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|lshtext=<b>asper</b>: ĕra, ĕrum, adj. (aspra = aspera, Enn. ap. App. Mag. p. 299, [[but]] Vahl. ad Enn. p. 166 reads<br /><b>I</b> spissa [[instead]] of aspra: aspris = asperis, Verg. A. 2, 379; aspro = [[aspero]], Pall. Insit. 67) [etym. dub.; Doed. foll. by Hinter connects it [[with]] [[ἀσπαίρω]], to [[struggle]], to [[resist]]; Corssen, Ausspr. II. p. 593, regards [[asper]] (i. e. ab spe) as the [[proper]] [[opposite]] of [[prosper]] (i. e. pro spe); [[thus]] [[asper]] [[originally]] meant [[hopeless]], [[desperate]]; v. also id. ib. II. p. 870; cf. the [[use]] of res asperae as the [[opposite]] of res prosperae]; as affecting the [[sense]] of [[touch]], [[rough]], [[uneven]] (opp. lēvis or [[lenis]]; syn.: [[scaber]], [[acutus]], [[insuavis]], [[acerbus]], [[amarus]], [[mordax]], [[durus]]).<br /> Lit.: [[lingua]] aspera tactu, Lucr. 6, 1150; cf. Verg. G. 3, 508; Ov. M. 7, 556; Luc. 4, 325: mixta aspera levibus, Lucr. 2, 471: in locis (spectatur) plani an montuosi, leves an asperi, Cic. Part. Or. 10, 36: Quid judicant [[sensus]]? [[dulce]], amarum; [[lene]], asperum, id. Fin. 2, 12, 36: [[tumulus]] asperi (sc. saxibus) soli, Liv. 25, 36: saxa, Enn. ap. Cic. Pis. 19; Cic. Tusc. 1, 16, 37; Pac. ap. Mar. Vict. p. 2522 P.; Att. ap. Cic. Tusc. 2, 10, 23; Lucr. 4, 147; Ov. M. 6, 76; cf. [[Leucas]], Luc. 1, 42: loca, Caes. B. C. 3, 42, and Vulg. Act. 27, 29: viae asperae, ib. Bar. 4, 26: [[vallis]] aspera, ib. Deut. 21, 4 et saep.: [[unda]], Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 2: [[glacies]], Verg. E. 10, 49: [[hiems]], Ov. M. 11, 490; Claud. ap. Prob. Cons. 270: [[Phasis]], i. e. [[frozen]], [[ice]]-[[bound]], Prob. ap. Rufin. I. 375; and of [[climate]]: aspera [[caelo]] Germania, [[harsh]], [[severe]], Tac. G. 2: [[arteria]]. the [[windpipe]] (v. [[arteria]]), Cic. N. D. 2, 54, 136; Cels. 4, 1.—Of [[raised]] [[work]] (i. e. bas-[[relief]], etc., as [[being]] [[rough]]), as in Gr. [[τραχύς]] (cf. [[exaspero]]): aspera signis Pocula, Verg. A. 9, 263: Cymbiaque argento perfecta [[atque]] aspera signis, id. ib. 5, 267: signis exstantibus [[asper]] Antiquus [[crater]], Ov. M. 12, 235 (cf.: stantem [[extra]] pocula caprum, Juv. 1, 76): Summus inaurato [[crater]] erat [[asper]] acantho, Ov. M. 13, 701: aspera pocula, Prop. 2, 6, 17: [[ebur]], Sen. Hippol. 899: [[balteus]], Val. Fl. 5, 578: [[cingula]] bacis, Claud. Laud. Stil. 2, 89; cf. Drak. ad Sil. 11, 279: [[nummus]], not [[worn]] [[smooth]], [[new]], Suet. Ner. 44; cf. Sen. Ep. 19: [[mare]], agitated by a [[storm]], [[rough]], [[tempestuous]], Liv. 37, 16.—Of things [[that]] [[have]] a [[rough]], [[thorny]], [[prickly]] [[exterior]]: [[barba]], Tib. 1, 8, 32: sentes, Verg. A. 2, 379: [[rubus]], id. E. 3, 89: [[mucro]], Luc. 7, 139 (cf. Tac. A. 15, 54: pugionem vetustate obtusum asperari saxo jussit; v. [[aspero]]).—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>2</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [[Meton]]., of [[food]]: He. [[Asper]] [[meus]] [[victus]] sanest. Er. Sentisne essitas? He. My [[fare]] is [[very]] [[rough]]. Er. Do [[you]] [[feed]] on brambles? Plaut. Capt. 1, 2, 85; cf. id. ib. 3, 1, 37; also of a [[cough]] producing [[hoarseness]]: quas ([[fauces]]) aspera vexat Assidue [[tussis]], Mart. 11, 86, 1.