The corpus record — Latin

lego2

To send with a commission

Generated live from the audited Latin corpus — every figure on this page is a database query, not prose from memory.

Where it lives

Epistularum 6 · 75/10k
Ab Urbe Condita, books 8-10 - 18s 1 · 60.24/10k
De Bissula 2 · 54.5/10k
De Herediolo 1 · 44.84/10k
Carmina Omnia 1 · 39.06/10k
Lysander 2 · 37.04/10k
Ausonii de XII Caesaribus per Suetonium Tranquillum scriptis 3 · 35.29/10k
Tacitus 10 · 32.4/10k
Carmen Saeculare 1 · 32.36/10k
Topica 18 · 26.29/10k
Apologia 50 · 23.26/10k
Tristia 52 · 22.81/10k

Densest 12 of 291 attested works shown, by occurrences per 10,000 attested tokens.

What it meant

1. lēgo — Lewis & Short

lēgo, āvi, ātum (archaic

I perf. legassit for legaverit, Fragm. XII. Tab. ap. Cic. Inv. 2, 50, 148), 1, v. a. lex; and therefore qs. lege creare, a publicist's and jurid. t. t.

I A publicist's t. t.

A To send with a commission or charge, to send on an embassy, send as ambassador; to depute, despatch: ne hoc quidem senatui relinquebas, ut legati ex ejus ordinis auctoritate legarentur, Cic. Vatin. 15, 35: hominem honestum ac nobilem legarunt ad Apronium, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 48, § 114: eos privatae rei causa legari, id. Fam. 3, 8, 4: juste pieque legatus venio, Liv. 1, 32: tres adulescentes in Africam legantur, qui reges adeant, etc., Sall. J. 21, 4: quos Athenienses Romam ad senatum legaverant impetratum, etc., Gell. 7, 14, 8.—

2 Transf. to the commission itself (ante- and post-class.): quae verba legaverint Rhodii ad hostium ducem, what they told him through their deputies, Gell. 15, 31 in lemm.—

b Beyond the official sphere: quin potius, quod legatum est tibi negotium, Id curas? committed, intrusted, Plaut. Cas. 1, 12.—

B To appoint or choose as deputy (as the official assistant, lieutenant, of a general or governor): eum (Messium) Caesari legarat Appius, Cic. Att. 4, 15, 9: ego me a Pompeio legari ita sum passus, ut, etc., id. ib. 4, 2, 6: istum legatum iri non arbitror, id. ib. 10, 1, 4: ne legaretur Gabinius Pompeio expetenti, id. de Imp. Pomp. 19, 57: Dolabella me sibi legavit, chose me for his lieutenant, id. Att. 15, 11, 4: Calpurnius parato exercitu legat sibi homines nobiles, etc., Sall. J. 28.—

II A jurid. t. t.: aliquid, to appoint by a last will or testament, to leave or bequeath as a legacy (class.): Numitori, qui stirpis maximus erat, regnum vetustum Silviae gentis legat, Liv. 1, 3: legavit quidam uxori mundum omne penumque, Lucil. ap. Gell. 4, 1, 3: usumfructum omnium bonorum Caesenniae legat, Cic. Caecin. 4, 11: Fabiae pecunia legata est a viro, id. Top. 3, 14: cui argentum omne legatum est, Quint. 5, 10, 62: in argento legato, id. 7, 2, 11.—

B Aliquid alicui ab aliquo, to leave one a legacy to be paid by the principal heir: uxori testamento legat grandem pecuniam a filio, si qui natus esset: ab secundo herede nihil legat, Cic. Clu. 12, 33: si paterfamilias uxori ancillarum usum fructum legavit a filio, neque a secundo herede legavit, id. Top. 4, 21; Quint. 7, 9, 5.—Hence,

1 lēgātus, i, m.

