elegantia
Τὰ θνητὰ πάντα μεταβολὰς πολλὰς ἔχει → Mortalium res plurimas capiunt vices → Was sterblich ist, kennt alles viele Umschwünge
Latin > English (Lewis & Short)
ēlĕgantia: ae, f. elegans. *
I A being nice or particular; exquisiteness, fastidiousness (ante-class. and very rare): ejus elegantia meam extemplo speciem spernat, Plaut. Mil. 4, 6, 20.—Far more freq.,
II Taste, propriety, refinement, grace, elegance (cf.: gustus, sapor, judicium).
(a) With gen.: tu eloquentiam ab elegantia doctrinae segregandam putes, Cic. de Or. 1, 2, 5: vitae, Tac. A. 14, 19: morum, id. ib. 5, 8: capilli (with venustas oris), Plin. 35, 10, 36, § 67: ac subtilitas operum, id. 16, 15, 26, § 66 et saep.: verborum Latinorum, Cic. Brut. 75, 261; cf. scriptorum, id. Fam. 4, 4; so, Latini sermonis, id. de Or. 2, 7, 28: mira sermonis, Quint. 10, 1, 114: figurarum, id. 12, 9, 6; and transf.: Socraticorum, id. 10, 1, 83; cf. Secundi, id. 12, 10, 11. —In plur.: vocum verborumque, Gell. 2, 9 fin.—
(b) Absol.: qua munditia homines! qua elegantia! Cic. Fam. 9, 20, 2; cf. id. Sull. 28, 79; id. Leg. 3, 1: quae (agricultura) abhorret ab omni politiore elegantia, id. Fin. 3, 2; cf. Plin. 13, 9, 18, § 62; 14, 6, 8, § 71; Suet. Aug. 73: elegantia modo et munditia remanebit, Cic. Or. 23 fin.; cf. Quint. 6, 3, 20; 10, 2, 19 al.—In plur.: laudatus propter elegantias dominus, Petr. 34, 5; Gell. 1, 4; cf. id. 19, 4.
Latin > French (Gaffiot 2016)
ēlĕgantia,¹¹ æ, f. (elegans), goût, délicatesse, distinction, correction : qua munditia, qua elegantia ! Cic. Fam. 9, 20, 2, quelle n’est pas leur délicatesse, leur finesse de goût ! cum summa elegantia atque integritate vivere Cic. Sulla 79, avoir une vie pleine de correction et d’intégrité [d’une haute tenue morale]
