confinium
ὃν οὐ τύπτει λόγος οὐδὲ ῥάβδος → if words don't get through, neither a beating will | if the carrot doesn't work, the stick will not work either | whom words do not strike, neither does the rod
Latin > English (Lewis & Short)
confīnĭum: ii, n. confinis,
I a confine, common boundary, limit, border (of lands; on the contr., vicinitas, of houses, Dig. 10, 1, 4; class. in prose and poetry; most freq. after the Aug. per.; in Cic. perh. only once; not in Quint.).
I Prop.
(a) Sing.: in confinio consitus ager, Varr. R. R. 1, 16, 6; id. L. L. 5, § 74 Müll.; Caes. B. G. 5, 24; Liv. 33, 3, 8; 37, 23, 1; Tac. H. 4, 72; id. G. 3 al.: ad confinium, Plin. 6, 9, 10, § 27: per confinium, id. 6, 9, 10, § 28: ex confinis, id. 12, 20, 44, § 98: ad usque confinium cervicis, App. M. 4, p. 149, 11.—
(b) Plur.: vicinitatibus et confiniis, Cic. Off. 2, 18, 64.— More freq. in nom. and acc. confinia, Ov. M. 12, 40; 14, 7 al.; Luc. 3, 275 et saep.—
II Trop., neighborhood, nearness, close connection.
(a) Sing.: in quam arto salutis exitiique fuerimus confinio, Vell. 2, 124, 2; so, boni malique, Col. 3, 5, 2: breve artis et falsi, Tac. A. 4, 58: nullum vitiorum (et virtutum), Plin. Pan. 4, 5.—
(b) Plur., confines, boundaries: confinia lucis, noctis, Ov. M. 7, 706; 4, 401; 13, 592; id. F. 5, 187; Tib. 4, 1, 70: virtutum, Gell. 1, 2, 4.
