recurring more than twice—the name geminatio or condup-
licatio implies a twofold repetition only—however there are four
examples in the Letters in which the repetition is threefold. The
additional repetition rather weakens than strengthens the figure.
TABLE OF GEMINATIO
1 word 2 words 3 words 4 words 5 words Total
adv. 7
pron. 3
verb 15
25 3 7 1 1 37
Cf. also: 21, 2; 23, 3; 41, 1; 43, 6; 80, 1; 95, 3; 102, 10, etc.
7) A freer form of repetition than geminatio is exemplified in
polyptoton 9 or traductio, in which a word reappears in another
8 Freund, 5, 267.
0 Quint. 9, 3, 37..
No. of
times
236
Examples:
unus ergo deus Pater et cum illo Filius unus deus (238, 18).
clamet tertius provinciae Laurentius episcopus et prorsus hums
vocibus clamet (209, 8).
rogo te, frater, pro te ipso te magis rogo (106).
Cf. also 82, 7; 98, 7, 2; 99, 2; 102, 32; 120, 13; 147, 3.
It will be observed that the five preceding figures of repetition
are based on the recurrence of the same word or words in a parti¬
cular position in the sentence. By repeating a word, either imme¬
diately or after the interposition of a few other words, still another
figure of repetition, a less artificial and more spontaneous one, is
produced. This figure is known as
6) Geminatio or Conduplicatio 7 and requires that the repetition
be intentional, otherwise it is not an embellishment but a defect.
It can be most effectively applied to various purposes—to rousing
indignation or sympathy, or to emphasizing a point by returning
to it unexpectedly. Augustine finds abundant opportunity for
using it in the Letters, and he secures variety by repeating differ¬
ent parts of speech, or different groups of words, or by making his
repetitions at different intervals.
i) Repetitions of one word. The parts of speech repeated are
adverbs, verbs and pronouns, with a special preference for verbs.
Sometimes the repetition is further stressed by the introduction of
inquam, obsecro or quaeso.
Examples:
quando ergo poteris . . . quando, inquam, poteris eorum con-
cupiscentiam . . . pascere! (220, 6).
quaedam, sicut audieramus, quaedam vero aliter facta (62, 1).
hoc, hoc interfice verbo salutari, hoc perde matris ut in vitam
aeternam invenias earn, hoc memento ut oderis in ea si
diligis earn (243, 7).
reddite igitur quod vovistis . . . reddite, obsecro (127, 6).
quaere ab amico, quern hoc adhuc movet . . . quaere, obsecro te
(143, 12).
absit a nobis ut sic sanctus dei et nobis carissimus defendatur,
absit inquam (126, 12).
sume itaque, mi fili, sume vir bone, . . . sume inquam etia.m
libros (231, 6).
7 Cornif. 4, 28, 38.
235
discernit me tides mea, discernit me oratio mea, discernit me
iustitia mea (214, 3).
qui sobria discretione eligit prudens est, qui nulla hinc afflictione
avertitur fortis est, qui nulla alia delectatione temperans
est, qui nulla elatione iustus est (155, 16).
neque propter paleam relinquimus aream domini, neque propter
pisces malos rumpimus retia domini, neque propter haedos
in fine segregandos deserimus gregem domini, neque propter
vasa facta in contumeliam migramus de domo domini (93,
50).
This last example is raised from the commonplace and trite into
which some of the instances fall, by the lively succession of meta¬
phors, each one expressing the idea of the separation of the good
from the bad at the end of the world. The division according to
number of repetitions is as follows:
2 repetitions 10 examples.
3 “ 9 “
4 “ 4 “
4) Anadiplosis 5 or revocatio or epanastrophe, is another figure
of repetition in which a sentence, clause, or line of poetry begins
with the same word with which the preceding sentence, clause or
line of poetry closed. It is more common in poetry than in prose,
but is suitable to oratory, lending grace and a certain impetuosity
to the style. Nine examples found in the Letters of Augustine is
a large number for such a rare and unusual figure.
Examples:
qui iudicat sine misericordia, sine misericordia iudicetur ( 102 , 7).
ori tuo pateant, pateant carmini tuo (26, 4).
hoc et gratiarum actio indicat quod oratio, oratio pro infidelibus,
gratiarum actio pro fidelibus (217, 28).
Cf. also 28, 5; 49, 2 ; 98, 18; 104, 12 ; 140, 79; 153, 5.
5) KuJclos 6 is the opposite of anadiplosis, confining its repeti¬
tion within the limits of one sentence or clause, which must begin
and end with the same word. It has about the same effect as that
produced by anadiplosis, and the number of instances found in the
Letters ( 10 ) is much greater than might have been expected.
6 Quintilian, 9, 3, 344. Cic. de Or. 3, 54, 206.
6 Quint. 9, 3, 34.
234
e) Participle.
aliter adiuvat nondum inhabitans, aliter inhabitans (194,18).
ii. Two or More Words.
qui unum sunt et inseparabiliter unum sunt, et sempiterne unum
sunt (238, 13).
neque enim si aequaliter sunt omnino sapientes, plus sapiunt
ambo quam singuli, quem ad modum si aequaliter sint im-
mortales non plus vivunt ambo quam singuli? (187, 11).
quo modo ilia generatio uno delicto obligat, quod est ex Adam,
ita ista regenerate unum delictum solvit quod est ex Adam
(157,12).
iii. Alternate Repetitions.
quam profecto esurire ac sitire ea nostra est in hac peregrinatione
iustitia, et qua postea saturari ea nostra est in aeternitate
plena iustitia (120, 19).
TABLE OF CONVERSIO
No. of Repetitions
No. of terms
1
2
3
4
alternate
Totals
noun aclj.
39 11
verb pron.
90 21
part. Total
1 162i
6
3
3
3
177
2 136
3 20
4 8
3
177
3) Complexio 4 or symploche is a combination of anaphora and
conversio, in such wise that successive clauses or sentences have
identical beginnings and endings. It is an extremely artificial fig¬
ure, and open, even more than conversio, to the danger of monotony
or triviality. Cicero made an effective use of it in some of his
more vituperative orations, usually in the form of question and
answer. The number of instances (22) in Augustine^ Letters is
unexpectedly large.
Examples:
nemo delet de caelo constitutionem dei, nemo delet de terra
ecclesiam dei (43, 27).
* Cornificius, 4, 14, 20.
233
having the ascendancy, as might be expected. A few cases occur
of repetition of more than one word, the highest number being
four; while the two cases of alternate repetitions are a sort of curi¬
osity. The number of members included in the figure is con¬
sistently lower than those of anaphora—four is the limit of repe¬
titions. A few of the more remarkable examples follow:
i. One Word.
a) Nouns.
respondetur fidem habere propter fidei sacramentum, et conver¬
ter se ad deum propter conversionis sacramentum (98, 9).
conscinditur unitas Christi, blasphematur hereditas Christi, ex-
sufflatur baptisma Christi (43, 21).
non ergo gratiam dicamus esse doctrinam, sed agnoscamus gra-
tiam quae facit prodesse doctrinam, quae gratia si desit,
videmus etiam obesse doctrinam (217, 12).
b) Adjectives.
quo fit quidem omnium reus, sed gravius peccans vel in pluribus
peccans magis reus, levius autem vel in paucioribus peccans
minus reus (167, 17).
non a Patre aliam, et a Filio aliam, et a Spiritu Sancto aliam
conditam esse creaturam (169, 5).
c) Verbs.
neque enim iste aut naturam precando volebat accipere in qua
conditus erat, aut de naturali voluntatis arbitrio satagebat
cum quo conditus erat (188, 12).
si Christum ipsum tenetis, ipsam ecclesiam quare non tenetis?
si in ipsum Christum quern legitis et videtis . . . quare
ecclesiam negatis quam et legitis et videtis? (105, 17).
ecclesia in illo patiebatur, quando pro ecclesia patiebatur, sicut
etiam ipse in ecclesia patiebatur quando pro illo ecclesia
patiebatur (140, 18).
d) Pronouns.
haec tecum sermocinatur fides tua, quoniam non fraudabitur spes
tua, etsi nunc differatur caritas tua (263, 4).
quod ut fiat in eis, oratur pro eis, quamvis non oretur ab eis
(217, 29).
non ut exhiberem faciem meam volo vobis, sed effunderem cor
meum deo pro vobis (211, 2).
232
the Gospel. There are three repetitions, but the post paululum is
not repeated in the second clause; while the first clause introduces
ipse dominus in evangelio after quod in the third series.
v. The Number of Repetitions.
Besides varying in the number of words repeated the anaphora
of the Letters shows a wide range in the number of repetitions
made. The most common instance has the word or phrase occur¬
ring only twice, but three and four repetitions are not infrequent.
The highest number is twelve, in an altogether remarkable example
in Ep. 217, 16, where scimus introduces each of a long series of
propositions. Where the same words are repeated so insistently,
the figure is usually saved from monotony by the interposition of
rather lengthy sentences or quotations. The effect is then one of
merciless logic driving home its conclusions by repeated blows.
TABLE OF ANAPHORA IN THE LETTERS
Parts of
1 word
2 words 3 words 4 words 6 words alternate
No. of
Speech
193
46 11 16 14
Repetition
Adjective
12
2—129
Adverb
46
3— 78
Verb
34
4— 29
Preposition
16
5— 11
Pronoun
76
6— 3
Participles
2
7— 4
Noun
7
8— 2
12— 15
Totals
271
271
2) Conversio, antistrophe or epiphora 3 is the opposite of ana¬
phora, and is produced by a repetition of the same word or words
at the end of successive phrases, clauses or sentences. This figure
is not quite so forceful or spontaneous as anaphora and is much
more likely to degenerate into monotony, because the same sound
coming at the end of successive sentences remains in the ear much
more persistently than the same sound at the opening of successive
sentences. It is a rarer figure than anaphora, and although it is
used a little more than half as often by Augustine in the Letters,
the lower number is really a higher proportion because of its rarity
elsewhere. Five parts of speech are represented, the verb and noun
3 Cic. de Or. 3, 54, 206; Cornif. 4, 13, 19.
231
In Letter 237, 8 there is a double series, consisting one of seven
the other of six words, the first repeated four times, the second
three times. The first series is: si hoc intellegendum est in isto
hymno , preceding in each case a line from a hymn much affected
by the Priscillianists, as containing secret doctrines too high for
ordinary men to know. A passage from Scripture follows the line
of the hymn. The second series runs: si quod ait in isto hymno,
followed in the same way by parallel passages from the Bible.
The whole elaborate figure occupies a complete chapter and is a
particularly forceful and incisive piece of argument.
iv. Alternate Repetitions.
Not content with the intricate forms of anaphora above described,
Augustine has a still more ingenious variety in the Letters. In¬
stead of making his repetitions in successive clauses, he uses two
sets alternating them. This often gives an effect of antithesis
added to the anaphora.
Examples:
cedat huic sententiae pietas Christianorum, cui cessit impietas
Judaeorum; cedat humilitas obsequentium cui cessit su-
perbia persequentium, cedat confessio fidelis cui cessit simu-
latio temptatoris (153, 11).
vos dicitis pati persecutionem et nos ab armatis vestris fustibus
et ferro concidimur; vos dicitis pati persecutionem et nos-
trae domus ab armatis vestris compilando vastantur, vos
dicitis pati persecutionem et nostri oculi ab armatis vestris
calce et aceto extinguuntur (88, 8).
In Letter 130, 22 there is an alternating series of seven repeti¬
tions, one set consisting of qui dicit the other of quid aliud dicit
quam; the first followed by various passages of Scripture, the
second by the petitions of the Pater Noster. The juxtaposition
effected by this double anaphora is more impressive and illumin¬
ating than any other form of explanation Augustine could have
chosen.