A (Acc. to lego, I. A.) An ambassador, legate, Cic. Vatin. 15, 35: legatos mittere, id. de Imp. Pomp. 12, 35: ad senatum legatos de aliqua re mittere, id. de Or. 2, 37, 155; cf.: missi magnis de rebus uterque Legati, Hor. S. 1, 5, 29: legatos mittere ad indicendum bellum, Liv. 31, 8; Ov. M. 14, 527.—

B (Acc. to lego, I. B.).

a An official assistant given to a general or the governor of a province, a deputy, lieutenant, lieutenant-general: quos legatos tute tibi legasti? Cic. Pis. 14, 33: qui M. Aemilio legati fuerunt, id. Clu. 36, 99: Quintus frater meus legatus est Caesaris, id. Fam. 1, 9, 21; id. Off. 3, 20, 79; cf.: Murena summo imperatori legatus L. Lucullo fuit, qua in legatione duxit exercitum, etc., id. Mur. 9, 20; 14, 32: neque se ei legatum defuturum, id. Phil. 11, 7, 17; Val. Max. 5, 5, 1: hiberna cum legato praefectoque tradidisses, Cic. Pis. 35, 86: (Calvisius) duos legatos Uticae reliquerat, id. Phil. 3, 10 fin.: quaestorius, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 21, § 56; Caes. B. G. 2, 5 fin.: L. Caesar, cujus pater Caesaris erat legatus, id. B. C. 1, 8, 2: magnitudo et splendor legati, Liv. 38, 58, 9: in magna legatum quaere popina, Juv. 8, 172.—

b Under the emperors, a governor sent to a province by the emperor, Tac. A. 12, 40; id. Agr. 33; Suet. Vesp. 4; Spart. Hadr. 3 et saep.; cf. legatio, I. B. 2., and Orell. ad Tac. Agr. 9.—

(b) Legati legionum, commanders, Suet. Tib. 19; id. Vesp. 4; cf.: Caesar singulis legionibus singulos legatos et quaestorem praefecit, Caes. B. G. 1, 52; Tac. A. 2, 36; id. H. 1, 7.—Also called; legatus praetorius, Tac. Agr. 7.—

2 lēgātum, i, n. (acc. to lego, II.), a bequest, legacy: legatum est delibatio hereditatis, qua testator ex eo, quod universum heredis foret, alicui quid collatum velit, Dig. 30, 116: Hortensii legata cognovi, Cic. Att. 7, 3, 9: reliqua legata varie dedit, Suet. Aug. 101; id. Tib. 48: legatum peto ex testamento, Quint. 4, 2, 6: jus capiendi legata alicui adimere, Suet. Dom. 8: cymbala pulsantis legatum amici, Juv. 9, 62: legatorum genera sunt quattuor, Gai. Inst. 2, 192; cf. sqq.

2. lĕgo — Lewis & Short

lĕgo, lēgi, lectum (

I gen. plur. part. legentum, Ov. Tr. 1. 7, 25), 3, v. a. Gr. le/gw, lo/gos, loga/s, etc.; Lat. legumen, di-leg-ens, neg-leg-o, etc.; cf. Germ. lesen, to bring together, to gather, collect.

I Lit.

A In gen.: oleam, Cato, R. R. 144: nuces, Cic. de Or. 2, 66, 265: herbas collibus, Ov. M. 14, 347: flores et humi nascentia fraga, Verg. E. 3, 92; cf.: roscida mala, id. ib. 8, 38: flores in calathos, Ov. F. 5, 218: spolia caesorum, Liv. 5, 39: quos (montanos asparagos), Juv. 11, 69.—Of the dead who have been burned: ossa, Ov. H. 10, 150: homini mortuo ossa, Cic. Leg. 2, 24, 60: ossa filii, Sen. de Ira, 2, 33, 6; cf. Quint. 8, 5, 21; Lact. de Mort. Persec. 21, 11: reliquias legerunt primores equestris ordinis, Suet. Aug. 100. —

B Esp.

1 To take out, pick out, extract, remove: quibusdam et radi ossa et legi ... quae sine totius pernicie corporis haerere non poterant, Sen. Prov. 1, 3, 2: ossa vivis, id. ad Marc. 22, 3: ossa in capite lecta, id. Ben. 5, 24, 3: ossa e vulneribus, Quint. 6, 1, 30.—

2 To pluck, strip, gather fruit from (a tree, etc.): oleam qui legerit, Cato, R. R. 144, 1: ficus non erat apta legi, Ov. F. 2, 254.—

3 Poet.: legere fila, to wind up: extrema Lauso Parcae fila legunt, i. e. spin the last thread of life, Verg. A. 10, 815; cf.: quae dedit ingrato fila legenda viro, Ov. F. 3, 462: stamen, Prop. 4 (5), 4, 40.(42).—

