distinguo

Latin > English (Lewis & Short)

di-stinguo: nxi, nctum, 3, v. a. root in Sanscr. tegami, to be sharp; Gr. στίζω, στίγμα; Lat. stimulus stilus, in-stigare, etc.. —Prop., to separate by points; hence, in gen.,
I To separate, divide, part.
   A Lit. (very rare, and almost exclusively poet.): onus inclusum numero eodem, Ov. M. 1, 47: crinem docta manu, i. e. to arrange, Sen. Troad. 884; cf. meton.: caput acu, Claud. Nupt. Hon. 284.—Of countries: qui locus Bithyniam et Galatis, Amm. 25, 10.—Far more freq. and class. (not in Caes.),
   B Trop., to distinguish, discriminate, = discernere.
   1    In gen.: ea (crimina) distinguere ac separare, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 41; cf. with dividere, id. Pis. 28, 69: servos numero, id. Caecin. 20; so, cadentes guttas intervallis, id. de Or. 3, 48, 186: oratorum genera aetatibus, id. Brut. 19: status familiarum agnationibus, id. Leg. 1, 7 fin.: qua via ambigua distinguantur, ostendit, id. Fin. 1, 7; id. Brut. 41, 152; id. Or. 4, 16; cf. secernenda, id. Top. 7, 31: genera causarum, Quint. 4, 2, 68 et saep.: fortes ignavosque, Tac. H. 3, 27: veri similia ab incredibilibus dijudicare et distinguere, Cic. Part. 40; cf.: vera somnia a falsis, id. Div. 2, 61: Vargulam a Crasso, id. de Or. 2, 60, 244: artificem ab inscio, id. Ac. 2, 7, 22: voluntatem a facto, Liv. 45, 24: thesin a causa, Quint. 3, 5, 11 et saep.: vero falsum, Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 29: simiarum genera caudis inter se, Plin. 8, 54, 80.—Pass. impers.: quid inter naturam et rationem intersit, non distinguitur, Cic. N. D. 3, 10, 26; cf.: malus arborem significet an hominem non bonum, apice distinguitur, Quint. 1, 7, 2: nuntiatum Claudio perisse Messalinam, non distincto sua an aliena manu, Tac. A. 11, 38.—
   2    In partic.
   (a)    In rhet. and gram., to mark the pauses in discourse, to punctuate: puer ut sciat, quo loco versum distinguere debeat, Quint. 1, 8, 1; cf.: eam (orationem) distinguent atque concident, id. 11, 2, 27; and: incidit has (sc. voces) et distinxit in partes, Cic. Rep. 3, 2 Mos.: distinctio est silentii nota, etc., Diom. p. 432 P.—
   (b)    To end, terminate: contationem, App. M. 2, p. 127 fin.
II To set off, decorate, adorn (most freq. in the P. a.).
   A Lit.: racemos purpureo colore, Hor. C. 2, 5, 11; so, poma vario colore, Ov. Nux, 31: aurum gemmarum nitor, Sen. Med. 573; cf. Plin. 37, 10, 62, § 171.—
   B Trop.: orationem variare et distinguere quasi quibusdam verborum sententiarumque insignibus, Cic. de Or. 2, 9, 36; so of discourse, id. Inv. 2, 15, 49 (with illustrare); id. de Or. 2, 13; Liv. 9, 17: voluptatem (with variare), Cic. Fin. 1, 11, 38; cf.: coenam comoedis, Plin. Ep. 3, 1, 9.—Hence, distinctus, a, um, P. a.
   A (Acc. to I.) Separated, separate, distinct: urbs delubris distincta spatiisque communibus, Cic. Rep. 1, 26: Romana acies distinctior, ex pluribus partibus constans, Liv. 9, 19: Hesiodus circa CXX. annos distinctus ab Homeri aetate, Vell. 1, 7: concentus ex distinctis sonis, Cic. Rep. 2, 42; cf. id. ib. 6, 18: distinctos dignitatis gradus non habebat (civitas), id. ib. 1, 27 fin.—
   2    Of discourse, properly divided: oratio, Quint. 11, 3, 35. —
   B (Acc. to II.) Decorated, adorned: pocula gemmis distincta, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 27: distinctum et ornatum caelum astris, id. N. D. 2, 37 fin.: lyra gemmis et dentibus Indis, Ov. M. 11, 167: herbae innumeris floribus, id. ib. 5, 266: retia maculis, id. H. 5, 19.—
   2    Trop.: oratio et ornata et artificio quodam et expolitione distincta, id. de Or. 1, 12; so of discourse, Quint. 5, 14, 33; and transf., of the speaker himself: utroque genere creber et distinctus Cato, Cic. Brut. 17 fin.; cf. in comp., Tac. Or. 18.—Adv.: distincte.
   1    (Acc. to I.) Distinctly, clearly: articulatim distincteque dicere, Cic. Leg. 1, 13, 36; id. Or. 28 fin.: scribere, id. Tusc. 2, 3, 7: designare, Plin. Pan. 88, 6.—In the comp.: enuntiare, id. Ep. 7, 13.— Sup.: distinctissime persuadere, Cassiod. Complex ad Ephes. 3.—
   2    (Acc. to II.) Elegantly, handsomely: qui distincte, qui explicate, qui abundanter, qui illuminate et rebus et verbis dicunt, Cic. de Or. 3, 14, 53; cf. id. Off. 1, 1, 2: distinctius, Plin. Ep. 3, 1, 1.