A somewhat similar example occurs in Letter 135, 3, although
the repetition is not quite so perfect as the above. The first clause:
agnoscunt nobiscum Christum in eo quod legitur is followed by a
Scripture quotation; the second et nolunt agnoscere ecclesiam in eo
quod (post paululum) sequitur, forming an antithesis to the first,
is likewise followed by a verse from the Psalms or a passage from
230
absit autem ut quisquam fidelis existimet tot milia servorum
Christi . . . nullam habere virtutem . . . absit autem ut
dicamus tot ac tantos fideles et pios homines dei non habere
pietatem (167, 11).
iii. Repetition of three or more words.
in hac omnes sancti patres nostri et patriarchae et prophetae et
apostoli placuerunt deo; in hac omnes veri martyres usque
ad sanguinem contra diabolum certaverunt et, quia in eis
non refriguit, nec defecit, ideo vicerunt; in hac omnes boni
fideles cotidie proficiunt pervenire cupientes non ad regnum
mortalium sed ad regnum caelorum (189, 3).
in scripturis didicimus Christum, in scripturis didicimus ec-
clesiam (105, 14).
qui possunt catholicorum praedicatorum sermonibus, qui possunt
catholicorum principum legibus (185, 8).
nec mihi adrogare audeo ut domus mea melior sit quam area Noe
. . . aut melior sit quam domus Abrahae . . . aut melior
sit quam domus Isaac . . . aut melior sit quam domus
ipsius Jacob . . . aut melior sit quam domus David . . .
aut melior sit quam cohabitatio apostoli Pauli . . . aut
melior sit quam cohabitatio domini Christi, in qua undecim
boni perfidum et furem Judam toleraverunt; aut melior sit
postremo quam caelum unde angeli ceciderunt (78, 8).
This remarkable example contains four repetitions of five words,
six repetitions of four words and seven repetitions of three words.
The intervening clauses, which for the most part consist of quo¬
tations from Scripture, are long enough to break the possible
monotony of such frequent recurrence of the same formula.
inaniter igitur et perfunctorie potius quam veraciter pro eis deo
fundimus preces, si ad eius non pertinet gratiam convertere
ad fidem suam ipsi fidei contrarias hominum voluntates,
inaniter etiam et perfunctorie potius quam veraciter magnas
cum exultatione agimus deo gratias, quando aliqui eorum
credunt si hoc in eis ipse non facit (217, 7).
This example is not quite perfect owing to the substitution of
etiam for igitur in the second clause, but it is sufficiently note¬
worthy owing to the repetition of six words, of which three are
adverbs of not altogether common use.
229
turivit, haec in sempiternam lucem peperit, haec fidei lacte
nutrivit . . . haec mater toto orbe diffusa (243, 8).
quis non dominus servum suum timere compulsus est? . . .
quis eversori minari saltern audebat aut auctori, quis con-
sumptorem apothecarium, quis quemlibet poterat exigere
debitorem auxilium eorum defensionemque poscentem ?
(185, 15).
ille inrisus, ille crucifixus, ille derelictus hoc regnum adquirit
(140, 66).
nemo est illo beatior, nemo potentior, nemo iustior (153, 8).
g) Verbs.
sicut se quisque interius videt viventem, videt volentem, videt
quaerentem, videt scientem, videt nescientem? (153,
8147, 3).
parum ergo erat damnasse absentem, damnasse inauditum, dam-
nasse sicut dicunt, innocentem (70, 2).
novit ubique totus esse et nullo contineri loco, novit venire non
recedendo ubi erat, novit abire non deserendo quo venerat
(137, 4).
ii. Repetition of two words.
Anaphora consisting of two words is not uncommon in the
Letters, and the variety of combinations is wide: adverb and
adverb; adverb and adjective; adverb and interjection; adverb and
preposition; noun and adverb; noun and pronoun; preposition and
pronoun; preposition and noun; pronoun and adverb; pronoun and
noun; pronoun and pronoun; pronoun and verb; verb and adverb;
verb and noun, verb and preposition, verb and pronoun. This
double anaphora gives an effect of rapidity to the style, as well
as an impression of strong feeling on the part of the writer.
Examples:
ecce iam doctissimus atque acutissimus diceris, ecce iam te
laudibus in caelum Graeculus flatus adtollit (118, 11).
quis non intellegat, quis non sentiat, quis non videat eos in ea
victos quorum inde communio separata est (144, 3).
quisquis hoc putat nimium sibi placet, quisquis hoc dicit omni¬
bus displicet (228, 12).
huius corporis caput est Christus, huius corporis unitas nostro
sacrificio commendatur (187, 20).
228
more words. A highly complicated form of anaphora combines two
sets of repetitions, alternating them, so that e. g. clauses 1, 3, 5
begin with one word or set of words, 2, 4, 6 with another. A few
of the more remarkable examples follow:
i. Repetition of a single word.
a) Adjectives.
unde fiant ista similia formis, similia qualitatibus, similia
motibus (159, 5).
multa de illo in scripturis secundum formam dei dicuntur,
multa secundum formam servi (238, 10).
b) Adverts.
merito infeliciter erratis, merito, si in unitatem catholicam non
transitis, peritis (185, 43).
rursus ad eundem imperatorem venerunt, rursus non Caecilianum
tantum . . . accusaverunt, rursus ab alio episcopali iudicio
. . . appellaverunt (93, 13).
ibi me inspice, ibi non aliis de me crede sed mihi, ibi me adtende
et vide (231, 6).
c) Nouns.
persona hominis mixtura est animae et corporis, persona autem
Christi mixtura est dei et hominis (137, 11).
litterae illae, litterae fidei non fictae, litterae spei bonae, litterae
purae caritatis (27, 3).
d) Participles.
contemptis nobis, contemptis promissionibus suis, contemptis tot
ac tantis petitionibus et admonitionibus suis (151, 10).
e) Prepositions.
in conviviis ineundis, in matrimoniis tradendis et accipiendis,
in emendo ac vendendo, in pactis et plaeitis, in salutationi-
bus, in consensionibus, in conlocutionibus, in omnibus suis
rebus negotiisque Concordes sint (108, 17).
post eorum sine dilatione damnationem, post terminatam quae
ceteris data fuerat dilationem, post divulgatam forensi etiam
strepitu apud tot consules accusationem (108, 5).
f) Pronouns.
haec vos de Christo concepit, haec martyrum sanguine par-
227
defeats its own purpose by becoming the ordinary form of thought
instead of its extraordinary form. An effect of monotony, even of
flippancy or triviality is produced by this want of restraint.
Augustine cannot escape the charge of having used certain fig¬
ures too lavishly in the Letters. He seems to have fallen a victim
to his own facility in the handling of them. Some of them became
a deep-rooted habit, as the antithetical figures, others he goes out
of his way to introduce, probably because he liked the sound of
them. His addiction to paronomasia carries him to undignified
lengths and leads him into puns and other forms of word-jugglery
which give us an unfavorable idea of his taste. However we must
not forget that the literary canons of his day were quite different
from ours and that what offends us was probably what pleased his
contemporary readers most.
Of the three kinds of word-figures, he makes the greatest use of
figures of repetition and figures of contrast. These give a redun¬
dancy to his language which not infrequently results in long, over¬
loaded sentences and obscured rather than clarified ideas. In
computing the rate of frequency, it must not be forgotten that they
are by no means uniformly employed. Some Letters have none at
all or very few, others are so elaborately figured that the reader is
more dazzled by the brilliance of the writer than impressed by the
truths he wishes to impart. Letter 150, for instance, is one intri¬
cate succession of figures, resembling an elaborately-wrought piece
of embroidery; while in one paragraph of Letter 101, there are
ten figures and two tropes.
I. Figurae Verborum per Adiectionem.
These figures are produced by some form of repetition—either
by repeating the same word in special positions in the sentence, or
by repeating the idea under a series of synonyms. The simplest
form of repetition is that of a word or words at the beginning or
end of successive phrases, clauses or sentences.
1) Anaphora 2 (epanaphora, repetitio) is the recurrence of the
same word or words at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses
or sentences. The repeated word must have the same form at each
repetition. Augustine uses practically all the parts of speech in
anaphora, with pronouns and adverbs ranking highest in point of
numerical superiority; also he repeats two, three, four and even
2 Cornificius, 4, 13, 19; Cicero de Or. 3, 54, 206.
225
the proprieties. The Letters of Augustine are, however, not the
usual, sort of personal correspondence, as has been pointed out
(Intro., p. 15), and it is precisely in the Letters which are least
like letters and most like sermons or dialectical treatises that the
pages are most thickly strewn with figures. On the whole Augus¬
tine handles his figures cleverly,—there is nothing forced or crude
in his introduction of them; they occur naturally and appro¬
priately, lend real strength to his arguments, and are obviously
not added as mere ornaments. When he expresses an emotion by
means of an exclamation or a rhetorical question, the reader feels
that it is not a feigned or falsified emotion and the form chosen
for its expression does not detract from the sincerity of the sen¬
timent expressed. This is quite an achievement, for the two
figures named, by their pliant adaptability to a wide variety of
uses, might readily lead an author into a sort of rhetorical hypo¬
crisy, an easy trick of expressing the feelings he ought to have, or
those, at least not incompatible with his subject. The artificiality
of the sophistic training, with its insistence on mere form, must
have had this effect on most of its disciples. That Augustine
triumphs over it, in this particular usage, is probably due to the
innate gravity of his character, the dignity of his episcopal office,
and the extreme seriousness of the topics he treats.
Of the other figures of rhetoric, correctio, litotes and praeteritio
might easily develop into a mannerism—the statistics of the table
will show that they do not. In no case is the number of instances
large in proportion to the text. This restraint is all the more
remarkable because, as will be seen, there are other figures, in the
use of which Augustine shows that he is not immune to all the
excesses of neo-sophistic eloquence.
t
15 w
CHAPTER III.
Figures of Speech.
Figurae verborum, word-figures, are produced by choosing cer¬
tain words and so placing them in the sentence, that if the word-
order were changed, or if the word on which the figure depends
were exchanged for another, the figure would cease to exist. In
this they differ from the sentence-figures which do not depend on
word-order, and are even, within certain limits, independent of
the choice of words. They are of three sorts according as they
result from addition, subtraction or contrast. They are for the
most part, highly artificial, much more so than sentence-figures,
and therefore were enthusiastically adopted by the writers of the
neo-sophistic school. They did not call for profound thought or
brilliant imagination, but only for a sort of verbal dexterity, which
could be acquired by any speaker through practice. Moreover,
they were pleasing, being easily and immediately understood by an
audience, and the Latin language lent itself with almost fatal
facility to the making of them. 1
It may be seen from this that the abuse of word-figures could
easily become a rhetorical vice. Cicero, with his unerring good
taste, chose and used his figures cautiously, making each one the
expression of some real emotion or sentiment, which he either felt
himself or desired to arouse in his hearers. His successors were
not all endowed with his fine feeling, and by the time Latin prose
had felt the invasion of the rhetorical influence, some of these
defects of style were plainly evident. The Christian Latin writers,
most of whom had been trained in the methods of the Second
Sophistic (cf. pp. 187, 188), naturally clothed their thought in
highly-figured language. Often the figure serves the purpose of
emphasizing the thought expressed, often, too, an arresting, epi¬
grammatic or antithetical turn of speech impresses the mind of a
reader or hearer, and imprints the truth conveyed by this means
more indelibly on the memory. But quite as often, it must be
confessed, the rhetorical ornament is nothing but ornament and
1 In dealing with this class of figures, reference is made to rhetorical
figures only, not to grammatical figures, viz.: attraction, ellipsis, anaco-
luithon, hendiadys, prolepsis, pleonasm, solecism.
226
243
a statement which is admissible or evident and leading by incontro¬
vertible steps to his conclusion. The parts of speech on which he
makes the figure turn are: nouns, 8 times; adjectives, twice; verbs,
10 times; adverbs, once.
Examples:
eo modo diceret: si flamma est et ardet, si ardet et urit, si urit
ergo et virorum trium in fornacem ignis ab impio rege mis-
sorum corpora incendit (205, 4).
lex igitur adducit ad fidem, tides impetrat spiritum largiorem,
diffundit spiritus caritatem, implet caritas legem (145, 3).
verumtamen in infantia speratur pueritia, et in pueritia speratur
adulescentia et in adulescentia speratur inventus et in iuven-
tute speratur gravitas et in gravitate speratur senectus
(213, 1).
quare Paulus . . . prostratus est ut excaecaretur, excaecatus ut
mutaretur, mutatus ut mitteretur, missus ut qualia fecerat
in errore talia pro veritate pateretur? (173, 3).
cum unius tui facti candore conspexi, conspexi et agnovi, agnovi
et amavi (58, 1).
tarn id faciunt quam vos desiderant, tarn vos desiderant quam
vos diligunt, tarn diligunt quam estis boni (31, 9).
Cf. also: 40, 3; 108, 18; 127, 5; 130, 21; 137, 18; 140, 46; 153,
26; 155, 11; 157, 8, 10; 167, 10, 11; 192, 2; 194, 13; 205,
4, 4; 213, 1.
