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|lshtext=<b>sermo</b>: ōnis, m. 2. [[sero]], qs. [[serta]], conserta [[oratio]],<br /><b>I</b> a [[speaking]] or [[talking]] [[with]] [[any]] one; [[talk]], [[conversation]], [[discourse]]: [[sermo]] est a serie: [[sermo]] [[enim]] non potest in uno homine esse [[solo]], sed ubi [[oratio]] cum altero conjuncta, Varr. L. L. 6, § 64 Müll. ([[very]] freq. in [[prose]] and [[poetry]]).<br /><b>I</b> Lit.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>A</b> In gen. (syn. [[colloquium]]): [[quoniam]] magna vis orationis est eaque [[duplex]], altera contentionis, altera sermonis: [[contentio]] disceptationibus tribuatur judiciorum, contionum, [[senatus]]: [[sermo]] in circulis, disputationibus, congressionibus familiarium versetur; sequatur [[etiam]] convivia, etc., Cic. Off. 1, 37, 132: [[quod]] mihi [[servus]] sermonem serat, Plaut. Curc. 1, 3, 37: sermones serere, id. Mil. 3, 1, 106: [[multa]] [[inter]] [[sese]] [[vario]] sermone serebant, Verg. A. 6, 160: sermonem [[nobiscum]] ibi copulat, Plaut. Poen. 3, 3, 42: dum sermones fabulandi conferant, id. ib. prol. 34: [[caput]] et pes sermonis, id. As. 3, 3, 139: cum ea tu sermonem nec joco nec [[serio]] Tibi habeas, id. Am. 3, 2, 25; Ter. Hec. 4, 3, 1: ibi [[illa]] cum sermonem occipit, id. Eun. 4, 1, 8: dum sermones caedimus, id. Heaut. 2, 3, 1: sermonem cum [[aliquo]] conferre, Cic. Off. 1, 38, 136; id. Inv. 2, 4, 14: in nostris sermonibus collocutionibusque, id. Fam. 1, 9, 4: [[mature]] veniunt, discumbitur: [[fit]] [[sermo]] [[inter]] eos, id. Verr. 2, 1, 26, § 66: dum longior [[consulto]] ab Ambiorige instituitur [[sermo]], Caes. B. G. 5, 37: sermonis aditum cum [[aliquo]] habere, id. ib. 5, 41: nullum [[tibi]] [[omnino]] cum Albinovano sermonem ullā de re fuisse, Cic. Vatin. 1, 3; id. de Or. 2, 73, 296: erat in [[ore]], in sermone omnium, id. Phil. 10, 7, 14; cf.: [[memini]] in eum sermonem illum incidere, qui tum [[fere]] multis erat in [[ore]], id. Lael. 1, 2: aestivam sermone benigno tendere noctem, Hor. Ep. 1, 5, 11: referre sermones deorum, id. C. 3, 3, 71 (cf.: consiliantibus divis, id. ib. 3, 3, 18): et euntem [[multa]] loquendo Detinuit sermone diem, Ov. M. 1, 683: [[nunc]] [[inter]] eos tu [[sermo]] es, [[you]] are the [[talk]], Prop. 2, 21 (3, 14), 7: jucundus est mihi [[sermo]] litterarum tuarum, the conversing [[with]] [[you]] by [[letter]], Cic. Fam. 7, 32, 3; cf.: [[littera]] sermonis fida [[ministra]] mei, Ov. Tr. 3, 7, 2.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>B</b> In partic.