mūtus Copy link Outline I. Lit., that does not speak, silent.—Of creatures who do not possess the faculty of speech, and can utter only inarticulate soundsII. Transf., of places where no sound is heard, ...A. mūtus, i, m., a dumb person, a mute ...B. mūtum, i, n. , a dumb creature, brute ... • mūtus, a, um, adj. [root mu-, to shut; Sanscr. mūkas, dumb; Gr. μύτις, μυάω; cf. Lat. mussare], dumb, mute (class.; cf.: infans, elinguis). I. Lit., that does not speak, silent.—Of creatures who do not possess the faculty of speech, and can utter only inarticulate sounds: pecudes, Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 8, § 24: bestiae, id. Fin. 1, 21, 71: agna, Hor. S. 2, 3, 219: armenta, Stat. Th. 5, 334: animalia, Juv. 8, 56: satius est mutum esse quam quod nemo intellegat dicere, Cic. Phil. 3, 9, 22: subjugale, animal, Vulg. 2 Pet. 2, 16: vere dici potest, magistratum legem esse loquentem, legem autem mutum magistratum, Cic. Leg. 3, 1, 2: papae! Jugularas hominem: quid ille? Thr. Mutus illico, he was struck speechless, was silent, could not say a word more, Ter. Eun. 3, 1, 27: ad mandata mancus est, caecus, mutus, Plaut. Merc. 3, 4, 45: mutum dices, you shall call me dumb, i. e. I will not say a word, id. Heaut. 4, 4, 26: omnis pro nobis gratia muta fuit, has not spoken a word, Ov. P. 2, 7, 52: mutus aspectus miserorum lacrimas movet, Quint. 6, 1, 26: numquam vox est de te mea muta, i. e. I have never ceased to praise thee, Ov. Tr. 5, 14, 17: dolore lyra est, id. H. 15, 198: spiritus, which makes one mute, Vulg. Marc. 9, 16; 9, 24.—Of that which utters no sound, dumb, mute, silent: tintinnabulum, Plaut. Trin. 4, 2, 163: imago, Cic. Cat. 3, 5: mare, the silent sea, Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 69: consonantes, which cannot be pronounced alone, mutes, Quint. 1, 4, 6: artes, the plastic arts, arts of design, opp. to eloquence, Cic. de Or. 3, 7; also, artes, the silent arts, i. e. which do not concern themselves with language, as medicine, Verg. A. 12, 397: scientia, i. e. which does not impart the power of speaking, Quint. 5, 10, 119: instrumentum fundi, i. e. wagons, carts, Varr. R. R. 1, 17: magistri, i. e. books, Gell. 14, 2, 1: lapides, that say nothing, have no inscriptions on them, Hyg. de Lim. p. 156 Goes.: muta exta dicuntur, quibus nihil divinationis aut deorum responsi inesse animadvertunt, contra adjutoria, quae certum aliquid eventurum indicant, Paul. ex Fest. p. 157 Müll.: simulacra muta, dumb idols, Vulg. 1 Cor. 12, 2.— II. Transf., of places where no sound is heard, silent, still: mutum forum, elinguem curiam, tacitam et fractam civitatem videbatis, Cic. post Red. 1, 3: solitudo, id. Mil. 19: spelunca, Stat. Ach. 1, 239.—Of times: nullum fuit tempus, quod magis debuerit mutum esse a litteris, in which nothing should have been written, Cic. Att. 8, 14, 1: silentia noctis, the deep silence of night, Ov. M. 7, 184.—Of things of which nothing is said: mutum aevum, not celebrated, unsung, Sil. 3, 579.—As subst. A. mūtus, i, m., a dumb person, a mute (ante- and postclass): Char. Quin taces? Eut. Muto imperas, Plaut. Merc. 2, 4, 26: sicut mutus, Vulg. Psa. 38, 13: aperta erit lingua mutorum, id. Isa. 35, 6; Lact. 4, 15, 8: mutum neque stipulari neque promittere posse palam est, Gai. Inst. 3, 105.— B. mūtum, i, n. (sc. animal), a dumb creature, brute: separat hoc nos A grege mutorum, Juv. 15, 143.