10) Polysyndeton, is so named because it abounds in conjunc¬
tions, repeating them without necessity before successive clauses.
Both coordinating and subordinating conjunctions are so used, but
the latter have a stronger emphasis and make for greater vigor
and vivacity of style. Augustine uses this figure much less than
we should expect (65 times in all) preferring its opposite, asyn¬
deton or its cognate figure anaphora.
Examples:
hoc nos egimus et ostendimus et obtinuimus (141, 5).
nec ideo videbunt quia pauperes spiritu in hac vita fuerunt, quia
mites, quia lugentes, quia esurientes et sitientes iustitiam,
quia misericordes, quia pacifici, quia persecutionem passi
propter iustitiam (147, 28).
si paupertas angit, si luctus maestificat, si dolor corporis inquie-
tat, si contristat exilium, si ulla alia calamitas vexat
(130, 4).
244
ne oderit hominem, ne malum pro malo retribuat, ne nocendi
inflammetur ardore, ne vindicta etiam lege debita pasci
desiderat (104, 8).
II. Figurae Verborum per Detractionem.
Of these, which are by far the smallest group of figures of speech,
only two are found in the Letters: asyndeton and zeugma.
1) Asyndeton or the absence of conjunctions, is as we have
seen, closely connected with congeries, so closely indeed that it is
a matter for dispute whether the effect of rapidity and energy
imparted by the figure is due to the accumulation of terms or to
the omission of connectives. As the polysyndetic examples of
congeries are no less forceful than the asyndetic, the conclusion
reached above in treating of congeries seems warranted. All the
examples of asyndeton (108) found in the Letters are associated
with congeries and as such have been classified and illustrated.
2) Zeugma or adjunctio consists in joining several clauses to
one verb, expressing it with the first or the last, leaving it to be
understood with the others. Augustine makes but slight use of it
in the Letters, his tendency being rather to redundance than to
brevity of speech. Twenty-two examples only were found.
Examples:
cum . . . venerimus ex fide ad speciem, ab speculo ad faciem,
ab aenigmate ad perspicuam veritatem (140, 66).
quia etsi non ad ecclesiae pacem, non ad Christi corporis uni-
tatem, non ad sanctam et individuam caritatem . . . co-
gereris (173, 4).
non est in agro meo, non in auro, non in pecore, non in tectis
et parietibus, non in meorum orbitatibus sed in carne mea
est (140, 35).
nam si ibi omnes essent nullum esset vitium, si nullum vitium,
nullum omnino peccatum (147, 10).
Cf. also: 33, 2; 43, 6; 105, 2; 118, 23; 137, 17; 138, 19; 140,
19, 35; 147, 25; 153, 2; 155, 13; 167, 13; 187, 16, 41;
243, 8.
III. Figurae Verborum per Similitudinem.
In addition to repetition and omission as a source of figures,
there is a third, namely resemblance or its opposite, contrast.
Figures produced by resemblance are largely figures of sound and
by their predominance betray the influence of the Neo-sophistic.
1) Paronomasia or annominatio is a kind* of legitimized pun,
produced by the juxtaposition of words differing from each other
by a letter or a syllable. It is effected in four ways:
a) by the addition of letters or syllables;
b) by the removal of letters or syllables;
c) by the exchange of prepositions in compounds;
d) by the transposition or change of a letter or syllable at the
beginning, in the middle or at the end of a word.
This figure is supposed to be much less frequent in Latin than in
Greek, 12 but is used to excess by Augustine as well as by Apuleius.
In the Letters, Augustine shows his strong predilection for it.
using all the forms of it liberally and not always appropriately.
The point of the figure lies in the similarity of sound with dis¬
similarity of meaning, almost always with an effect of triviality.
Such verbal pyrotechnics may arouse the reader’s interest, but they
inevitably cheapen the writer’s style and often invest a really pro¬
found idea with an air of flippancy. Augustine’s abuse of this
figure is one of his defects.
Examples:
a) Paronomasia produced by the addition of words or syllables.
The most common form is the sequence of a compound after a
simple word, either noun or verb.
faciat ergo quisque quod in ea ecclesia in quam venit, invenit
(54, 6).
sicut enim non invenitur homo qui praeter Adam carnaliter
generetur, sic non invenitur homo qui praeter Christum
spiritaliter regeneretur (157, 11).
a deo sumpsi non a me praesumpsi (155, 5).
non quia verum iurare peccatum est, sed quia periurare immane
peccatum est (47, 2).
et eum gaudebimus sive rectum sive correctum (177, 4).
fundam potius quam effundam (26, 3).
ego autem iudices veros et veritate severos magis intueor (143, 4).
A more elaborate form is effected by adding a letter to any syllable,
changing the sound very little, but the sense entirely.
12 Volkmann, 2 , 480.
246
quoniam si quod lex imperat, fides impetrat (157, 8).
nee faciunt bonos vel malos mores nisi boni vel mali amoves
(155, 13).
Amove is also played of! against ore in Ep. 228, 10.
quia nec libera dicenda est quam diu est vincentibus et vincienti-
bus cupiditatibus subdita (145, 2).
aut temperaret frigus aetatis fervor aestatis (269).
Other combinations are: conlatis, conflatis (213, 2), eo, deo
(186, 10), oris, roboris (27, 6), oris, cordis (51, 2), veri-
tate, severitate (43, 23), amittit, admittit (43, 27) and
aver si, adversi (217, 29).
b) Paronomasia produced by subtraction of syllables. Whether
a given example is to be regarded as addition or subtraction de¬
pends on the word-order. Any change involving simple and com¬
pound words might belong to either category, according to the
position of the respective terms, and in fact the same words are
found in some cases in both, e. g. imperat and impetrat, otiurn and
negotium, generatio and regeneratio.
Examples.
ipse te pro eis orantem dignetur exaudire quern tu per eos lo-
quentem non dedignaris audive (41, 1).
quae hie honovant ibi onerant (23, 3).
quo nullum malum admittatur et ubi summum bonum numquam
amittatur (155, 3).
porro quia me tacuisse moleste tulisti indignatio ista dignatio
est (151, 1).
talis actio nec frigituv negotio nec frigida est otio (48, 3).
This is a double example combining classes 2 and 4.
ut et vos in nobis negotiosi et nos in vobis otiosi simus (48, 1).
non eorum mirantur mortes sed recordantur mores (185, 12).
(Cf. mores, amores above.)
c) Paronomasia produced by change of prepositions in com¬
pounds. This is the largest group of examples of paronomasia in
the Letters, a form especially adapted to Latin, one characterized
by Quintilian 13 as an elegant device when used for the purpose of
securing greater precision or emphasis. It must be admitted that
Augustine does not always use it for that purpose, but more pro¬
bably to give that similarity of sound at the close of his sentences
13 Inst. Or. 9, 3, 71.
247
which he so much affects. Many of the examples in this as in the
other two groups are combined with homoioteleuton.
Examples:
homo quippe deo accessit, non deus a se recessit (137, 10).
ut cetera ingenio quod mihi notissimum est persequaris et pietate
sui maxime standum est consequaris (11, 4).
A striking example contains no less than five changes of prepo¬
sitional prefix, with a distinctly depreciatory effect:
ut videas deum quern ti'bi videndum distulit, homini autem viden-
dum adtulit, occidendum obtulit , imitandum contulit, ere- •
dendum transtulit (140, 18).
A double instance:
dum non addatur quod deerat sed prodatur quod inerat (55, 7).
non diversam viam . . . sed plane perversam (104, 12).
porro autem in quo erat natura communis ab eius est nullus
immunis (186, 21).
aversio eius vitium eius et conversio eius virtus eius est (140, 56).
d) Paronomasia produced by the change of a letter or syllable,
at the beginning, in the middle or at the end of a word. There is
a more evident effect of punning in this sort of paronomasia, which
is sometimes clever, but more often merely aggravating.
Examples:
utrum horum vis ut confirmem, possem si nossem (202A, 15).
ut mente agat quod amat (196, 5).
non ignominiose cadenti sed gloriose cedenti (69, 2).
sed illis patet, istis latet (137, 7).
non quam voluit sed quam valuit, occupavit (166, 17).
facile videas et mo dum meum quern servandum putavi et motum
eius quern non frustra timui (74).
eos enim latentes inlustris inlustras clarusque declares (231, 5).
dum sum parcus in verbis nihil parcas mihi (12).
his salubriter et prava corriguntur et parva nutriuntur (137, 18).
The following composite example is further complicated by
rhyme: vitiis alienis tribulari non implicari, maerere non
haerere, dolore contrahi non amore adtrahi (248, 1).
Other variations are: voluptatem voluntatem, sorte sorde, ex-
ortum exorsum, aperire operire, affectu aspectu, humus hu¬
mor, monendo minando, eulogia alogia, paene plane, men-
248
tem ventrem, interna aeterna, inferioris interioris, violen-
tiam valentiam, urbem orbem, correctum correptum.
These show 4he tendency to indulge in verbal trickery which beset
even so serious a writer as Augustine, treating moreover of ex¬
tremely profound and grave subjects. Whether it was the result
of his rhetorical training or of his Punic origin, it was something
he was unable,—if indeed he desired—to eradicate.
TABLE OF PARONOMASIA
Addition.
72 "
Subtraction
27
►
Total
239
Change of prefix
82
Pages
2005
Change of letter
5S
The number of instances is large for a figure of this sort.
2) Homoioptoton or Similiter Cadens is a figure caused by a
similarity of inflection, so that nouns fall in the same cases, verbs
in the same moods and tenses in successive members of the sentence.
The order need not be the same in each clause, as the figure
depends on the similarity of construction, not on the parallelism
of arrangement. Homoioptoton is not as conspicuous a figure as
homoioteleuton, and is most frequently found in combination with
other figures, such as anaphora, chiasmus, conversio, antithesis,
paronomasia. It is one of the most common figures in the Letters,
but not as common as homoioteleuton. It occurs 584 times.
Examples:
non solum credendi firmissimo robore verum etiam intellegendi
certissima veritate (120, 6).
haec si ratio quaeritur non erit mirabile,
si exemplum poscitur non erit singulare (137, 8).
hoc nec dici brevius, nec audiri laetius, nec intellegi grandius,
nec agi fructuosius (41, 1) (with polysyndeton),
ut aut ceteros deterreamus eorum imitari perversitatem,
aut ceteros optemus eorum imitari correctionem (91, 10).
aqua igitur exhibens forinsecus sacramentum gratiae,
et spiritus operans intrinsecus beneficium gratiae (98, 2)
(with conversio).
quae non terrena infirmitate deficiens corruptibili voluptate refi-
citur, sed caelesti firmitate persistens aeterna incorrupti-
bilitate vegetatur (130, 7) (with antithesis).
\
249
si genera carnis . . . differunt inter se pro diversitatibus ani-
mantium et si corpora . . . differunt pro diversitatibus lo-
corum, et si in locis sublimibus . . . differunt etiam ipsa
claritatibus luminum, non mirum est quod in resurrectione
mortuorum distabit meritorum (205, 7).
vivunt ut latrones, moriuntur ut Circumcelliones, honor an tur ut
martyres (88, 8) (with asyndeton),
latente maiestate divinitatis et carnis infirmitate apparente
(155, 4) (with chiasmus and antithesis).
3) Homoioteleuton or Similiter desinens 14 carrying the paral¬
lelism of homoioptoton one step further, results in clauses or
phrases ending in similar sounds, or, when the similarity is per¬
fect, in rhyme. This figure, used very sparingly or avoided as a
defect by the writers of the classical period, was one of the best¬
loved and most-practised tricks of style of the New Sophists. Apu-
leius 15 was the first Latin writer to use it extensively. In the
Letters of Augustine it is so frequent that it forms the very warp
and woof of his sentence structure, and, added to antithesis, may
be pointed out as the most striking characteristic of his style. Its
effective manipulation calls for rather short, balanced clauses, word
weighed against word, and construction against construction, the
result being a cadence far removed from the intricate and resound¬
ing period of the Ciceronian type. The simplest form of it con¬
sists in a single rhyme in two successive clauses, but not content
with this, Augustine often uses double or triple rhymes, or mul¬
tiplies the rhyming clauses, or arranges them in pairs alternately,
with an effect not unlike that of a stanza of English verse.
