speak Copy link Outline I. To utter articulate sounds; to express thoughts by words1. lŏquor, cūtus, 32. fāri, fātus, 1 (old verb, and chiefly poet. = preced.)3. dīco, xi, ctum, 3 (to give expression to thought; implying not only the use of the organs of speech, but also the exercise of the rational powers4. fābŭlor, 1II. To make a speech1. expr. by phr.2. contiōnor, 1 (to deliver an oration to a public assembly)3. ōro, 1 (rare in this sense)4. also in referring generally to a speech, dico or loquor may suffice; esp. ger. • speak: I. To utter articulate sounds; to express thoughts by words: 1. lŏquor, cūtus, 3: cf. Virg. G. 1, 478, pecudesque locutae, infandum! (articulate speech being the peculiarity of human beings): to s. in good pure Latin, pure et Latine l., Cic. de Or. 1, 32, init.: to s. spitefully, infeste l., Liv. 21, 11, init.: the facts s. for themselves, res ipsa l., Cic. Mil. 20, med.: also, res pro se ipsa l., id. 3, 2, extr.: to s. before any one (as before a judge), apud aliquem l., id. Fin. 2, 22, extr. Freq. with acc. of adj. or neut. pron.: having spoken these words, many words, etc., haec locutus, multa locutus, etc. Also with noun as direct obj. = to speak of, v. foll. art. 2. fāri, fātus, 1 (old verb, and chiefly poet. = preced.): infants unable to speak, nescios fari pueros, Hor. Od. 4, 6, 18: hardly had I spoken these words, vix ea fatus eram, Virg. pass. 3. dīco, xi, ctum, 3 (to give expression to thought; implying not only the use of the organs of speech, but also the exercise of the rational powers: thus, bene loqui, is to speak accurately, with correct accent, etc.: bene dicere, to be a good speaker): v. to say. 4. fābŭlor, 1: v. to talk. Not able to s., infans, tis: Cic.: Hor. II. To make a speech: 1. expr. by phr.: verba facere (not necessarily implying a set speech), Caes. B. G. 2, 14; more fully, verba atque orationem facere, id. B. C. 2, 18: orationem habere, Sall. Cat. 31; and in somewhat diff. sense, to s. at length on any subject, multam orationem de aliqua re habere, Cic. Tusc. 5, 33; contionem [esp. apud populum, apud milites] habere, Caes. B. C. 3, 73: he spoke as follows, talem orationem exorsus est, Liv. 21, 39, extr. 2. contiōnor, 1 (to deliver an oration to a public assembly): to s. before the people, ad populum c., Suet. Aug. 84; before troops, apud milites, Caes. B. C. 1, 7: to s. as from a higher platform, c. tanquam superiore e loco, Cic. Tusc. 1, 49, 117. 3. ōro, 1 (rare in this sense): the art of s.ing (oratory), ars orandi, Quint. prooem. § 4. Comp. pĕrōro, 1 (to finish s.ing, come to a conclusion), Liv. 21, 11. 4. also in referring generally to a speech, dico or loquor may suffice; esp. ger.: as soon as Caesar had done s.ing, postquam Caesar dicendi finem fecit, Sall. C. 52, init.