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{{Lewis
|lshtext=<b>S</b>: s, indecl. n. or (agreeing [[with]] [[littera]]) f.<br /><b>I</b> The eighteenth [[letter]] of the Latin [[alphabet]], [[corresponding]] in form to the old Greek S for Σ> ([[Etruscan]] in a [[reversed]] form, ); in its [[nature]] a sibilant [[semi]]-vowel, whose peculiarities were [[much]] discussed by the ancients, and are [[even]] treated of in a [[special]] [[work]] by [[Messala]], a [[contemporary]] of [[Augustus]] ([[Messala]] in [[libro]] de S [[littera]], Quint. 1, 7, 23; cf. Mart. Cap. 3, § 245).—<br /><b>II</b> As an [[initial]] and medial it has a [[hard]] and [[sharp]] [[sound]] ([[which]] is [[softened]], [[however]], [[between]] [[two]] [[vowels]]), and is [[therefore]] joined [[only]] [[with]] the tenues (c, p, t; cf., on the [[contrary]], the Gr. [[σβέννυμι]]); and, as a medial, [[often]] written [[double]] [[after]] [[long]] [[vowels]]: [[caussa]], [[cassus]], divissiones (these forms, used by [[Cicero]] and Vergil, were [[already]] [[uncommon]] in Quintilian's [[time]], Quint. 1, 7, 20; v. Corss. Ausspr. 1, 283 sq.).—<br /><b>III</b> As a [[final]] it had a weakened [[sound]], and [[therefore]] not [[only]] admitted the medial b [[before]] it ([[plebs]], [[urbs]], abs; [[Arabs]], [[chalybs]], etc.;<br /> v. the [[letter]] B), [[but]] [[often]] [[entirely]] [[disappeared]]. So in the [[ante]]-[[class]]. poets [[down]] to the [[early]] years of [[Cicero]] (and also in his [[own]] [[poem]], entitled [[Aratus]], written in his [[youth]]), [[before]] words [[beginning]] [[with]] a consonant, to [[avoid]] [[position]]: Ratu' [[Romulus]], Fulviu' [[Nobilior]], gravi' Terra, est sati' bella, Hyperioni' cursum, Virgine' nam sibi, etc.; cf. Cic. Or. 48, 161; Quint. 9, 4, 38; and v. Freund, in Jahn's Neue Jahrb. 1835, XIII. p. 25 sq.; [[less]] freq. [[before]] words [[beginning]] [[with]] a vowel, in [[which]] [[case]], to [[avoid]] a [[hiatus]], the vowel [[before]] s [[was]] also elided; vas' argenteis (for vasis argenteis) and [[palm]]' et crinibus (for palmis et crinibus); v. Cic. Or. 45, 153. So, [[too]], in the [[fourth]] Epitaph of the Scipios (Inscr. Orell. 553), L. CORNELIO L. F. [[instead]] of CORNELIOS (cf. a [[similar]] elision of the M under [[that]] [[letter]]). Final s is also elided, and the [[preceding]] vowel [[either]] dropped [[with]] it or weakened, in the forms sat from [[satis]], [[mage]] from [[magis]]; in the neutr. forms of adjectives of the [[third]] declension, [[acre]], agreste, [[facile]] (v. the [[letter]] E); in the collat. forms of the sec. pers. [[sing]]. [[pass]]., fatere, fateare, fatebare, etc.; in the gen. [[sing]]. of the [[first]], [[second]], and [[fifth]] declensions, and in the nom. plur. of the [[first]] and [[second]] declensions (aurai for [[aura]]-is, analog. to regis, etc.). Lastly, s disappears in the ([[mostly]] [[familiar]]) collat. forms abin', [[scin']], viden', [[satin']], from abisne, scisne, videsne, satisne, etc.