Examples:
i) Of Two Members:
incommutabiliter immortalem secundum aequalem patri divini-
tatem,
eundemque mutabilem atque mortalem secundum cognatam nobis
infirmitatem (137, 12).
non ex virtute divinitatis,
sed ex infirmitate humanitatis,
non ex suae naturae permansione,
sed ex nostrae susceptione (238, 17).
14 Quint. 9, 3, 78.
15 Volkmann, 2, 484.
250
ut non solum verba eorum gestis tenerentur,
sed etiam manus subscribentium legerentur (141, 11).
ii) Of Three Members.
quid enim debet esse iucundius
vel infir mis gratia qua sanantur,
vel pigris gratia qua excitantur,
vel volentibus gratia qua iuvantur (186, 39).
aut remissionem peccatorum desiderabat,
qui potius continentiam ne peccaret optabat,
vel quid faciendum esset scire cupiebat (188, 12).
iii) Of Four or More Members.
familiam dominicam diligenter sobrieque tractantes,
adventum domini sui sitienter desiderantes,
vigilanter expectantes,
fideliter amantes (199, 52).
dicatur haec et prudentia quia prospectissime adhaerebit bono
quod non amittatur,
et fortitudo quia firmissime adhaerebit bono unde non avellatur,
et temperantia quia castissime adhaerebit bono ubi non corrum-
patur,
et iustitia quia rectissime adhaerebit bono cui merito subiciatur
(155, 12).
pessimorum servorum . . . tabulae frangebantur,
extorta debitoribus chirographa reddebantur,
quicumque . . . illorum verborum contempserant . . . quod iu-
bebant facere cogebantur,
innocentium qui eos olfenderant domus aut deponebantur
ad solum aut ignibus cremebantur (185, 15).
redde quod accepisti,
quando contra veritatem stetisti,
iniquitati adfuisti,
iudicem fefellisti,
iustam causam oppressisti,
de falsitate vicisti (153, 25).
quo vestri causam miserunt,
apud quern iudices episcopos reprehenderunt,
ad quern a iudicibus episcopis appellaverunt,
quam taediosissime de Felice Aptungitano interpellaverunt.
251
a quo totiens convicti et confusi redierunt,
et a pernicie furoris et animositatis non recesserunt,
eamque vobis posteris suis hereditariam reliquerunt (155, 10).
A series of twelve members is found in Ep. 76, 2, with the follow¬
ing verbs: tradiderunt, dimiserunt, communicaverunt, convenerunt,
damnaverunt, ordinaverunt, erexerunt, miserunt, obtemperaverunt,
arguerunt, appellaverunt, permanserunt.
iv) Double Rhyme. There are several cases in which not only the
final syllables or the final words rhyme together, but the last two or
three words.
Examples:
ut non . . . assentantis adulatoris,
certe . . . errantis laudatoris (188, 6).
sed sicut meliores sunt quos dirigit amor,
ita plures sunt quos corrigit timor (185, 21).
ubi iam non sit moleste toleranda calamitas,
nec laboriose frenanda cupiditas (137, 20).
si earn nec ornamentorum vanorum vinculis alligemus,
nec curarum noxiarum sarcinis oneremus (127, 5).
eius tamen ecclesiam non divinarum litterarum auctoritate
cognoscunt,
sed humanarum calumniarum vanitate confingunt (185, 2).
v) Alternate Rhymes or Stanza-forms.
Form a, b, b, c, c, a.
quod omnes docti indoctique desiderant,
(a)
et multi errando,
(b)
ac superbiendo,
(b)
unde petatur,
(c)
et ubi accipiatur,
(c)
ignorant.
(a) (155,9).
Form a, b, b, b, a, a, a, a, c, c, c.
quae illi ... in religione sinceritas,
(a)
in coniugio pudicitia,
(b)
in iudicio continentia,
(b)
erga inimicos patientia,
(b)
erga amicos affabilitas,
(a)
erga s ( anctos humilitas,
(a)
252
erga omnes caritas,
(a)
in beneficiis praestandis facilitas,
(a)
in petendis pudor,
(c)
in recte factis amor,
(c)
in peccatis dolor!
(c) (151,8).
Form a, a, b, b, c, c.
tanto in peccato committendo maior,
(a)
quanto in diligendo deo et proximo minor,
(a)
et rursus tanto minor in peccati perpetratione,
(b)
quanto maior in dei et proximi dilectione,
(b)
et tunc perfectissimus in caritate,
(c)
quando nihil restat ex infirmitate.
(c) (147,17).
Form a, a, b, b, b, c, d, c, d.
quantum decus honestatis,
(a)
qui splendor gratiae, quae cura pietatis,
(a)
quae in subveniendo misericordia,
(b)
in ignoscendo benivolentia,
(b)
in orando fiducia,
(b)
quod salubriter sciebat,
(e)
qua modestia loquebatur,
(d)
quod inutiliter nesciebat,
(c)
qua diligentia scrutabatur!
(d) (151,8).
This last selection, part of the panegyric of Marcellinus, is almost
lyrical in form, and shows Angnstine at a high pitch of emotion.
For an effect of this sort, the short rhyming cadences are pecu¬
liarly well-fitted, while the endless variety which may he obtained
by changing the arrangement of rhymes, removes all possibility of
monotony or triteness.
TABLE OF HOMOIOTELEUTON
2 members 3
Rhymes consisting of:
4 5 6 7 8
12 Double Alternate
No. of
cases 807 96
43
13
6 2 1
1 116 39
Total
1124,
pages 2005.
The statistics of this table and the examples cited above show •
clearly the effect of this figure on the style of Augustine’s Letters.
It is hardly an exaggeration to say that if it were removed, the
253
distinctive color and rhythm of the Letters would be destroyed.
It is so inextricably woven into the sentence structure that the
reader feels cheated when a period which started out in the cus¬
tomary way, suddenly changes its form and direction.
4) Parison , Isocolon and Similar Figures.
The parallelism of structure noted in homoioptoton and homoio-
teleuton may be carried so far that successive clauses or phrases,
besides corresponding in sound and grammatical construction, may
also agree in length, that is in the number of syllables. Accord¬
ing as this correspondence is more or less complete, the figure is
called isocolon, parison or paramoion. Isooolon or compar, 16 occurs
when successive clauses have about the same number of syllables.
This may of course happen accidentally in which case it will not
be a figure, but when it is combined with antithesis or homoio-
teleuton, chiasmus or homoioptoton, the similarity is evidently
intentional. In the instances collected from Augustine’s Letters,
only those showing such intention have been considered. One
hundred and forty-six instances of exact isocolon were found, of
which 139 were paramoion, that is isocola in which there is com¬
plete correspondence of inflection, noun for noun and verb for verb.
Examples. Paramoion with Homoioteleuton.
nulla communione peccatorum maculati,
nullo contactu inmunditiae coinquinati (108, 13).
etsi non ad auferendam cunctationem,
certe ad cavendam temeritatem (190, 2).
hoc versetur in corde,
quod profertur in voce (211, 7).
si ratio quaeritur non erit mirabile,
si exemplum poscitur non erit singulare (137, 8).
With Chiasmus.
impertiendo dominicam gratiam
non servilem iniuriam retinendo (205, 12).
latente maiestate divinitatis et carnis infirmitate apparente
(155, 4).
With Polysyndeton.
neque fiagrantius percontantem,
i
16 Cornif. 4, 20, 27.
)
254
neqne tranquillius audientem (19, 1).
With Antithesis.
non fignrate aliud praetendunt et mystice aliud significant.
With Antithesis and Homoioteleuton.
non littera qua iubetur,
sed spiritn quo donatur (196, 6).
Adam ex quo subsistit generatio carnalis,
et Christus ex quo regeneratio spiritalis (157, 12).
A parallelism not quite complete in number of syllables but
otherwise corresponding in structure is somewhat more frequent.
Two hundred and thirty-seven examples in all were found, in
which the difference in length of one clause over another is never
more than two syllables. This form of the figure is known as
parison. All the examples taken showed homoioptoton, homoio¬
teleuton or chiasmus. Many others might have been counted as pos¬
sessing the same number of word-accents, but were rejected because
the disparity in number of syllables was more than two.
Examples:
With Homoioteleuton.
non solum credendo firmissimo robore,
verum etiam intellegendi certissima veritate (120, 6).
aut inopiae est tacendo vitare,
aut arrogantiae contemnendo praeterire (186, 13).
nec ad hominem disputatorem ut quod non legit, legat,
sed ad deum salvatorem ut quod non valet, valeat (147, 29).
non quo poena formidatur, sed quo gratia conservatur (140, 60).
non te ergo exasperat vindicandi potestas,
cui lenitatem non excussit examinandi necessitas (133, 3).
With Chiasmus.
quanto enim sunt caritati meliora,
tanto sunt infirmitati praesentia (145, 2).
aut enim tacenda erat veritas,
aut eorum immanitas perferenda (185, 18).
5) Comparison differs from metaphor only in the greater for¬
mality caused by the use of an introductory word, which seems to
255
announce the figure and call attention to it. On this account it
is less subtle and less vivid than the metaphor, and was never as
much favored by Latin writers as the metaphor. Augustine uses
it comparatively seldom (167 times) in the Letters, with a range
of imagery corresponding in some respects to the trope, which it
resembles. For introductory particles he has tamquam most often,
with velut, sicut, and quasi as second choice; quern ad modum
and simillimum once each.
Examples:
caritas enim quae tamquam nutrix fovet filios suos (139, 3).
quia sicut merito peccati tamquam stipendium redditur mors,
ita merito institiae tamquam stipendium vita aeterna
(194, 20).
sicut enim ad loca munitiora festinatius migrant qni ruinam
domus vident contritis parietibus imminere, sic corda Chris¬
tiana quanto magis sentinnt mundi huius ruinam . . .
tanto magis debent bona ... in thesaurum caelestem . . *
transferre (122, 2; cf. Matth. 6, 20).
temporum spatia quae tamquam syllabae ac verba ad particulas
huius saeculi pertinent; in hoc labentium rerum tamquam
mirabili cantico vel brevius vel productius quam modnlatio
praecognita et praefinita deposcit praeterire permittit
(156, 13).
mihi videor inspexisse tamquam in speculo 17 sermocinationis
meae (233).
tamquam in scopulos miserae servitutis inlisi a libero arbitrio
naufragemus (55, 13).
The following uses an image not found in the metaphors of the
Letters, i. e. the theatre:
qui vos tamquam in theatro vitae huius cum magno sui periculo
spectant (73, 8).
This one gives ns an extremely interesting sidelight on Augustine’s
idea of geography:
sicut in universo orbe terrarum quae tamquam omnium quodam
modo maxima est insula quia et ipsam cingit oceanus
(199, 47).
17 This may be an echo of Terence, Adelphoe (3, 3, 61; 3, 3, 74), “ in-
spicere tamquam in speculum in vitas omnium iubeo.”
256
IMAGES USED IN COMPARISON
agriculture
11
fornication
2
architecture
10
friendship
2
animals
6
journey
3
body
11
leaven
1
companion
1
medicine
14
crafts, weaving, pottery
4
military
10
death
1
money, trade
5
fire, light
28
mirror
3
family
2
space
1
mind (a beggar)
1
sleep
3
music
3
slavery
2
natural phenomena
13
theatre
1
nail
1
theft
1
oracle
1
well
1
prison
7
weight
1
sea
4
writing
1
senses
2
Biblical
11
sheep-fold
4
from Vergil 18
1
school
1
fish
1
Total
167
flood (Ark)
4
Scriptural Comparisons used in the Letters.
i. Agriculture.
The useless branch (53, 1; 118, 4; 93, 40; 147, 10; 232,
3; cf. Joan. 15, 4).
The sower (149, 3; cf. Matth. 13, 3; Marc. 4, 3, 20; Luc.
85, 11).
The planter (147, 52; 194, 10; cf. 1 Cor. 3, 8).
The wine-press (111, 2; cf. Psal. 63, 3; Thren. 1, 15).
The olive-branch (155, 10; cf. Psal. 127, 3; 143, 12).
ii. Animals.
Horse and mule (185, 7; cf. Psal. 31, 9).
Dove and serpent (264, 2; cf. Matth. 10, 16).
iii. Architecture. House on a rock (194, 3; cf. Matth. 7, 24;
Marc. 6, 48). '
iv. Captivity (140, 55; cf. Jerem. 50, 9).
v. The chase (164, 3; cf. Psal. 24, 15).
vi. David and Absalom (2 Reg. 17, 18) ; (204, 2).
vii. Pish, good and bad (157, 39; cf. Matth. 13, 47).