4 Naut. t. t.: vela legere, to draw together, furl: omnis navita ponto umida vela legit, Verg. G. 1, 373: vela legunt socii, id. A. 3, 532: ipse dabit tenera vela, legetque manu, Ov. H. 15, 215; Val. Fl. 2, 13: prora funem legit Argus ab alta, draws in, takes in, id. 1, 312: ancoras classis legit, is weighing anchor, Sen. Troad. 759.—

5 To take to one's self unjustly, to carry off, steal, purloin, plunder, abstract (not in Cic.): omnia viscatis manibus leget, omnia sumet: crede mihi, auferet omnia, Lucil. ap. Non. 332 and 396, 4: majus esse maleficium stuprare ingenuam quam sacrum legere, Auct. Her. 2, 30 fin.: sacra divum, Hor. S. 1, 3, 117: soceros legere et gremiis abducere pactas, Verg. A. 10, 79 Serv. ad loc. (but Forbig. renders legere here as = eligere, sumere; cf. 8. infra).—

6 Of places, to go, pass, or wander through (poet.): nec me studiosius altera saltus Legit, Ov. M. 5, 579: pars cetera pontum Pone legit, sails through, Verg. A. 2, 207: vada dura lego, id. ib. 3, 706: freta, id. ib. 3, 127: aequora Afra, Ov. F. 4, 289: Ioniumque rapax Icariumque legit, id. ib. 4, 566: vestigia alicujus, to follow one's footsteps, to track or pursue him: subsequitur pressoque legit vestigia gressu, id. M. 3, 17; cf.: et vestigia retro Observata legit, Verg. A. 9, 392: tortos orbes, to wander through, id. ib. 12, 481.—

7 To pass or sail by, to skirt, to coast along a shore, land, or place (mostly poet.): Inarimen Prochytenque legit, Ov. M. 14, 89; 15, 705; 709: primi litoris oram, coast along, i. e. not enter into details, Verg. G. 2, 44; id. E. 8, 7: navibus oram Italiae, Liv. 21, 51 fin.: oram Campaniae, Suet. Tib. 11; cf. terram, id. Aug. 16. —

8 Pregn., to choose from a number, to pick out, single out, select, elect (class.): alia esse oportet forma quem tu pugno legeris, pick out to fight with, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 160: judices, Cic. Phil. 5, 6, 16: omnia, quae leget quaeque reiciet, id. Fin. 4, 15, 40: scribam, to elect, appoint, id. Clu. 45, 126: condiciones nubendi, id. Cael. 15: cives in patres, Liv. 23, 22: viros ad bella, Ov. M. 7, 669: geminasque legit de classe biremes, Verg. A. 8, 79: legit virum vir, each one singles out his man (of the combatants in a battle), id. ib. 11, 632: senatum ad modum pristinum redegit duabus lectionibus: prima ipsorum arbitratu, quo vir virum legit, Suet. Aug. 35; Tac. H. 1, 18: neque ejus legendam filiam (sc. virginem Vestalem) qui domicilium in Italia non haberet, At. Cap. ap. Gell. 1, 12, 8.—*

(b) With inf.: fidissima custos Lecta sacrum justae veneri occultare pudorem, Stat. Th. 1, 530.

II Trop. *

A To catch up, i. e. overhear a conversation: nunc huc concedam, ut horum sermonem legam, Plaut. Ps. 1, 4, 21 (cf. sublegere, id. Mil. 4, 2. 98).—

B To catch with the eye, to view, observe, behold, survey, see. *

1 In gen.: tumulum capit, unde omnes longo ordine posset Adversos legere, Verg. A. 6, 755 Heyne ad loc.; and cf. Verg. A. 6, 34.—

2 In partic., to read or peruse a writing: ut eos libros per te ipse legeres, Cic. Top. 1: defensionem causae, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 43, § 112: legi apud Clitomachum, A. Albium jocantem dixisse, etc., id. Ac. 2, 45, 137: aliquid studiose intenteque, Plin. Ep. 9, 13, 1: significas legisse te in quadam epistula mea, jussisse Verginium, etc., id. ib. 9, 19, 1: philosophorum consultorumque opiniones, Quint. 12, 11, 17: liber tuus et lectus est et legitur a me diligenter, Cic. Fam. 6, 5, 1: orationem, Quint. 1, 1, 6: aiunt multum legendum esse non multa, Plin. Ep. 7, 9, 15.—With a pers. obj.: antiquos et novos, Quint. 2, 5, 23: antiquos studiosius, id. 3, 6, 62: poëtas, id. 1, 4, 4. —In pass.: Horatius fere solus legi dignus, Quint. 10, 1, 96: si cum judicio legatur Cassius Severus, id. 10, 1, 116: dumque legar, mecum pariter tua fama legetur, Ov. Tr. 5, 14, 5: sepulcra legens, when reading epitaphs, Cic. de Sen. 7, 21: legentium plerisque, Liv. 1 praef. § 4: opus nescio an minimae legentibus futurum voluptati, to my readers, Quint. 3, 1, 2; cf. id. 9, 4, 2; 2, 5, 3: nec Cynicos nec Stoica dogmata, Juv. 13, 121.—Absol.: legendi usus, Lact. 3, 25, 9: memoriam continuus legendi usus instruit, Macr. S. 1, 5, 1.—