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>3</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Subst.: aspĕrum, i, n., an [[uneven]], [[rough]] [[place]]: [[latens]] in asperis [[radix]], Hor. Epod. 5, 67: aspera maris, Tac. A. 4, 6: [[propter]] aspera et confragosa, Plin. 3, 5, 9, § 53: per aspera et devia, Suet. Tib. 60: erunt aspera in vias planas, Vulg. Isa. 40, 4; ib. Luc. 3, 5.—Also in the [[sup]]. absol.: asperrimo hiemis [[Ticinum]] [[usque]] [[progressus]], Tac. A. 3, 5.—<br /><b>II</b> Transf.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>1</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Of [[taste]], [[rough]], [[harsh]], [[sour]], [[bitter]], [[brackish]], [[acrid]], [[pungent]]: asperum, Pater, hoc ([[vinum]]) est: aliud lenius, [[sodes]], vide, Ter. Heaut. 3, 1, 49: [[asper]] [[sapor]] maris, Plin. 2, 100, 104, § 222: [[allium]] asperi saporis; quo [[plures]] nuclei fuere, hoc est asperius, id. 19, 6, 34, § 111: asperrimum [[piper]], id. 12, 7, 14, § 27: [[acetum]] [[quam]] asperrimum, id. 20, 9, 39, § 97.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>2</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Of [[sound]], [[rough]], [[harsh]], [[grating]], etc.: (pronuntiationis [[genus]]) [[lene]], asperum, Cic. de Or. 3, 57, 216.—Hence a [[poet]]. epithet of the [[letter]] R (also called [[littera]] canina), Ov. F. 5, 481.—In [[rhetoric]], [[rough]], [[rugged]], [[irregular]]: [[quidam]] praefractam et asperam compositionem probant; virilem putant et fortem, quae aurem inaequalitate percutiat, Sen. Ep. 114; cf. Cic. Or. 16, 53: duram [[potius]] [[atque]] asperam compositionem malim esse [[quam]] effeminatam et enervem, Quint. 9, 4, 142. And in gram., [[spiritus]] [[asper]], the h [[sound]], the aspirate, Prisc. p. 572 P.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>3</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Of [[smell]], [[sharp]], [[pungent]]: [[herba]] odoris asperi, Plin. 27, 8, 41, § 64.—<br /><b>III</b> Trop.<br /> Of [[moral]] qualities, [[rough]], [[harsh]], [[hard]], [[violent]], [[unkind]], [[rude]] (cf.: [[acerbus]], [[acer]], and Wagner ad Verg. A. 1, 14): quos naturā putes asperos [[atque]] omnibus iniquos, Cic. Planc. 16, 40: [[orator]] [[truculentus]], [[asper]], [[maledicus]], id. Brut. 34, 129: aspera [[Juno]], Verg. A. 1, 279: juvenis monitoribus [[asper]], Hor. A. P. 163: patres vestros, asperrimos illos ad condicionem pacis, Liv. 22, 59; cf. id. 2, 27: rebus non [[asper]] egenis, Verg. A. 8, 365: cladibus [[asper]], exasperated, Ov. M. 14, 485: asperaque est [[illi]] difficilisque [[Venus]], [[unfriendly]], Tib. 1, 9, 20; cf. id. 1, 6, 2: ([[Galatea]]) acrior igni, Asperior [[tribulis]], fetā truculentior ursā, Ov. M. 13, 803: Quam aspera est [[nimium]] [[sapientia]] indoctis hominibus, Vulg. Eccli. 6, 21: [[asper]] [[contemptor]] divom [[Mezentius]], Verg. A. 7, 647: aspera [[Pholoe]], [[coy]], Hor. C. 1, 33, 6.