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>1</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Literary [[conversation]], [[discourse]], [[disputation]], [[discussion]] (cf. [[oratio]]): tum [[Furius]]: Quid vos agitis? num sermonem vestrum aliquem diremit [[noster]] [[interventus]]? Minime [[vero]], [[Africanus]]; soles [[enim]] tu haec [[studiose]] investigare, quae sunt in hoc genere, de quo instituerat [[paulo]] [[ante]] [[Tubero]] quaerere, Cic. Rep. 1, 11, 17; cf. id. ib. 1, 13, 19: in sermonem ingredi ([[just]] [[before]]: in disputationem ingredi), id. ib. 1, 24, 38: ([[Scaevola]]) exposuit nobis sermonem Laelii de amicitiā habitum ab [[illo]] [[secum]] ... Ejus disputationis sententias memoriae mandavi, etc.... ut [[tamquam]] a praesentibus haberi [[sermo]] videretur, id. Lael. 1, 3: rebus his, de quibus hic [[sermo]] est, id. Fin. 3, 12, 40: feci sermonem [[inter]] nos habitum in Cumano. Tibi dedi partes Antiochinas, etc., id. Fam. 9, 8, 1: in quo ([[circulo]]) de philosophiā [[sermo]] haberetur, Nep. Epam. 3, 3: Socratici sermones, Hor. C. 3, 21, 9; cf. Quint. 6, 3, 44; 2, 15, 26: in [[longum]] sermonem me vocas, [[Attice]], Cic. Leg. 1, 4, 13: [[nunc]] [[enim]] [[sermo]] de naturā est, [[our]] [[subject]], Plin. 11, 19, 21, § 67; 3, 1, pr. § 2; 16, 32, 58, § 134; Macr. Somn. Scip. 2, 17, 15; [[Capitol]]. Gord. 3, 3 init.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>b</b> Concr., a [[talk]], [[speech]], [[discourse]] ([[more]] [[informal]] and unpretending [[than]] [[oratio]]): meos multos et illustres et ex superiore et ex [[aequo]] [[loco]] sermones habitos, Cic. Fam. 3, 8, 2; Plin. Ep. 1, 8, 2; Quint. 11, 2, 24.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>2</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Ordinary [[speech]], [[speaking]], [[talking]], the [[language]] of [[conversation]] (opp. [[contentio]]): [[sermo]] est [[oratio]] [[remissa]] et finitima cottidianae locutioni, Auct. Her. 3, 13, 23; cf. Cic. Off. 1, 37, 132: [[mollis]] est [[oratio]] philosophorum et [[umbratilis]], etc.... Itaque [[sermo]] [[potius]] [[quam]] [[oratio]] dicitur, id. Or. 19, 64: in argumentis [[Caecilius]] poscit palmam, in sermonibus [[Plautus]], i. e. in [[dialogue]], Varr. ap. Non. 374, 9: soluta [[oratio]], [[qualis]] in sermone et epistulis, Quint. 9, 4, 19: C. [[Piso]], [[statarius]] et sermonis [[plenus]] [[orator]], Cic. Brut. 68, 239: si [[quis]] scribat, uti nos, Sermoni propiora, Hor. S. 1, 4, 42: vocem sermoni proximam, Quint. 11, 3, 162: ut litigantes [[quoque]] a sermone incipiant, ad vociferationem transeant, Sen. Ep. 15, 6.—Of [[prose]] as opposed to [[poetry]]: [[comoedia]] ... [[nisi]] [[quod]] pede [[certo]] Differt sermoni [[sermo]] [[merus]], Hor. S. 1, 4, 48: et [[tragicus]] [[plerumque]] dolet sermone pedestri [[Telephus]] et [[Peleus]], etc., id. A. P. 95.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>b</b> Concr., of verses in a conversational [[style]], a [[satire]]: [[ille]] (delectatur) Bioneis sermonibus et [[sale]] [[nigro]], Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 60: Albi, nostrorum sermonum [[candide]] judex, id. ib. 1, 4, 1: nec sermones ego mallem Repentes per humum [[quam]] res componere gestas, id. ib. 2, 1, 250.