18 Verg. A. 368, 484, references to Entellus and Dares.
257
viii. Flood and Ark of Noe (164., 16; 118, 20; 187, 38; cf. Gen.
8 , 6 , 12 ).
ix. Fornication (spiritual) (259, 5; cf. Lnc. 16, 19).
x. Gideon and the fleece (177, 14; cf. Judic. 6, 37-40).
xi. Gold in the furnace (189, 5; cf. Prov. 27, 21; Cap. 3, 6).
xii. Lazarus raised from death (157, 15; cf. Joan. 11, 39).
“ and Dives (78, 6; cf. Lnc. 16, 20).
xiii. Leaven (108, 8; cf. Matth. 13, 33).
xiv. Lighted lamps (140, 75; cf. Matth. 25, 1-8).
xv. Light of the world (238, 24; cf. Joan. 8, 12).
xvi. Manna (54, 4; cf. Dent. 8, 3; Psal. 77, 24; Joan. 6, 31).
xvii. Oil of flattery (140, 74; cf. Psal. 140).
xviii. Pearl of price (29, 2; cf. Matth. 20, 7).
xix. Pilgrims (life) (199, 1; cf. 1 Petr. 2, 11).
xx. Sheep-fold (35, 4; 105; cf. Matth. 15, 24).
xxi. Slavery (scourge) (185, 22; cf. Psal. 88, 93).
xxii. Thief in the night (death) (199, 9; cf. 1 Thess. 5, 2).
xxiii. Tribute to Caesar (127, 6; cf. Matth. 22, 21; Marc. 12, 17;
Luc. 20, 25).
xxiv. Wayfarers compelled to come in (173, 10; cf. Lnc. 14, 21).
xxv. Wages of sin (194, 20; cf. Rom. 6, 23).
Figures produced by Contrast.
Of these the most important and most frequent is antithesis,
antitheton, contrapositum or contentio. Ancient rhetoricians
raised the question whether antithesis consisted in an opposition of
terms or of thoughts or of both. It would seem however that to
present a true rhetorical figure, the opposition should he com¬
plete ; 19 antithetical thoughts expressed in antithetical words. The
antithesis may be more or less complete, according as it is expressed
by one set of terms only, as e. g. two subjects or two predicates or
two objects; or by two sets, as subject and predicate or noun and
modifier, or by more than two sets of terms, in which case it may
become an intricate parallelism of constructions as well as of terms;
or finally the first set of contrasts may be amplified or repeated by
succeeding series under different terms. All these forms are found
in the Letters; moreover antithesis is frequently combined with
homoioteleuton, homoioptoton or chiasmus. Augustine has no more
emphatic way of presenting his ideas than that of contrast, a form
19 Volkmann, 2, 4S7.
17 w
258
of expression especially adapted to Christian theology with its posi¬
tive tenets and frequently paradoxical truths.
Examples:
a) Antithesis of one term:
superbos huius mundi christianis humilibus adversaturos osten-
dens consequenter dicit (140, 42).
comitante non ducente, pedisequa non praevia voluntate
(186,10).
imitentur earn multae famulae dominam, ignobiles nobilem, fra-
giliter excelsae, excelsius humilem (150).
talis actio . . . nec turbulenta nec marcida est nec audax nec
fugax nec praeceps nec iacens (48, 3).
b) Antithesis of two terms.
non littera qua iubetur, sed spiritu quo donatur, non ergo men¬
tis operantis hominis sed largientis gratia salvatoris (196,
6) (with homoioteleuton).
talem congregationem non generatio carnalis sed regeneratio
spiritalis facit (187, 37).
utilius terrena opulentia tenetur humiliter quam superbe relin-
quitur (31, 6) (with chiasmus),
sceleratis moribus caelestia deserentem, magicis artibus inferna
quaerentem (42, 23) ; (with homoioptoton, homoioteleuton
and isocolon).
c) Antithesis of three or more terms. x
alia quippe quaecumque iniquitas in malis operibus exercetur
ut fiant, superbia vero etiam in bonis operibus insidiatur ut
pereant (211, 6) (with homoioptoton and homoioteleuton).
sed nec in terris amittit nisi malos,
nec in caelum admittit nisi bonos (43, 27)
(with homoioptoton, homoioteleuton, paronomasia, parison).
latente maiestate divinitatis et carnis infirmitate apparente
(155, 4) (with homoioptoton and chiasmus).
illo enim timetur ne incidatur in tormentum supplicii,
isto autem ne amittatur gratia beneficii (140, 51).
quae non terrena infirmitate deficiens corruptibili voluptate
reficitur,
sed caelesti firmitate persistens aeterna incorruptibilitate vege-
tatur (130, 7) (4 terms).
259
d) Antithesis repeated in successive clauses.
cum tectorum splendor adtenditur
et labes non adtenditur animorum,
cum theatrorum moles extruuntur
et effodiuntur fundamenta virtutum, (chiasmus).
cum gloriosa est effusionis insania,
et opera misericordiae deridentur (138, 14).
*
sed plane semper et mali persecuti sunt bonos et boni persecuti
sunt malos,
illi nocendo per iniustitiam,
illi consulendo per disciplinam,
illi immaniter,
illi temperanter,
illi servientes cupiditati,
illi caritati (98, 9).
non fit per carnem sed per fidem,
nec per legem sed per gratiam,
nec per litteram sed per spiritum,
nec carnis circumcisione sed cordis,
nec in manifesto sed in abscondito,
nec laude ex hominibus sed ex deo,
sicut non carnalis sed spiritalis Abrahae filius,
ita non carnalis sed spiritalis Judaeus,
non carnalis sed spiritalis Israelite (196, 11).
Augustine handles this figure exceptionally well, finding it ap¬
propriate both for the truths he wished to express and the audience
he wished to reach. The short antithetic phrases, following im¬
petuously one upon the other were likely both to impress the minds
of his hearers or readers, and, what was quite as important, to
remain in their memories.
Besides the ordinary form of antithesis in which the contrasting
terms are balanced either in parallel or chiastic arrangement, there
are two special forms caused by the juxtaposition or the inversion
of apparently contradictory terms. The first of these is oxymoron,
a figure very rare among the classical writers, but a distinctive
characteristic of the 'Sophistic school. Closely allied to it is para¬
dox, so closely in fact that the difference between them is not
clearly established by ancient rhetoricians. In each case there is
an expression of thought in terms apparently contradictory, but
260
on closer examination, the statement proves to be true because of
the difference in extension of the two terms. In oxymoron the
contradiction is more immediately perceptible because the terms
are closely connected grammatically, as e. g. a noun and its modi¬
fier, or a verb and its subject or object. Paradox, beloved of the
Stoics, is expressed less concisely, with the verbal contrast less in
evidence. Both are found in the Letters, as might be expected of
Augustine’s tendencies toward antithesis. The numbers are high
for the naturally limited scope of such a figure. The subjects em¬
brace such antagonisms as truth and error, knowledge and ignor¬
ance, freedom and slavery, pride and humility, time and eternity.
Examples: Oxymoron.
nihil est infelicius felicitate peccantium (138, 14).
ad dei liberam servitutem . . . conversum (126, 7).
imperitissima scientia (118, 23).
est ergo in nobis, ut ita dicam, docta ignorantia (130, 28).
benigna quadam asperitate (138, 14).
senili quadam iuyentute vicisti (170, 10).
ad audiendum silentium narrationis eius, et videndam invisi-
bilem formam eius (147, 53).
sicut enim est aliquando misericordia puniens, ita et crudelitas
parcens (153, 17).
me ipse consolatur dolor (27, 1).
Cf. also 29, 6; 31, 4; 55, 17; 102, 32; 110, 3; 118, 16; 124, 1;
134, 4; 137, 9; 147, 37; 155, 11; 159, 5; 169, 6; 185, 7, 45;
194, 32; 243, 5; 248, 1.
Paradox.
nemo legem sicut iste intellegit nisi qui non intellegit (36, 12).
ut vivamus evangelicam vitam moriendo evangelicam mortem
(95, 2).
et haec est una sarcina qua eius baiulus non premitur sed levatur
(127, 5).
redditur (i. e. caritas) enim cum impenditur, debetur autem
etiamsi reddita fuerit, quia nullum est tempus quando im-
pendenda non sit, nec cum redditur amittitur, sed potius
reddendo multiplicatur, habendo enim redditur non carendo
et cum reddi non possit nisi habeatur nec haberi potest nisi
reddatur, etiam cum redditur ab homine crescit in homine
et tanto maior adquiritur quanto plurius redditur (192, 1).
261
Two somewhat similar passages similarly extol the value of char¬
ity, but paradox (and the reader’s patience) could surely be pushed
no further than in the above complicated piece of ingenious truth¬
telling under the guise of falsehood. (Cf. also 22, 12; 51, 5; 54, 4;
55, 17; 56, 2; 82, 21; 95, 2; 98, 3; 110, 1, 3; 118, 2; 124, 1; 120,
8; 127, 2, 6; 130, 2; 137, 8; 140, 59; 147, 53; 150; 190, 2; 231, 1;
232, 5; 242, 5.)‘
A second highly specialized form of antithesis, variously known
as commutatio, antimetabole, metathesis, anastrophe or synchrisis,
consists in so repeating two terms in two successive clauses that
their respective functions are reversed and a contrast thereby re¬
sults. This figure, requiring an agile mind and a ready flow of
words, was likely to appeal to Augustine who possessed both these
qualifications in an eminent degree. The Letters show that he
resorted to it even more often than to oxymoron or paradox, and
while some of the examples are undoubtedly clever and lend grace
to the style, others are too evidently nothing but an exercise in
verbal preciosity and merely cheapen a passage which might other¬
wise have dignity and weight.
Examples:
est plane ille summus deus vera iustitia,
vel ille verus deus summa iustitia (120, 19).
non eligant vitam finire ne doleant, sed dolere ne finiant (127, 2).
humiliter fideli et fideliter humili (36, 7).
venerabiliter desiderabili et desiderabiliter venerabili (149).
nemo scienter pius est vel pie sciens (194, 18).
vivatne homo bene ut sacris purgetur an sacris purgetur ut bene
vivat? (235, 2).
proinde sicut dilectionem iussi sunt terrentibus debere qui
timent,
ita dilectionem iussi sunt timentibus debere qui terrent (153,19).
A double example, combined with homoioteleuton:
hie nec mansuetudo integritatem corrupit,
nee integritas mansuetudini repugnavit,
ibi autem et furore timor tegebatur,
et timore furor incitabatur (43, 16).
With paradox:
quod non dicendo dicere conatus sum et dicendo non dicere
(232, 5).
262
ego proinde fateor me ex eorum numero esse conari qui profi-
ciendo scribunt et scribendo proficiunt (143, 2).
(ecclesiae mansuetudo) quae membra Christi dispersa colligit,
non collecta dispergit (93, 31).
cuius sine fine quietum opus erit laudare quod amat et amare
quod laudat (140, 63).
Cf. also 47, 2; 73, 10; 88, 8; 93, 8, 9; 99, 3; 102, 15; 118, 14;
138, 6; 140, 4; 143, 2, 3; 147, 25; 149, sal.; 151, 1; 153,
19; 157, 10; 166, 1; 167, 9, 20; 170, 3, 5, 6; 185, 10; 186,
10, 32; 186, 4; 187, 10; 189, 6; 192, 1; 196, 11; 199, 5;
205, 10; 211, 1; 217, 3; 231, 2; 238, 2, 26; 239, 1.
Hyperbaton, variously catalogued as trope and figure, is certainly
closer in structure to figures of speech than to tropes. 20 It con¬
sists in separating, for the sake of a more graceful arrangement,
words which would grammatically belong together. In the hands
of the rhetoricians, it had become a mannerism and an affectation.
Augustine uses it so continually in the Letters that it is actually
surprising to find a sentence which is free from it. Instead of
being exceptional it had come to be his normal word-order. In
2005 pages, there are 3475 instances of it, some of them insignifi¬
cant, it is true, but evidently intentional. The chief forms it takes
are the following: separation of noun and modifier, of noun and
participle, of preposition and object, of an antecedent and its
modifier by means of a relative clause, of two parts of a subject by
means of the predicate. At times Augustine makes hyperbaton
a means of securing his ever-recurring homoioteleuton and parison,
but there are other times in great abundance when he has very
little excuse, either of rhythm or emphasis, for the violence he does
to his sentences.
