conversation Copy link Outline I. Conduct generally (obsol. in this sense)II. Talk1. collŏquium (esp. but not solely, of conversation for some particular purpose2. sermo, ōnis, m. (the most general term for all kinds of discourse3. sermōcĭnātio (rare)4. congressus, congressio5. confābŭlātio (v. rare)III. Criminal c. • conversation: I. Conduct generally (obsol. in this sense): conversātio, vīta: v. conduct, behaviour. II. Talk: 1. collŏquium (esp. but not solely, of conversation for some particular purpose: v. conference: in the same sense is used collocutio, Cic.): he is not in want of another's c., colloquio alterius non eget, Cic.: the c.s of absent friends (i. e. epistolary correspondence), colloquia amicorum absentium, Cic.: to have secret c.s with any one, secreta c. cum aliquo serere, Liv. 2. sermo, ōnis, m. (the most general term for all kinds of discourse: q. v.): to carry on a c. with any one, s. cum aliquo conferre, Cic.; sermones caedere (comicé), Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 1: they joined in much and various c., multa inter sese vario s. serebant, Virg.: to begin or open c., sermonem occipere, Ter.: to lengthen out c. purposely, longiorem consulto instituere s., Caes.: to prolong a feast till late in the night with varied c., convivium ad multam noctem vario s. producere: cf. Hor. aestivam sermone benigno tendere noctem; and Pl. diem terere sermone: the language of c. or correspondence, soluta oratio qualis in sermone et epistolis, Quint.: to become a topic of general c., in sermonem hominum venire, Cic. 3. sermōcĭnātio (rare): Gell. 4. congressus, congressio: v. interview. 5. confābŭlātio (v. rare): Symm. Phr.: to hold c. with any one, colloqui: v. to converse. III. Criminal c.: ădultĕrium: v. adultery.
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.