nuntĭus — Lewis & Short
nuntĭus, a, um, adj.perh. contr. from noventius, from obsol. novēre, to make new; v. novus.
I That announces, signifies, makes known; announcing, informing (poet.):
nuntia fibra deos?Tib. 2, 1, 26:
fratre reversuro, nuntia venit avis,Mart. 8, 32, 8:
nuntia littera,Ov. H. 6, 9:
simulacra In mentes hominum divinae nuntia formae,Lucr. 6, 77; cf. id. 4, 704:
habes animi nuntia verba mei,Ov. H. 16, 10:
exta venturae nuntia sortis,Tib. 3, 4, 5.—
II Usually as subst.
A nuntĭum, i, n., an announcement, message, news (rare):
ad aures nova nuntia referens,this new message, Cat. 63, 75; cf.:
nuntius est qui nuntiat, nuntium, quod nuntiatur,Serv. Verg. A. 11, 896:
de caelo nuntium erit,Varr. L. L. 6, 86:
tyrannum perturbant nuntia,Sedul. 2, 474.—
B nuntĭus, i, m., a bearer of news, one who brings intelligence, a reporter, messenger, courier (freq. and class.);
both of persons and things: Mercurius Jovis qui nuntius perhibetur,Plaut. Stich. 2, 1, 1:
ad me rus advenit nuntius,id. Merc. 4, 1, 1:
o hominem fortunatum, qui ejusmodi nuntios, seu potius Pegasos habet,Cic. Quint. 25, 80: litteris, nuntiis, cohortationibus omnes excitare. id. Phil. 14, 7, 20: facere aliquem certiorem per nuntium, id. Att. 11, 24, 4:
aliquid audire sine capite, sine auctore, rumore nuntio,id. Fam. 12, 10, 1:
litteras et nuntios mittere ad aliquem,Caes. B. G. 1, 26:
nuntius ibis Pelidae,Verg. A. 2, 547:
nuntius adfert rem,Cic. Imp. Pomp. 9, 25:
nuntius ales, i. e. Mercurius,Ov. H. 16, 68:
Mercurius, nuntius Jovis et deorum,Hor. C. 1, 10, 5:
nuntii afferunt Darium premi a Scythis,Nep. Milt. 3, 3.—Poet., of a woman:
huic dea ... utinam non hic tibi nuntius essem,Val. Fl. 2, 141.—
b A messenger, the bearer of a written message, = tabellarius (very rare):
nuntio ipsius, qui litteras attulerat dici (placuit),Liv. 42, 37, 6.—
2 Abstract.
a In gen., a message, news, tidings:
nuntium exoptabilem nuntiare,Plaut. Stich. 2, 2, 67:
opta ergo ob istunc nuntium quidvis tibi,id. Merc. 5, 2, 65:
inest lepos in nuntio tuo magnus,id. Rud. 2, 3, 22:
acerbum nuntium alicui perferre,Cic. Balb. 28, 64:
de Q. Fratre nuntii nobis tristes venerunt,id. Att. 3, 17, 1:
exoptatum nuntium alicui afferre,id. Rosc. Am. 7, 19:
nuntium optatissimum accipere,id. Fam. 2, 19, 1:
nuntium perferre,id. Lig. 3, 7:
nuntium ferre ad aliquem,Liv. 4, 41:
horribilis nuntius affertur,Cat. 84, 10; Verg. A. 8, 582.—
b In partic.
(a) A command, order, injunction:
quos senatus ad denuntiandum bellum miserat, nisi legatorum nuntio paruisset,Cic. Fam. 12, 24, 2; Nep. Chabr. 3, 1.—
(b) Nuntium uxori remittere or mittere, to send one's wife a letter of divorce, Cic. de Or. 1, 40, 183; 56, 238; id. Att. 1, 13, 3; Dig. 24, 2, 4; 24, 3, 22.—Also of a woman who separates from her husband, Cic. Top. 4, 19; App. M. 9, p. 230 med. —Of the annulling of a betrothment:
si invito patrono nuntium sponsa liberta remiserit,Dig. 23, 2, 45.—Of the rejection of the marriage contract by the parents and guardians:
ego adeo jam illi remittam nuntium adfini meo,Plaut. Truc. 4, 3, 74:
si puellae tutores ad infringenda sponsalia nuntium miserint,Dig. 23, 1, 6.—
(g) Hence, transf.:
virtuti nuntium remittere,to renounce, Cic. Fam. 15, 16, 3.—
C nuntĭa, ae, f., a female messenger, she that brings tidings: nuntia fulva Jovis, i. e. the eagle, Poët. ap. Cic. Leg. 1, 1, 2; cf. Liv. 1, 34:
historia nuntia vetustatis,Cic. de Or. 2, 9, 36:
vox nuntia cladis,Liv. 5, 50:
fama nuntia veri,Verg. A. 4, 188; Ov. P. 4, 4, 15:
plaga nuntia rerum,Lucr. 4, 704; cf. Val. Fl. 2, 141; B. 1. a. fin. supra.