CONVERSATION Copy link • CONVERSATIONsermo (mostly without definite or serious object): colloquium: collocutio (agreed upon for any given purpose; a conference) [= DIALOGUE, Vid:] : a private conversation, sermonis cum aliquo communicatio: a familiar conversation, sermones familiares: confabulatio: a conversation for the sake of passing the time, sermones ludicri: a conversation (a tête-à-tête), praesentis cum praesenti colloquium; praesens sermo: a learned conversation, sermo doctus: to enter into conversation with anybody, se dare in sermonem cum aliquo; sermonem cum aliquo instituere, or ordiri, or occipere: to have or hold a conversation with anybody, sermonem conferre cum aliquo; cum aliquo colloqui: to have or hold a secret conversation with anybody, arcano or secreto cum aliquo colloqui: to carry on a conversation, sermocinari; colloqui cum aliquo; confabulari; sermones caedere or serere cum aliquo (with the notion of a familiar or agreeable conversation, sermones caedere especially Comically). I have a conversation with anybody, est mini sermo cum aliquo, about anything, de re: to touch on such or such a subject in the course of conversation, in sermonem delabi or incidere: to turn the conversation to some other subject, sermonem alio transferrer: the conversation flags, sermo friget: not to let the conversation drop or flag, sermonem quaerere; fabulas arcessere (by endeavouring to find subjects; Vid: Ruhnken, Ter., Eun., 3, 3, 10): to break off the conversation, sermonem incidere or (if suddenly) praecidere [medium sermonem abrumpere, Verg., Aen., 4, 388]; inceptum sermonem abrumpere (Tac., Ann., 4, 60, 2); sermonem, quem inchoavi, abrumpere (Quint., 4, 3, 13; hence abrumpere sermonem is by no means unclassical): the usual topic of conversation is, etc., sermo plerumque habetur de, etc.: to be the subject of general conversation (of persons), in ore or in sermone omnium esse; infabulis esse; omnium sermonibus vapulare: to become the subject of general conversation, fabulam fieri; in sermonem venire: in sermonem incidere (Cic., Fam., 9, 3; tamen in sermonem incidemus): anything is the subject of every body’s conversation through one whole summer, aliquid unam aestatem aures refercit sermonibus: to report to anybody a person’s conversation, alicujus sermonem ad aliquem deferre: I will send you a full and exact account of the conversation I had with him, omnem illius meumque sermonem omnibus verbis expressum mittam: to say frequently in conversation in sermonibus dictitare (Cic., Fam., 1, 9, quite at the end): to speak of anything frequently in conversation, aliquid crebris usurpare sermonibus: to take part in a conversation, sermoni interesse: a conversation gets abroad or is reported by anybody, sermo per aliquem emanat. There is some conversation about, etc. [Vid: TALK]: in the course of conversation, in sermone: to mention anything to anybody in the course of conversation, alicui in sermone injicere, with accusative and infinitive (Cic., ad Div., 12, 16, 2): a thing is said in the course of conversation, incidit mentio de aliqua re; incidit sermo in aliquem rem. Crassus began the conversation, Crassus princeps fuit sermonis ordiendi: to carry on a conversation till a late hour (of the night), sermonem in multam noctem producere. he seized upon something that had fallen in conversation, and pretended that it was a commission, sermone aliquo arrepto pro mandatis abusus est (Cic.). The language of common conversation, sermo (= oratio remissa et finitima quotidianae locutioni, Auct., ad Her., ☞ 2, 9, 4, 19; soluta oratio, qualis in sermone et epistolis; and Hor., sermoni propiora). Criminal conversation, adulterium. To have a criminal conversation with anybody’s wife, adulterio cognovisse alicujus uxorem. Vid: ADULTERY.