dimidius: Difference between revisions

|lshtext=<b>dī-mĭdĭus</b>: a, um, adj. [[medius]],<br /><b>I</b> [[half]] (for the diff. [[between]] it and [[dimidiatus]], v. [[dimidio]]).<br /><b>I</b> As an adj., [[until]] the Aug. per. [[only]] in [[connection]] [[with]] [[pars]], e. g.: dimidiam partem nationum subegit, Plaut. Curc. 3, 77; id. Aul. 4, 10, 37; id. Rud. 4, 4, 79; Lucr. 1, 618 sq.; 5, 720; Cic. N. D. 2, 40, 103; id. Rosc. Com. 11, 32; id. Fam. 13, 29, 4; Caes. B. G. 6, 31, 5; id. B. C. 1, 27; 3, 101 ([[twice]]); Sall. J. 64, 5; Suet. Caes. 42; Front. Strat. 2, 3, 21; Ov. F. 5, 122; id. Tr. 1, 2, 44 et saep.—<br /><b>II</b> Since the Aug. per., esp. in poets, also [[with]] [[other]] substantives, [[instead]] of [[dimidiatus]] (v. [[dimidio]]), divided [[into]] [[two]] [[equal]] parts, halved: [[mullus]] (opp. [[lupus]] [[totus]]), Mart. 2, 37, 4: [[crus]], Juv. 13, 95: [[vultus]], id. 15, 57: Memnone, id. 15, 5: [[forma]] circuli, Plin. 2, 59, 60, § 150: clepsydrae, id. Ep. 6, 2, 5: labro basia [[dare]], i. e. [[slightly]], Mart. 2, 10 and 22; so of busts: [[Priapus]], Mart. 11, 18; cf. [[Cicero]]'s [[pun]] on the [[half]]-[[length]] [[likeness]] of his [[brother]] [[Quintus]]: [[frater]] [[meus]] [[dimidius]] major est [[quam]] [[totus]], in Macr. S. 2, 3 (the [[word]] [[dimidius]], for [[dimidiatus]], belongs prob. to Macr. [[himself]]).—<br /><b>III</b> Trop., so of persons of [[mixed]] [[descent]]: [[dimidius]] patrum, [[dimidius]] [[plebis]], [[half]] [[patrician]] and [[half]] [[plebeian]], Liv. 4, 2, 6. —Hence, subst.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>A</b> dīmidium, ii, n., the [[half]] ([[very]] freq. in all periods and kinds of [[writing]]): horae, Lucil. ap. Gell. 3, 14, 11; so [[with]] gen., Plaut. Am. 5, 1, 73; id. Bacch. 5, 2, 67; 71 et saep.; absol., Plaut. Bacch. 2, 3, 87; id. Ps. 4, 7, 68; 5, 2, 29; id. Pers. 1, 2, 17 et saep.; abl. [[dimidio]], [[with]] comparatives: [[dimidio]] [[minus]] [[opinor]], [[less]] by [[half]], Plaut. As. 2, 4, 35; Cic. Att. 9, 9, 2; id. Fl. 20, 46; id. Verr. 2, 3, 33; Caes. B. G. 5, 13, 2; Hor. S. 2, 3, 318 et saep.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>2</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Like a comp. [[with]] [[quam]]: vix [[dimidium]] militum [[quam]] [[quod]] acceperat successori tradidit, Liv. 35, 1, 2; 45, 18, 7.—Prov.: [[dimidium facti, qui coepit, habet]], [[well begun is half done]], Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 40; cf. Aus. Ep. 81.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>B</b> Rarely dī-midia, ae, f. (sc. [[pars]]), the [[half]]: [[verbenaca]] [[decocta]] in [[aqua]] ad dimidias, Plin. 26, 12, 73, § 120.