Examples:
istam quae inter nos agitur de dei gratia quaestionem (217, 17).
quod non ista dominica contineat et concludat oratio (130,22).
porro diabolus et angeli eius tenebrae sunt infidelibus hominibus
exteriores (140, 57).
servorum dei munere sanctitatis praeminentium, monachorum ad
perfectionem mandatorum Christi rerum etiam suarum dis-
tributione currentium (126, 11).
This is a particularly violent example:
quonam se isti excusabant modo? (194, 23).
20 Quint. 8, 6, 66.
263
The following has a hyperbaton within a hyperbaton, which adds
much to the obscurity of the passage:
nec Persium tuum respicis insultantem tibi contorto versiculo
sed plane puerile caput si sensus adsit idoneo colapho con-
tun dentem (118, 3).
In the following hyperbaton is used for the sake of homoiote-
leuton:
post eorum 'sine dilatione damnationem,
post terminatam, quae ceteris data fuerat dilationem,
post divulgatam forensi etiam strepitu apud tot consules accu-
sationem (108, 5).
Chiasmus, the last of the figures produced by contrast is a fig¬
ure of arrangement, in which the order of words observed in the
first clause is reversed in the second. It is frequently combined
with isocolon, parison and antithesis. Examples of it have already
been noted in connection with other figures, but a few more will
show Augustine’s way of treating it. It gives a distinction and
elevation of style as well as an excellent means of varying word-
order. It occurs 96 times.
Examples:
non per sacramenta Christ! sed per daemonum inquinamenta
(125, 3).
venit autem cum manifestatur et cum occultatur abscedit
(137,7).
impertiendo dominicam gratiam non servilem iniuriam retinendo
(205,12).
de praeterito doleat, caveat de futuro (211, 16).
suasione praecedente subsequente consensione (217, 4).
Cf. also 1, 3 ; 10, 2; 23, 3 ; 34, 2; 44, 8 ; 69, 1; 93, 50; 104, 8;
108, 9, 14, 17; 112, 2; 118, 8, 24; 120, 10; 125, 2; 126, 12;
130, 3, 4, 15, 17; 137, 16, 17; 138, 11; 140, 4, 6; 147, 29,.
etc.
TABLE OF ANTITHESIS
Antithesis
1 term
2 terms
3 terms
continued
total
146
306
129
35
616
oxymoron
29
paradox
32
metathesis
64
chiasmus
89
264
Augustine’s treatment of word-figures in the Letters betrays very
obviously the effect of the sophistic influence on his style. What¬
ever makes for symmetry of phrase or emphasis of idea, he adopts
with enthusiasm and uses, not infrequently, to excess; figures,
which appear at rare intervals in the classical writers, so as to
attract attention by their novelty, are almost a commonplace in his
sentences. Antithesis, homoioptoton, homoioteleuton, parison have
so entered into his style as to shape and color his very sentence
structure, while paradox, oxymoron and metathesis show at inter¬
vals the sparkling brilliancy of wit which not even the gravity of
his subjects could keep in check. To paraphrase one of his own
comparisons (which he borrowed in his turn from Terence) one
could study the principal figures of speech in his Letters as in a
mirror—of rhetoric.
Other Rhetorical Devices.
A few other rhetorical embellishments, not exactly classified as
figures, but resembling them in some respects, remain to be noted.
The first of these is Alliteration, known to the ancients as homoio-
prophoron or parhomoion. The name alliteration is a renaissance
contribution to rhetorical terminology. 21 It is produced by the
recurrence of the same initial letter in successive words, and as an
ornament due to sound, is more appropriate to poetry than to
prose. However a moderate use of it lends a certain piquancy to
style, which would quickly degenerate into flippancy if not re¬
strained. Augustine makes use of it fairly frequently in the
Letters (226 times), distributing the use of it in this wise: two
similar sounds, 138; three similar sounds, 73; four or more similar
sounds, 15.
Examples: Two successive or nearly successive words.
terror temporalium (23, 7).
pessime et perdite (130, 9).
supervacanea sollicitudine (140, 83).
ut ei vitae vacares in societate sanctorum (220, 12).
ut nullam inde posset probabilem reddere rationem, deinde con-
victus atque confessus (65, 1; successive alliteration),
cognita crimina damnasse dicunt (43, 12).
qui possint vota vestra sacra sonare (5).
21 Volkmann, 2, 515.
265
Three successive words.
semper ergo hanc a domino deo desideremus (130, 18).
sed pacifica permotus pietate deposuit (69, 1).
luculentissime illorum litterae laudaverunt (138, 14).
(Note also the internal recurrence of -l- increasing the allit¬
eration. )
caritas a concupiscentiis carnalibus (167, 11).
pertinacissimus persecutoribus perduxerunt (185, 5).
(Here the whole syllable is repeated.)
Four or more successive words.
consolari cogitans copiosam congregationem (209, 2).
sua sacrilega sacra et simulacra (102, 20).
ne plura putrescant dum putribus parcitur (157, 22).
quod in corpore corruptibili anima constituta terrena quadam
contagione constringitur (131, 1).
conclusionibus quosdam quasi calculos (7, 4).
Occasionally Augustine was betrayed into cacophony like the
following:
sauciato et semivivo in via (98, 6).
de ilia vero Anna vidua vide (130, 29).
On the whole however he makes an artistic use of this dangerous
ornament.
Sententiae, or aphoristic sayings in epigrammatic form, dropped
now and again from Augustine’s pen and gave a pleasant variety
to his discourse. Eighteen of these were culled from the Letters,
of which some by their aptness and force, compare favorably with
any of the maxims, saws or proverbs of the sages. Here are a
few of the best:
melius est enim minus egere quam plus habere (211, 9).
ibi enim est a vanitate remota laudatio ubi etiam vituperatio ab
offensione secura est (112, 2).
felix est necessitas qui in meliora compellit (127, 8).
quam multa usitata calcantur quae considerata stupentur
(137,10).
in talibus rebus tota ratio facti est potentia facientis (137,8).
The following seems to carry an old proverb common to north
Africa:
266
facilius quippe corniculas in Africa andieris qnam in illis parti-
bus hoc genus vocis (118, 9).
Cf. also: 108, 14; 126, 11; 127, 9; 130, 4; 137, 10; 143, 2; 151,
7; 153, 6; 185, 5; 192, 1; 204, 18.
Play on Words. In addition to the instances of paronomasia,
there are certain very obvious puns to which the great bishop de¬
scended. Three of these play on proper names — a liberty we
should not expect him to take. There is one on Brother Protu-
turus, who was manifestly doomed to be rallied on such a cog¬
nomen :
fratrem Profuturum quern . . . adiutorio tuo vere profuturum
speramus (28, 1).
A second rather aptly plays upon a son of Nectarius, a youth
named Paradoxus, who seems to have been studying philosophy:
tu vero, ne quaeso ista paradoxa Stoicorum sectanda doceas Para-
doxum tuum, quern tibi optamus vera pietate ac felicitate
grandescere (104, 15).
A third is upon the name of Lucilla, who by her intrigues with the
heretics no doubt deserved even worse at Augustine’s hands:
an quia Lucillam Caecilianus in Africa laesit, lucem Christi
orbis amisit? (43, 25).
The puns on the verbs iaci and capi have been mentioned; other
words so treated were:
intolerabile est istam appellare tolerantiam (27, 1).
esse sine te fortasse intolerabilius toleraretur (27, 7).
Both of these are forms of paragmenon.
gratiarum actionem non habemus veram dum veram non agnos-
cimus gratiam (217, 7).
(Here gratiam has its Christian sense of Grace.)
Criticising the poems of Licentius in Ep. 26, 4, Augustine plays
first on the word versus thus:
si versus tuus momentis inordinatis perversus esset,
then preaches a little sermon on the necessity of taking more care
of one’s morals than of one’s quantities, using the terms incom-
positis moribus . . . incompositis syllabis. There are 10 of these
267
puns in the Letters: not after all a great many for a man who
probably had a tendency that way.
Cf. also 3, 5 ; 27, 3; 33, 5; 108, 10.
Dilemma, a form of argument, in w T hich an adversary is forced
to make a damaging admission on either side of the question in
dispute, was an extremely useful weapon in the hands of polemic
orators. Augustine was not likely to pass it by, battling as he was
with every kind of heresy and schism. He wielded it skilfully and
not too often, choosing his generalizations carefully, so that retort
must have been difficult.
Most of the 24 examples of dilemma in the Letters are long, but
the two following, brief and effective, give an idea of the sort of
pungent dialectics it made possible:
si innocentes erant, quare sic damnati sunt? (i. e. the “tradi-
tores”) si scelerati quare sic recepti sunt? si probaveris
innocentes, cur non credamus a multo paucioribus maiori-
bus vestris faiso crimine traditionis innocentes potuisse
damnari ... si autem probaveris recte fuisse damnatos
quae restat defensio cur in eodem episcopatu recepti sint?
(51, 3).
aut certum est esse idolothytum aut certum est non esse aut
ignoratur, si ergo certum est esse melius Christiana vir-
tute respuitur; si autem vel non esse scitur vel ignoratur
sine ullo conscientiae scrupulo in usurn necessitatis adsu-
mitur (47, 6).
The question here is whether a Christian traveller, dying of
hunger, may eat food placed as an offering to idols or to the manes.
Cf. also: 51, 4; 70, 2; 73, 1; 82, 13, 21; 95, 5, 5; 118, 27, 29;
120, 17; 137, 6; 144, 3; 148, 3; 155, 3; 164, 19; 204, 8;
217, 8; 232, 2; 235, 2; 238, 25; 242, 3.
Reductio ad Absurdum is another device of oratory in which an
objection or an argument is demolished by being exaggerated to the
limits of the ridiculous. Like paradox and dilemma, it v T as a
serviceable weapon to a rhetorician whose lance was ever in readi¬
ness for tilt or tourney; like them it could become a boomerang
or a two-edged sword; but Augustine knew its strength as v r ell as
its weakness and used it temperately: 43 times in all w'as not
excessive.
268
Examples:
aut si propterea sunt paria quia utraque delicta sunt, mures et
elephanti pares erunt quia utraque animalia, muscae et
aquilae quia utraque sunt volatilia (104, 14) (to prove that
all sins are not equally grievous).
at enim qui unam virtutem habet omnes habet, et qui unam non
habet nullam habet (167, 4).
si enim per se ipsum (i. e. deus) factus est, erat antequam fieret
ut fieri per se posset, quod certe tanto absurdius dicitur
quanto vanius cogitatur (242, 2).
Cf. also: 47, 4, 5, 5; 49, 3; 50; 51, 5, 12; 76, 2; 79; 87, 6;
89, 5; 92, 3, 5; 93, 12, 21, 26, 27, 42; 148, 11, 17; 102, 23,
26; 105, 12; 108, 13; 120, 19; 138, 5; 141, 12; 147, 45;
• 148, 11, 17; 164, 11, 13; 173A; 187, 25; 194, 42; 199, 19;
205, 4, 8; 238, 20, 21, 23; 242, 3, 3.
The limited scope of the Letters does not give opportunity for the
display of many of the resources of dialectic, but from those he
was able to use, we may form an idea of the powerful opponent
Augustine was in his continual conflicts in defence of truth and
orthodoxy.
TABLE OF FIGURAE VERBOEUM
Anaphora
271
Paronomasia
239
Conversio
177
Homoioptoton
584
Complexio
22
Homoioteleuton
1124
Anadiplosis
9
Isocolon
146
Kuklos
10
Parison
237
Geminatio
37
Comparison
167
Polyptoton
182
Oxymoron
29
Paragmenon
65
Paradox
32
Congeries
152
Metathesis
54
Climax
21
Antithesis
616
Asyndeton
108
Chiasmus
96
Zeugma
22
Hyperbaton
3475
I
CONCLUSION
Of the elements which enter most largely into the formation of
Augustine’s style as seen in the Letters, three may be signalized as
comprehending all the others: he was an African, he was a rhetori¬
cian and he was an ecclesiastic. Each of these influences contrib¬
uted something quite definite. Acting on a brilliant imagination
and a powerful intellect, held in check by a carefully-developed
literary taste, they produced a complex, many-sided whole, equally
removed from the untrammeled innovations of Tertullian and the
cautious classicism of Lactantius.