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>3</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; With [[reference]] to [[some]] [[particular]] [[object]], [[common]] [[talk]] [[respecting]] [[any]] [[thing]], [[report]], [[rumor]] (syn.: [[fama]], [[rumor]]): vulgi [[sermo]], Cic. Fam. 3, 11, 1: [[nunc]] per urbem [[solus]] [[sermo]] est omnibus, Eum, etc., Plaut. Ps. 1, 5, 4: [[sermo]] est totā Asiā dissipatus, Cn. Pompeium, etc., Cic. Fl. 6, 14: mihi venit in mentem [[multum]] [[fore]] sermonem, me, etc., id. Att. 7, 23, 2: si [[istiusmodi]] sermones ad te delati de me sunt, non debuisti credere, id. Fam. 3, 8, 5 sq.: in sermonem hominum venire, id. Verr. 2, 4, 7, § 13: audita et percelebrata sermonibus res est, id. Cael. 29, 69; cf.: vix feram sermones hominum, si, etc., id. Cat. 1, 9, 23: vestrae perigrinantur aures, [[neque]] in hoc pervagato civitatis sermone versantur, this [[talk]] of the [[town]], id. Mil. 12, 33: refrigerato jam levissimo sermone hominum, id. Fam. 3, 8, 1: sermones inimicorum effugere, id. Cael. 16, 38: sermones lacessere, reprimere, id. Fam. 3, 8, 7: retudit sermones, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 6, 1: ne putet aliquid oratione meā sermonis in [[sese]] aut invidiae esse [[quaesitum]], of [[slander]], [[calumny]], Cic. Fl. 5, 13: dabimus sermonem iis, qui, etc., [[give]] [[them]] [[something]] to [[talk]] [[about]], id. Fam. 9, 3; so, materiam sermonibus praebere, Tac. H. 4, 4: [[cataplus]] [[ille]] Puteolanus, [[sermo]] illius temporis, Cic. Rab. Post. 14, 40 B. and K. dub.; v. Orell. N. cr.—<br /><b>II</b> Transf., a [[manner]] of [[speaking]], [[mode]] of [[expression]], [[language]], [[style]], [[diction]], etc. (cf. [[lingua]]): sermone eo debemus uti, qui [[notus]] est nobis, ne, ut [[quidam]] Graeca verba inculcantes jure optimo rideamur, Cic. Off. 1, 31, 111: cujus (Terentii) fabellae [[propter]] elegantiam sermonis putabantur a C. Laelio scribi, id. Att. 7, 3, 10: et [[sane]] [[quid]] est aliud [[vetus]] [[sermo]] [[quam]] [[vetus]] loquendi [[consuetudo]]? Quint. 1, 6, 43; 12, 2, 3.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>B</b> A [[language]], the [[speech]] of a [[nation]], etc.: cui (Catulo) non [[solum]] nos Latini sermonis, sed [[etiam]] [[Graeci]] ipsi solent suae linguae subtilitatem elegantiamque concedere, Cic. de Or. 2, 7, 28: in Latino sermone, id. ib. 3, 11, 42: quae philosophi Graeco sermone tractavissent, ea Latinis litteris mandaremus, id. Fin. 1, 1, 1: patrii sermonis [[egestas]], Lucr. 1, 832; 3, 260: cum [[lingua]] Catonis et Enni Sermonem patrium ditaverit, Hor. A. P. 57: aves, quae sermonem imitantur humanum ... [[Agrippina]] turdum habuit imitantem sermones hominum ... lusciniae Graeco [[atque]] Latino sermone dociles, Plin. 10, 42, 59, § 120.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>C</b> Of a [[single]] [[expression]]: si [[quis]] ita legaverit: Fructus annuos, etc., [[perinde]] accipi debet hic [[sermo]], ac si, etc., Dig. 7, 1, 20; 11, 7, 2, § 1; 28, 5, 29.— Hence, of a [[single]] [[word]] ([[late]] Lat.): [[δέος]] [[sermo]] [[Graecus]] est, Cassiod. in Psa. 21, 1.
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