promise (subs.) Copy link Outline I. Words said1. prōmissum2. prōmissio (the act of promising)3. pollĭcĭtātio (strictly frequentative; hence usu. pl. denoting repeated offers)4. often sufficiently definite, fĭdes, ĕi (word or honour as pledged)II. Prospect, likelihood • promise (subs.): I. Words said: 1. prōmissum: to keep p.s, p. servare, Cic. Off. 3, 24, sqq.: also, promissum facere, ib. 1, 10, init.: to claim the fulfilment of a p., p. exigere, ib. 3, 25, 94: Hor. (Or use verb: to make a p., promittere: should he keep his p. or no? faciat quod promiserit, necne? Cic. Off. 3, 24, 93: to make many p s, multa promittere, etc.) 2. prōmissio (the act of promising): Cic. Fam. 4, 13, fin. (debebat esse aut promissio auxilii alicujus, aut consolatio doloris tui). 3. pollĭcĭtātio (strictly frequentative; hence usu. pl. denoting repeated offers): by large rewards and p.s, multis praemiis p.que, Caes. B. G. 3, 18: Sall. 4. often sufficiently definite, fĭdes, ĕi (word or honour as pledged): to break a p. made to an enemy (parole), fidem hosti datam fallere, Cic. Off. 1, 13, 39: so, f. violare, id. Rab. perd. 10, 28. (N.B.--In such phrr. as, to make this, that, one promise: to make many p.s, a substantive must not be used, but instead a neuter adj. or pron.: hoc, illud, unum, multa promittere, polliceri: v. to promise.) II. Prospect, likelihood: spes, ĕi: a young man of the highest p., adolescens summa spe [et animi et ingenii] praeditus, Cic. Ph. 2, 18, 46: adolescens non tam re et maturitate quam spe et expectatione laudatus. id. Or. 30, 107.
promise (v.) Copy link Outline I. To make a promise1. prōmitto, mīsi, ssum, 3 (usu. denoting a formal engagement, esp. in reply to an offer or challenge)2. pollĭceor, 2 (to make a voluntary promise)3. prōfĭteor, 2 (freely to offer; very like preced.)II. To engage oneself in reply to an invitationIII. To furnish hopes • promise (v.): I. To make a promise: 1. prōmitto, mīsi, ssum, 3 (usu. denoting a formal engagement, esp. in reply to an offer or challenge): Cic.: Caes. Join: promittere ac recipere (promise and undertake), Cic. Fam. 5, 8; promittere, recipere, spondere, id. Ph. 5, 18, fin. 2. pollĭceor, 2 (to make a voluntary promise): the consul p.s the senate not to be wanting in his duty to the state, consul reipublicae se non defuturum p., Caes. B. C. 1, 1: to p. the most extravagant things, maria montesque p., Sall. Cat. 23: so, montes auri p., Ter. Ph. 1, 2, 18. Foll. by inf. alone: qui sum pollicitus ducere (usu. me ducturum), id. Andr. 3, 5, 7. Frequent. pollicitor, 1 (to p. repeatedly, make many promises): Ter.: Sall. 3. prōfĭteor, 2 (freely to offer; very like preced.): v. to offer. Join: profiteri atque polliceri [suum studium], Cic. Fam. 5, 8, med. Phr.: to p. or threaten, spem, metum ostendere, id. Verr. 4, 34, 75. II. To engage oneself in reply to an invitation: prōmitto, 3: Cic. de Or. 2, 7, 27 (pr. ad aliquem). (By no means, polliceor.) III. To furnish hopes: Phr.: the crops p. well, *segetes largam (benignam) promittunt, ostendunt, sperare jubent messem (Kr.): a youth who p.s well, adolescens summa spe praeditus (v. preced. art. fin.): he p.s to be a good general, *spem facit (ostendit) omnibus summum se ducem futurum (fore ut dux summus evadat). (Kr. gives, promittit artificem musicum, he p.s to be a musician; but the phr. appears to be without authority.)
PROMISE Copy link • PROMISE 1. s. promissio; pollicitatio (Vid: the verb): fides (one’s word given or pledged to a certain effect): promissum (that which one has promised, a thing promised). To give a promise, alicui promittere or polliceri (☞ not alicui promissum facere); with an accusative and infinitive., de aliqua re: he makes firm promises (ironically), satis scite tibi promittit (in comedy): to make many promises, multa alicui polliceri: to keep or fulfil one’s promise, promissum facere, efficere, praestare, servare, solvere, exsolvere, persolvere; promisso stare or satisfacere; quod promisi or pollicitus sum, or quod promissum est, servare, observare, or efficere; quod promissum est tenere; fidem servare, praestare, solvere, or exsolvere: promises are not kept, promissa ad irritum cadunt: to be bound by a promise, promisso teneri. 2. v. To make a promise, promittere (usually, in answer to a request, to engage one’s self to a performance of the thing required at some future time; alicui aliquid, or de aliqua re): polliceri (for the most part, spontaneously or of one’s own accord; also = not to refuse; alicui aliquid, or de aliqua re: ☞ neque minus ei prolixe de tua voluntate promisi, quam eram solitus de mea polliceri, Cic., ad Div., 7, 5, 1; promittere here denoting to give the actual expectation of a thing in prospect, polliceri merely to manifest a willingness to do it if possible): pollicitari (with repeated assurances): appromittere (to take upon one’s self a promise already made by another in one’s name): in se recipere, or simply recipere (to undertake, to become responsible for): recipere et ultro polliceri; spondere, despondere (formally, so as to come under a legal obligation to fulfil one’s engagement): proponere (to propose or hold out as a reward; e.g., servis libertatem): pronunciare (publicly). “To promise that or to,” is expressed in Latin by an accusative and infinitive (usually a future infinitive, rarely the present) after the verb of promising; e.g., I promise to do so or so, promitto, or polliceor, me hoc facturum esse: to promise in marriage, despondere (☞ not desponsare). To give hope, promittere; spem facere or dare alicujus rei. He promises well, aliquis alios bene de se sperare jubet; alii de aliquo bene sperare possunt.