The African element with its three tendencies toward archaism,
colloquialism and neologism shows itself in the Letters in the last
two of these especially. Archaisms are comparatively rare, even
in the terminations which are regularly ante-classical, such as
nouns in -tudo, verbals in -io, compounds in sub-, adverbs in -im
etc. Of nouns the following found in the Letters are ante-classical
forms which disappeared from classical Latin, but were revived
in the post-classical period: senecta, cautela, valentia, fallacia, acri-
monia, parsimonia, deliramentum, disparilitas, puerilitas, cantatio,
dormitio, factor, pransor, precator, paenitudo, contractus, prima-
tus, litigium, putor. Of adjectives there are only five: vagabundus,
morticinus, morbosus, congruus, decrepitus; of verbs five: enodare,
eradicare, murmurare, sublimare, cordatus; of adverbs six: adfa-
tim, alternatim, serio, sempiterne, volupe, germanitus; of diminu¬
tives seven: apicula, facula, nigellus, pauculus, pauxillum, tantillum,
tardiusculus; of compounds six: conduplicare, percupere, versi-
pellis, mendaciloquus, multiloquium, vaniloquus; of foreign words
one: symbolum; of comparatives, two: munitius, prolixins; of
superlatives two: acceptissimus, mendacissimus.
Compared with the large number of post-classical and late words,
archaisms may be seen to form an insignificant part of the vocabu¬
lary of the Letters.
The colloquial element is distinctly more important, not that
many special words can be pointed out as being exclusively collo¬
quial, but that certain suffixes and the freedom with which they
were used are now recognized as characteristic of the sermo plebeius.
Of individual words or expressions, we have a few interesting
269
270
specimens in the Letters: bueca and buda are two nouns foreign
to the literary idiom, while in five instances Augustine explains
that the expression he is about to use is colloquial:
quos vulgo moriones vocant (166, 17).
quam vulgo quartam fericm vocant (36, 30).
vulgo dicitur: crevit caput (33).
vulgares dicunt: malus choraula bonus symphoniacus est (60, 1)
(evidently a proverb).
vel iam vulgo usitato vocabulo paganos appellare consuevimus
(184A, 5).
The colloquial terminations found in the Letters are: nouns in
-ntia, -io, -tura, -sura, -monia, -edo, -ities, -trix, -arium, -bulum,
-mentum; adjectives in: -aneus, -arius, -bundus, -bilis, -icius, -ivus,
-osus, -torius, -lentus; verbs in: -escere, for -ascere, in -ficare, fre-
quentatives; adverbs in: -biliter; diminutives of all classes; com¬
pounds with con-, in-, per-, bi-prepositional compounds, non-prepo-
sitional compounds. Certain other formations which are recog¬
nized as plebeian are not represented in the vocabulary of the Let¬
ters ; these are nouns in -etum, -go; verbs from nouns in -do, -go;
adverbs in -ositer, compounds with sub.
A general plebeian tendency is the abundance of abstract nouns,
although in Augustine this is also attributable to the fact of his
being a Christian theologian. Another plebeian quality of his Latin
in the Letters is the choice of long, sonorous words, often joined
in pairs or made to rhyme.
A third characteristic of African Latinity: an unrestricted free¬
dom of derivation, is even more marked in the Letters than the
archaic and colloquial elements. This freedom gave the Latin of the
post-classical period a positive advantage over classical Latin, which
was obliged to resort to circumlocutions, more or less clumsy, to
express its abstract ideas. In this respect Augustine was not con¬
tent merely to use the neologisms of his predecessors in the African
school, he added a goodly number of his own. There are in the
Letters 78 a7ra$ Aey 6[xeva and 48 words used by Augustine alone,
but more than once. Of these contributions to the language, the
majority are found in the groups of nouns in -io and -trix, adverbs
in -ter and superlatives.
The tendencies of Africanism are however less emphatically
marked in Augustine than in his predecessors. It was as if, having
271
given rise to a Christian Latin literature, these tendencies ceased
to be African; circulating through the whole Latin world, ming¬
ling with other provincial influences, they lost their local character
and are to be recognized chiefly, no longer as the wdiole, but as
parts of the whole of what we call an author’s Latinity. Moreover
the previously rigorous attitude of disapproval of pagan literature
with all its apparatus of vanities, which was the attitude of earlier
Christian writers and preachers, had quite perceptibly altered by
the fourth century. Christianity was then definitely and firmly
established as the state religion and had no longer the same reason
for anathematising the pagan classics, viz., that they had been
made an instrument of propagation and defense of heathen wor¬
ship. Consequently a sort of classical revival had come about, due
partly to the political changes in the empire, but even more per¬
haps to the fact that the intellectual class, the last to submit, had
become Christian and desired earnestly to devote the resources of
their learning to the services of the new religion. This attitude,
first visible in Minucius Felix, was consciously chosen as their own
•by Jerome and Augustine, with occasional misgivings, it is true,
which they refuted by analogies drawn from the Bible. Of the
two, Jerome showed more of the classical, while Augustine com¬
bined the two idioms in the proportion which was later to be ac¬
cepted by scholasticism as the mould and form of the Christian
philosophical and theological vocabulary.
In his vocabulary, in spite of the seemingly large number of
exceptions, Augustine is decidedly classical in the Letters. In
nearly every category of words studied, the classical forms exceeded
the post-classical or late words, which are noted precisely because
they are exceptions. He is not classical in the way in which he
uses his words, in his pleonasms and repetitions, in his unnecessary
abundance of modifiers, especially adverbs, in his general fluency
and redundancy. These traits accord well with the semi-tropical
nature of his Punic fatherland, flooded with brilliant sunshine;
they reflect also the taste of the time for ostentation in dress
and adornment, as well as for ingenuity and display in art and
literature.
The ecclesiastical element is chiefly visible in the Letters in the
number of Greek words and in the semantic changes undergone
by many terms which were adapted to the uses of Christian apolo¬
getics. The number of Greek words which form a seemingly
272
inseparable part of the Christian Latinist’s vocabulary is not really
surprising—on the contrary, when one considers the history of
early Christian literature, the marvel is that there are not more.
Christian Latin Literature did not make its appearance until the
end of the second century A. D. (cf. Intro, p. 1), which means
that for two centuries, Creek was the only language used by apolo¬
gists and commentators. This was inevitable at first, as the early
converts were either Jews of the Dispersion whose language was
Creek, or citizens of the Greek towns of Asia Minor. But Greek
continued to be used, even when the Roman converts began to enter
the fold, because it was still the language of the Mediterranean
w T orld, the language of commerce and of diplomacy, of science and
of philosophy. Captive Greece had indeed taken captive her con¬
queror rude, even more in the days of the early empire when Rome
w r as both urbs and orbs, than in the days of that Cato who, in
Livy’s words, “ feared the more that these things may prove our
conquerors not we theirs.” 1
Emperors and litterateurs vied with each other in showing their
mastery of the tongue of Homer and Aristotle; there was even
some danger that Latin might cease outright to be used as a lite¬
rary medium. Perhaps it is not too much to say that without
the infusion of new life given to Latin by the Christian writers
this process might very well have gone forward unchecked. In
pagan hands Latin literature had lost touch with reality, and
under the teachings of the sophists was becoming a means, not of
expressing thought, but of displaying rhetorical skill. The Chris¬
tian writers restored the true relationship, making the means of
expression subsidiary to the ideas expressed. It was almost as tre¬
mendous an undertaking to mould pagan Latin to the uses of
Christian thought as w r as that task of Ennius forcing an accentual
tongue to the rhythm of the Greek hexameter, and at the same
time creating a non-existent poetical diction. In each case it was
a work beset with uncertainties, but in both cases the uncertainties
were overcome. Tertullian, founder of Christian Latin literature,
attacked this task as boldly as he did that of combating pagans
and heretics; hesitating at first between Greek and Latin, even
making the first draft of some of his works in Greek, he neverthe¬
less definitely chose Latin as his medium and thereby hastened
the decline of Greek predominance in the west. This decline was
1 Ab Urbe Condita 30, 4.
273
consummated in the 4th century by Jerome and Rufinus, who
made accessible to the Latin world all the best products of Greek
Christian thought.
But this start of nearly two centuries, which Greek had over
Latin in the field of Christian thought, was always a handicap to
the Christian Latin writers. Certain terms and expressions had
become so strongly attached to certain ideas, that there seemed to
be no other words to replace them; words like: ecclesia, diaconus,
apostasia, apostolus, angelus, baptisma, episcopus, evangelium,
*
haeresis, idolatria, martyr, propheta, schisma were either incapable
of translation into Latin or would not have conveyed the same
ideas if they had been translated. Moreover the early Christians
clung to the traditional with an insistence not to be moved by any
appeals to the merely literary. An amusing instance of this occurs
in one of Augustine’s Letters, in which he tells Jerome, then un¬
dertaking his translation of the Scriptures, how a congregation
refused to listen to a new version of Jonas (Jerome’s own) and
announced to their bishop that unless they could have the old ver¬
sion, which they had so often read and sung, they would not
attend his church any more. As a result the bishop was obliged
either to restore the old version or to remain without a congrega¬
tion. 2 This affection for the old and established operated power¬
fully in fixing the ecclesiastical vocabulary and in enshrining
therein the words which the earliest Christians had used.
In spite however of this admixture of Greek words, the vocabu¬
lary of the Christian Latin writers was Latin, not Greek, and it
was Latin at a period of transition. Consequently many words
were undergoing a change of meaning, a process which was un¬
doubtedly quickened by the influence of Christianity. Two sorts
of change are observable in this connection, one in which the ex¬
ternal meaning of the word remains the same, while the concept
for which it originally stood has changed. Such were the words
of general religious significance, e. g. deus, divinus, sacrificium,
common to both pagan and Christian religions but applied differ¬
ently in each. The other sort of change involves a complete de¬
parture of the word from its former meaning, under one or other
of the various influences which cause such variations in language.
These are generalization, specialization, change from subjective to
objective or vice versa, degeneration, euphemism, exaggeration,
2 Ep. 71, 5.
18 w
274
interchange of abstract and concrete, of figurative and literal, of
material and moral or spiritual. These may all be reduced to the
two processes of extension and restriction of meaning.
In general, in the Letters, Augustine takes his vocabulary as he
finds it, giving his words the meaning current at the time. Once
in awhile he uses the same word in its older, classical meaning as
well as in the later one, e. g. aedificatio may mean either building
or edification. In a few cases he gives a new meaning to a word
himself, which either remains peculiar to him, or is adopted by his
successors, e. g. abscessus = death, sacramentum = symbol, su-
sceptio — Incarnation, collatio = Church-council, condiscipulus =
fellow-priest, reconciliare = to relieve from ecclesiastical censure.
Other changes of meaning found in the Letters occur in groups
of words, which came to be consecrated expressions, e. g. aposto-
lica sedes, the Holy See, libri sancti, the Holy Scriptures, regnum
caelorum, heaven; saecula saeculorum, forever, etc. Augustine
also reflects the tendencies of his time in the confusion of meaning
evident in his use of certain pronouns, particles and prepositions.
The influence of rhetoric on the style off the Letters is chiefly
seen in Augustine’s use of tropes and figures. He had been trained
in the schools of the neo-sophistic and might, had he not been a
Christian, have fallen into the clever futilities and elegant dilet¬
tantism of the pagan rhetors. That he should manifest evident
traces of their methods and mannerisms is only to be expected,
when we recall how deeply the whole of contemporary pagan litera¬
ture was steeped in the puerilities of the new Sophism: opulence
of ornamentation, fantastic imagery, bizarre comparisons, dialectic
hair-splitting, far-fetched ingenuities of description.
Augustine’s own good taste, no doubt, preserved him from some
of these excesses, but a stronger counterpoise was found in the
influence of the Holy Scriptures and in the passionate earnestness
awakened in him at the time of his conversion, by the realization
of the true relations of man and God, of the nature of the soul and
its destiny. These influences did not obliterate his sophistic ten¬
dencies—nothing could do that—but they modified them strongly.