—<br /> As an etymological [[initial]] aspirate, s appears in [[many]] words whose Greek equivalents [[begin]] [[with]] a vowel: sal, [[semi]]-, [[serpo]], [[sex]], [[super]], sus, corresp. to ἅλς, [[ἡμι-]], [[ἕρπω]], ἕξ, [[ὑπέρ]], ς,> etc.; si (archaic sei), [[sero]], [[Segesta]], corresp. to εἰ, ἘΡΩ> ([[whence]] [[εἴρω]]), Ἔγεστα. Less freq. in [[radical]] words [[beginning]] [[with]] a consonant: [[sculpo]] corresp. to [[γλύφω]],> and the derivatives [[scruta]], from [[γρύτη]],> and scrupedae, from [[κρούπεζα]]. To [[soften]] the [[termination]], s appears in abs = ab, and ex corresp. to ἐκ.—Very freq., on the [[contrary]], an [[initial]] s appears in [[cognate]] forms in [[other]] languages, [[where]] corresp. Latin words [[have]] [[lost]] the s: Lat. [[fallo]], Gr. [[σφάλλω]]; [[fungus]], Gr. σφόγγος; [[fides]], Gr. [[σφίδη]] (comp. also nix [[with]] Engl. [[snow]], [[nurus]] [[with]] old Germ. snur, daughterin-[[law]]); cf. also [[cutis]] and [[scutum]]; [[cauda]] and [[root]] sku-, in Goth. skauts, etc.; [[casa]] and Gr. [[σκιά]], [[σκηνή]]; [[cerno]] and Gr. [[κρίνω]] for σκίρνω, σκώρ, [[σκωρία]]; [[calumnia]] and [[σκάλλω]]; [[gradior]] and [[root]] scra-, Germ. schreiten; [[parco]] and [[σπαρνός]]; [[penuria]] and [[σπάνις]]; [[pando]] and [[σπάω]]; [[tego]] and [[στέγω]]; [[tono]] and [[στόνος]]; [[taurus]] and Sanscr. sthūras, Germ. Stier al.; v. Corss. Ausspr. 1, p. 277 sqq.—In the [[middle]] of a [[word]] s is dropped in at from ast.—<br /> S is interchanged,<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>A</b> Most freq. [[with]] r; in partic., an [[original]] s, [[between]] [[two]] [[vowels]], becomes r; v. Varr. L. L. 7, § 26 Müll.; so foederum for foedesum, plurima for plusima, meliorem for meliosem, [[Lares]] for [[Lases]], etc.; cf. eram and [[sum]], [[quaero]] and [[quaeso]], [[nasus]] and [[naris]]. [[Appius]] [[Claudius]], the [[censor]], is said to [[have]] introduced r [[into]] the names [[Furius]], [[Valerius]], etc., in [[place]] of s, B.C. 312 (v. the [[letter]] R, II.).—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>B</b> With d: [[Claudius]], from the [[Sabine]] [[Clausus]]; and, on the [[other]] [[hand]], [[rosa]], corresp. to the Gr. [[ῥόδον]]; cf. Schneid. Gram. 1, p. 259.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>C</b> With t: [[tensus]] and [[tentus]], [[resina]] corresp. to [[ῥητίνη]]; and, on the [[contrary]], aggrettus for [[aggressus]]; mertare, pultare, for mersare, pulsare (perh. also [[assentor]] for [[assensor]]).—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>D</b> With x; v. [[that]] [[letter]].—<br /> S is assimilated [[before]] f in the compounds of dis: [[differo]], [[difficilis]], [[diffluo]], etc.; v. 3. dis.— On the [[other]] [[hand]], it arises by [[assimilation]] from d, in [[assum]], [[assumo]], cessi, for [[adsum]], adsumo, ced-si; from t in [[fassus]], from [[fateor]]; from b in jussi, from jubeo; from m in pressi, from [[premo]]; from r in gessi, from [[gero]]; and [[dossuarius]], from [[dorsum]]. —<br /> As an [[abbreviation]], S denotes [[sacrum]], [[semis]], sibi, suis, etc.; S. AS. D., sub asciā dedicavit; S. C., [[senatusconsultum]]; perh. also, [[sententia]] collegii (Inscr. Orell. 2385); S. P., sua [[pecunia]]; S. P. Q. R., Senatus Populusque Romanus, etc.
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