—Of a [[harsh]], [[austere]], [[rigid]] [[view]] of [[life]], or [[manner]] of [[living]]: accessit [[istuc]] [[doctrina]] (sc. Stoicorum) non moderata nec [[mitis]], sed [[paulo]] asperior et durior [[quam]] aut [[veritas]] aut [[natura]] patiatur, Cic. Mur. 29: (Stoici) horridiores evadunt, asperiores, duriores et oratione et verbis, id. Fin. 4, 28, 78 (v. [[asperitas]], II. A.): ([[Cato]]) asperi animi et linguae acerbae et [[immodice]] liberae fuit, sed rigidae innocentiae, Liv. 39, 40: ([[Karthago]]) studiis asperrima belli, Verg. A. 1, 14, ubi v. Wagner: [[Camilla]] aspera, id. ib. 11, 664; cf.: [[gens]] laboribus et [[bellis]] asperrima, Just. 2, 3: [[virgo]] aspera, i. e. [[Diana]], Sen. Med. 87.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>b</b> Of animals, [[wild]], [[savage]], [[fierce]]: ([[anguis]]) [[asper]] siti [[atque]] exterritus aestu, Verg. G. 3, 434: bos aspera [[cornu]], i. e. [[minax]], id. ib. 3, 57; cf. Hor. Epod. 6, 11: [[ille]] ([[lupus]]) [[asper]] Saevit, Verg. A. 9, 62: [[lupus]] dulcedine sanguinis [[asper]], Ov. M. 11, 402: [[ille]] (leo) [[asper]] [[retro]] redit, Verg. A. 9, 794: [[tigris]] aspera, Hor. C. 1, 23, 9; 3, 2, 10: ([[equus]]) [[asper]] frena pati, Sil. 3, 387.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>B</b> Of things, [[rough]], [[harsh]], [[troublesome]], [[adverse]], [[calamitous]], [[cruel]], etc. ([[most]] freq. in the poets): in periculis et asperis temporibus, Cic. Balb. 9: qui labores, pericula, dubias [[atque]] asperas res [[facile]] toleraverant, Sall. C. 10, 2: [[mala]] res, [[spes]] [[multo]] asperior, ([[our]]) circumstances are [[bad]], ([[our]]) prospects [[still]] [[worse]], id. ib. 20, 13: [[venatus]], Verg. A. 8, 318: [[bellum]], Sall. J. 48, 1; Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 7: [[pugna]], Verg. A. 11, 635; 12, 124: fata, id. ib. 6, 882: odia, id. ib. 2, 96.—Absol.: [[multa]] aspera, Prop. 1, 18, 13; Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 21 al.—Of [[discourse]], [[severe]], [[abusive]]: asperioribus facetiis perstringere aliquem, Cic. Planc. 14; Tac. A. 15, 68: verba, Tib. 4, 4, 14; Ov. P. 2, 6, 8; Vulg. Psa. 90, 3: vox, Curt. 7, 1.—Adv.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>a</b> Old form asperĭter, roughly, [[harshly]]: cubare, Naev. ap. Non. p. 513, 21; Plaut. ap. Prisc. p. 1010 P.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>b</b> Class. form aspĕrē (in [[fig]]. signif.), roughly, [[harshly]], [[severely]], [[vehemently]], etc.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>1</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Transf.: loqui, Cic. de Or. 3, 12, 45; Quint. 6, 5, 5: dicere, id. 2, 8, 15: syllabae [[aspere]] coëuntes, id. 1, 1, 37.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>2</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Trop.: [[aspere]] accipere aliquid, Tac. A. 4, 31: [[aspere]] et [[acerbe]] accusare aliquem, Cic. Fam. 1, 5, 6: [[aspere]] agere aliquid, Liv. 3, 50: [[aspere]] et [[ferociter]] et [[libere]] dicta, Cic. Planc. 13, 33; Quint. 6, 3, 28: [[aspere]] et [[vehementer]] loqui, Cic. de Or. 1, 53, 227: ne [[quid]] [[aspere]] loquaris, * Vulg. Gen. 31, 24.— Comp.: asperius loqui aliquid, Cic. de Or. 1, 53, 227: asperius scribere de [[aliquo]], id. Att. 9, 15.—Sup.: asperrime loqui in aliquem, Cic. Att. 2, 22, 5: asperrime pati aliquid, Sen. Ira, 3, 37, 1: asperrime saevire in aliquem, Vell. 2, 7.
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