This is especially perceptible in his use of metaphor. Certain
classes of images have been recognized as definitely sophistic, these
are the arena, the sea, military science, the theatre, the race¬
course. 3 Augustine avoids some of these altogether in the Letters,
3 Campbell, 109.
275
and uses the others in a non-sophistic way. On the other hand,
the imagery of Scripture forms an impressive proportion of his
metaphors, which are occasionally used in a sophistic way, that is,
by presenting one idea under a succession of images. His favorite
series is that of wheat and chaff, grain and cockle, good and bad
fish, sheep and goats, vessels of wrath and vessels of election. The
sophistic influence is not especially predominant in the metaphors
of the Letters, nor indeed in any of the other tropes, which occur
but seldom.
It is in his use of figures that Augustine’s rhetorical tend¬
encies may be most conspicuously traced. Of the figurae sententi-
arum, figures of rhetoric, he prefers those whose effect is rather
to arouse the emotions than to appeal to the intellect. Thus he
almost overdoes the rhetorical question and exclamation, but this
may have been because he knew the sort of audience he had to
reach. He generally selects his figures of rhetoric carefully, not
allowing their effect to become stale through custom.
In the matter of figures of speech, however, there is a far differ¬
ent criticism to be made of Augustine’s Letters. Here the sophistic
influence ranges almost unchecked, as if after restraining himself
in one direction, the writer was unconsciously making compensa¬
tion in another. The so-called Gorgianic figures: antithesis, pari-
son, paramoion, isocolon are of the very essence of his style. Sym¬
metry of phrase had replaced the periodic structure of the classical
writers almost entirely, a symmetry which had become so artificial
that it was a sort of formula of construction: subject balanced against
subject, predicate against predicate, modifier against modifier.
This makes often for redundancy and unnecessary qualifying
terms, just as the desire to establish a contrast leads him to place
in antithesis words or ideas that are not really antithetical.
Added to these are the figures of sound: anaphora, conversio,
paronomasia, homoioteleuton, which give a strange rhyming effect,
such as had been sedulously avoided in classical times. These are
perhaps part of the natural music of the Latin tongue, of which
we discover fragmentary strains in the scant relics of pre-Hellenic
Latin, but which was ruthlessly banished w r hen the Greek hexa¬
meter became the model for Latin poetry and the period for Latin
prose. The teachings of the neo-sophistic found Latin an instru¬
ment which needed very little manipulation to fit it for the rhythms
to which it was so much addicted, and this facility was bound to
be abused by the undiscriminating.
276
Augustine undoubtedly failed to discriminate in his use of paro¬
nomasia, a rather pretty figure, giving pleasure by its unexpected
cleverness, but hardly appropriate to a serious style. It is apt to
become a mere trick of punning, more likely to annoy the reader
than to amuse him unless it comes upon him as a surprise. This
it seldom does in the Letters, after the first few times—given a
word like referre in the first clause, one half-unconsciously looks
for praeferre or inferre or deferre or perferre in the second, feeling
aggravated if it does appear and frustrated if it does not.
Metathesis is another figure of the same sort—an ingenious de¬
vice, aptly described by the French expression jeu d’esprit, effective
in proportion to its rarity, never particularly dignified. Its fre¬
quency shows how inveterate the sophistic habits were and how
difficult it was for a man whose style had been shaped by them to
express himself without them. It is not that any of these figures
are forced or labored, on the contrary, the very ease with which
they slip out shows the hold they had on the writer’s mental
processes.
Figures of repetition: anaphora, conversio (also figures of sound),
eomplexio, paragmenon, geminatio, anadiplosis, kuklos, climax are
also strong evidence of the influence on Augustine’s style of his
rhetorical habits. These figures which give both amplitude and
animation must have been especially congenial to his naturally
ardent temperament. It is this which redeems them from the
artificiality they might otherwise betray, for in these Augustine
gives an impression of earnestness and sincerity quite at variance
with the sophistic unreality of the figures of sound.
Finally there are the argumentative figures, especially adapted
to the court-room or the special pleader. These are correctio,
dubitatio, anticipate, praeteritio, prosopopoeia—weapons all of
them, not ornaments, handled as such by Augustine with irre¬
proachable skill, a powerful aid to him in his ceaseless war on
heresy and schism.
The style of the Letters is by no means uniform. It seems to
vary according to the subject treated and the person addressed.
Letters of a polemical nature are usually highly rhetorical, elabo¬
rately figured, intricately symmetrical. So also are those in which
a difficult doctrine is set forth, as if the profundity of the subject
called for a complexity of treatment. Some of these letters sound
remarkably like sermons (e. g. Ep. 130, 151). Purely explanatory
277
letters, on the other hand, are usually simple and straightforward
in style as are those addressed to superiors (e. g. Ep. 102, 147).
It cannot be said that there is any perceptible difference between
earlier and later letters, any development of style, or change of
form. Both early and late letters show the same characteristics
in vocabulary and rhetoric. Evidently by the time his corre¬
spondence began, Augustine’s mental habits had become settled
and were subject to no further literary influences.
In a comparison which he makes between Jerome and Augustine,
Villemain 4 condemns the latter’s Latin as possessing “ all the
defects of a language spoiled by affectation and barbarism.” This
is most emphatically not true of the Letters. In vocabulary, as
we have seen, Augustine was quite conservatively classical; in two
respects at least—the use of diminutives and of Greek words—
he is more classical than Jerome, who is praised in the same pas¬
sage as retaining to a large extent the purity of the language which
he had spoken at Rome in his youth. Judged by the few letters
of his which are included in Augustine’s correspondence, Jerome
is more classical in his sentence structure, which merely shows
that he was not so deeply imbued with the prevailing rhetoric as
Augustine was.
Augustine’s Latinity as revealed in the Letters, is a most inter¬
esting product of his time, showing clearly all the forces which
were acting on the language at that period of its development:
archaism, colloquialism, freedom of derivation, influx of foreign
words, reaction to classicism, sophistic rhetoric. It might be aptly
compared to a mosaic, not one of the gaudy, brilliant-colored mosa¬
ics of bewildering design beloved of decorators under the later
empire, but a cool flowing arabesque, such as might be found in
houses of wealth during the better period of Roman art, where
against a well-chosen, inconspicuous background, stands forth a
bold but graceful pattern, proclaiming at once the good taste of
the designer and the artistic sensibilities of those for whom it was
created.
* Ibid. 350.
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*.
GENERAL INDEX.
(This is an index of subjects only.
order in their several sections.)
Adjectives
in -alis 51; -anus, -aneus 52;
-aris 53; -arius 54; -ax 54;
-bundus 55 -enus, -inus 56;
-eus, -ius 56; -icus, -icius 57;
-ilis, -bills 58 ff.; -ivus 61;
-lentus 62; -orius 62; -osus 63;
-us 64.
participial 75.
Adverbs in -e 84 ff.; -fariam 77;
-ius 77; -o 77; -ter 78 ff.
miscellaneous 86.
Africitas 5 ff, 38, 43, 49, 63, 66, 69,
71, 73, 270.
Allegory 214, 216.
Alliteration 264 ff.
Ambrose, St., 14, 27.
Anadiplosis 235.
Anaphora 227 ff.
Antithesis 257 ff.
Archaism 9, 74, 77, 269.
Arnobius 5, 8, 27, 39.
Asyndeton 244.
Augustine, St.
education 10 ff., Letters 15 ff.,
rhetorician 14, 27, 56; teacher
13 ff.
Antonomasia 213.
Change of meaning
adjectives 165 ft'., complete 143 ff.,
groups 179 ff., kinds of 140 ff.,
274, nouns 145 ff., partial 143
ff., prepositions 176, pronouns
175, verbs 167 ff., 273 f.
Chiasmus 263.
Climax 242.
Commutatio 261 ff.
Comparison 254 ff.
Complexio 234 ff.
Compounds 92 If.
Compounds bi-prepositional 99 f.
Compounds non-prepositional 100 ff.
Compounds prepositional 93 ff.
with ad 93; circum 93; con 93 ff.,
contra 95; di 95; ex 95; in 96;
inter 97ob 97; per 97; prae
97, 98; re 98; se 98, 99; sub
99; super 99; trans 99.
Congeries 240 ff.
Conversio 232 ff.
Correctio 218 ff.
Cyprian, St., 5, 8, 27, 39.
Words will be found in alphabetical
Dilemma 267.
Diminutives 86 ff.
Diminutives
adjectives 90.
adjectives in the comparative 90.
adverbs 91.
nouns 8S f.
Epitheton 213 f.
Exclamatio 219 f.
Figures, kinds of, 189 f., 275 f.
Figures, Gorgianic, 186.
Figurae verborum 226.
per adiectionem 190, 227 ff.
per detractionem 190, 244.
per similitudinem 190, 244.
Forms, parallel, 184.
Geminatio 236.
Greek words
adjectives 119 ff.
nouns 108 ff.
Hebrew words 122 f.
Homoioteleuton 249 ff.
Homoioptoton 24S.
Hybrids 103 ff.
Hyperbaton 262.
Hyperbole 216.
Inflection
adjectives, comparative, 133 ff.
superlative, 136 ff.
nouns 126 ff.
pronouns 132.
verbs 130 ff.
Interrogatio 220, 221.
Irony 216.
Isocolon 253.
Jerome, St., 17, 27, 31 (note), 62,
74, 277.
Kuklos 235.
L act ant ius 5, 8 f.
Latinity, ecclesiastical, 271 ff.
Literature, Christian, 4.
Litotes 221, 222.
Metaphor, definition, 190.
drawn from age, 195, agriculture
192, animals 195, arena 196,
architecture 197, body 197,
clothing 198, eating 198, fire
199, sheepfold 199, government
199, medical science 200, mili¬
tary tactics 200. miscellaneous
203, nature 201, senses 201,
slavery 201, space, 202, travel
202.
279
280
Metaphors, mixed, 204, scriptural
'206 ff.
Metathesis 261 ff.
Metonymy 212 f.
Minucius Felix 5 ff.
Neologisms 19, 21, 43, 51, 61, 66,
74, 76, 84, 270.
Neo-Sophistic
characteristics of 188.
figures of 226, 275.
in Latin literature 187.
rise of 186, 187.
Nouns
in -a 19 f.; ^acia 25; -arius, -ari-
um 20 f.; -atus 21 f.; -bulum,
-culum, -crum 22, -edo 22; -ia,
-ntia 23 ff.; -ies 26 f.; -io 27 ff.;
-men 38; -mentum 38 f.; mis¬
cellaneous forms 50 f.; -monia,
-monium 25 f.; -orium 39; -tas
39 ff.; -tor, -sor 43 ff.; -trix
47 f.; -tudo 48; -tura, -sura
49; -tus, -sus 49 f.
Oxymoron 260.
Paradox 260.
Paramoion 253.
Pari son 253.
Paronomasia 245 ff.
Play on words 266.
Polyptoton 237.
Polysyndeton 243 ff.
Praesumptio 222.
Praetermissio 223.
Prosopopoeia 223 f.
Punic words 123 ff.
Reductio ad absurdum 267.
Rhetoricians 11.
Scriptures
Latin translations of 4, 5, 57.
Sententiae 265.
Sermo plebeius 9, 10, 20, 23, 26, 38,
39, 48, 54, 58, 71, 77, 78, 270.
Synecdoche 212.
Synonimia 240.
Tables
anaphora 232.
antithesis 263.
conversio 234.
figurae verborum 268.
geminatio 237.
homo i otel eut on 252.
metaphor 205, 211.
paronomasia 248.
tropes 217.
Tertullian 5, 7, 18, 27, 31 (note),
39, 62.
Titles 182 ff.
Verbs
denominative from adjectives 68
ff., adverbs 70, diminutives 70,
nouns 67 f., superlatives 71.
in -escere 71 ff., -ficare 73 f.
frequentative 74 f.
peculiar forms 75.
Zeugma 244.
VITA.
Elsie Marie Parsons was born at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
November 18, 1881. She received her elementary and high school
education in the Academy of the Sisters of Notre Dame of Namur
at Philadelphia. In 1904 she received the A. B. degree from
Trinity College, Washington, D. C. In 1911 she received the A. M.
degree from the same institution. In 1904 she entered the novi¬
tiate of the Sisters of Notre Dame of Namur at Namur, Belgium,
and was given in religion the name of Sister Wilfrid. In 1909 she
was appointed to teach Latin at Trinity College and has since con¬
tinued to do so. In preparation for the Ph. D. degree she has done
a large part of her work in Latin, Greek and Sanskrit Languages
and Literatures under Professor Roy J. Deferrari, Ph. D., of the
Catholic University.
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