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• language:

I. Human speech: ōrātio: the intercourse of l., orationis societas, Cic. Off. 1, 4, 12. (Sermo is connected speech, discourse.)
II. The speech of one people as distinguished from that of another:

1. lingua: they differ from each other in l., linguâ inter se differunt, Caes. B. G. init.: the Latin l., Latina l., Cic.
2. sermo, ōnis, m. (less properly in this sense: v. supr.): works composed in the Greek l., libri Graeco s. confecti, Nep. Hann. fin.: so, id. Them. 10, etc.: cf. Cic. Off. 1, 31, 111, sermone eo debemus uti qui notus est nobis, etc. (i. e. language, style of conversation): poverty of our native l., patrii s. egestas, Lucr.: Hor.
3. ōrātio (rare): Gell. 11, init.

III. Diction:

1. ōrātio (most gen. term): charming, polished, elegant, florid l., o. suavis, polita, concinna, quasi verborum sententiarumque floribus conspersa, Cic. de Or. 3, 25: et pass.
2. verba, orum: most weighty l. and sentiments, gravissima v. et sententiae, Cic. Fam. 10, 16: so, copia sententiarum atque v., id. Cael. 19, 45: melancholy, angry l., v. tristia, plena minarum, Hor. A. P. 106.
3. sermo (indicating general style of speech; verba serving to particularize words and expressions): elegance of l., sermonis e., Cic. Att. 7, 3, 7: prosaic l., s. pedester, Hor. A. P. 95.
4. expr. by dīco, esp. ger.: to make choice of a style of l., genus dicendi eligere, Cic. de Or. 3, 25, 97.

IV. Expressions:

1. verba, orum: most complimentary l., honorificentissima v., Cic. Ph. 14, 11, 29: to excite hatred by one's l., verbis odia movere, Virg. Aen. 2, 96: to use humble l., v. minoribus uti, Ov. Met. 6, 151.
2. dictum, both as part. and subst. (cf. L. G. § 642): as subst. esp. poet.: abusive and insulting l., maledice contumelioseque dicta (in aliquem), cf. Cic. Off. 1, 37, 135: to compare any one's l. with his conduct, dicta alicujus cum factis componere, Sall. Jug. 48: Quint. with such l., talibus d., Virg. (pass.). Phr.: very insulting l., magna contumelia verborum, Caes. B. G. 5, 58: Cic.: so, to use insulting l., contumelias dicere, Liv. 25, 22, ad fin.: also, probra dicere, Ov. A. A. 3, 49; jactare (in aliquem), Liv. 29, 9 (v. reproach., insult).

• LANGUAGE

Gift of speech, lingua; [Vid: SPEECH].
Style of speaking, ratio dicendi; oratio; dictio; genus dicendi; sermo: ordinary language; the language of everyday life, sermo usitatus or quotidianus; usitatum sermonis genus; verba quotidiana, -orum, nominative plur.: elegant or polite language, sermo urbanus: to use haughty language, superbe loqui; superbo sermone uti.
The diction of a country, lingua; sermo; litterae (so far as it is synonymous with “litterature”): to know a language, linguam scire; linguae scientem esse: to translate into the Latin language, in sermonem Latinum, or simply in Latinum (☞ not in linguam Latinam), convertere: to speak a language, aliqua lingua (☞ not aliquo sermone) loqui or uti: to write a book in a certain language, aliquo sermone (☞ not aliqua lingua) librum conficere: the idiom of a language, proprietas; idioma, -atis (Grammaticus; ☞ not idiotismus, which means, in writers of the Silver Age, “vulgar language”): the use of language, loquendi usus or consuetudo; consuetudo sermonis: a rule of language, lex dicendi: a knowledge of language or languages, linguae (linguarum) scientia: to purify a language, sermonem expurgare; sermonem usitatum emendare; consuetudinem vitiosam et corruptam pura et incorrupta consuetudine emendare: one’s native language, sermo indigena (Vid: Apul., Met., 1, p. 102, 30): sermo patrius (mother tongue). In certain connections lingua is sufficient; e.g., my, your, their language, mea (nostra), tua (vestra), ipsorum lingua; e.g., the inhabitants of the third part of Gaul are called, in the language of their country, Celts; in ours, Gauls, qui tertiam Galliae partem incolunt, ipsorum lingua Celtae, nostra Galli appellantur (Caes., B.G., 1, 1); so, also, sermo noster (Curt., 6, 9, 36).

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