b In partic.

(a) To read out, read aloud, recite (esp. freq. in post-Aug. authors): convocatis auditoribus volumen legere, etc., Cic. Brut. 51, 191: codicem pro contione, id. Fragm. ap. Quint. 4, 4, 8: audio me male legere, dumtaxat versus, orationes enim commodius, Plin. Ep. 9, 34: obturem impune legentibus aures, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 105: quem vero arripuit tenet occiditque legendo, with recitation, id. A. P. 475: quis dabit historico quantum daret acta legenti, to read him the news, Juv. 7, 104.—

(b) To find in an author or a writing: ut scriptum legimus, Cic. Deiot. 7, 19: legi etiam scriptum, esse avem quandam, etc., id. N. D. 2. 49 init.: ego vero haec scripta legi, id. Planc. 39, 94: praeterea scriptum legimus, Gallos in venatibus tinguere sagittas, Gell. 17, 15, 7. relatum legere, Nep. praef. 1.—Pass.: in aliis codicibus non peccato sed peccatis legitur, Aug. Cont. Jul. Rel. 1, 22; id. Don. Persev. 6 init. al.—

C A publicist's t. t.: legere senatum, to read over or call off the names of senators (which was done by the censors; v. lectio, II. A. 2.): censores fideli concordia senatum legerunt, Liv. 40, 51; 9, 29; 9, 30; 9, 46; 43, 15 al.—Hence, lĕgens, entis, Part. as subst. m., a reader (poet. and in post-Aug. prose for lector), Ov. Tr. 1, 7, 25.—Plur., Liv. praef. 4; Quint. 3, 1, 2; Plin. 8, 16, 17, § 44; Tac. A. 4, 33.—Also, lectus, a, um, P. a., chosen, picked out, selected; choice, excellent (class.): argenti lectae numeratae minae, good, i. e. of full weight, Plaut. Ps. 4, 7, 50; so, argentum, Ter. Phorm. 1, 2, 3: ut neque vir melior neque lectior femina in terris sit, Cic. Inv. 1, 31, 52: lectissimi viri atque ornatissimi, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 6, § 15; cf. id. Div. in Caecil. 9, 29: uxor lectissima, id. Inv. 1, 31, 52: (verbis) lectis atque illustribus uti, id. de Or. 3, 37, 150: nihil est aliud ... pulcre et oratorie dicere nisi optimis sententiis verbisque lectissimis dicere, id. Or. 68, 227: juvenum lectissime, Stat. S. 5, 1, 247; cf.: viginti lectis equitum comitatus, Verg. A. 9, 48.—Hence, adv.: lectē, choicely, selectly (very rare): ab lego lecte ac lectissime, Varr. L. L. 6, § 36 Müll.— Comp.: lectius, Varr. R. R. 1, 54, 2 (al. lecta).

In the wild

legat Propertius, Elegiae 3.3.20
legentis Curtius Rufus, Historiae Alexandri Magni 10.4.3
legisse Livy, Ab urbe condita 3bis.40.50.4
legendus Sidonius Apollinaris, Carmina 9.117
lectisque Pliny the Younger, Letters 7.9.3
legitur Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes praef.p38

6 of 3,088 attestations shown.

Where it came from

Ernout-Meillet, Dictionnaire etymologique de la langue latine Treated in Ernout-Meillet, Dictionnaire etymologique de la langue latine s.v. lego (scan p. 831; entry #20222).

Latin text and lemmatization derived from the Perseus Digital Library (canonical-latinLit), CC BY-SA 4.0. Lewis & Short (public domain) via Perseus. This derived data is shared under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 license.