quality | Dictionaries | Morcus Latin Tools

• quality (subs.):

I. Abstr. the nature or kind of anything; concr. the property or properties that determine its nature or kind: hence, of persons, character or disposition (these meanings are mingled in the Latin words):

1. the etym. equiv. quālĭtas, ātis, f., is only used in the best Latin as a t. t. of philosophy: cf. qualitates igitur appellavi quas ποιότητας Graeci vocant: quod ipsum apud Graecos non est vulgi verbum, sed philosophorum, Cic. Ac. 1, 7, 25, et seqq., as opp. to a thing in its essence: cf. aut de substantia controversiam esse, aut de qualitate, Quint. 3, 6, 39 (cf. esp. 7, 4, 1): in later writers as a common word: cf. ager aliis qualitatibus aestimandus est, Col. 2, 2, 17. Expr. by tālis (of such a q.), and quālis, rel., inter., and indef.: (that) we naturally shew the q.s which we really have, ut facillime quales simus tales esse videamur, Cic. Off. 2, 13, 44: as depend. interr., tell me what are their bodily q.s, doce me quales sint corpore, id. N. D. 1, 23: as indef., a thing must first be, and then have some q., prius aliquid esse debet, deinde quale esse, Sen. Ep. 117: pl. quālĭa (the q.s of things, dist. fr. quālĭtas, their common principle): cf. Cic. Ac. 1, 7, 28, quum ita moveatur illa vis, quam qualitatem esse diximus ..., illa effici quae appellant qualia (freely, their q.s are developed): of what q. (adv.), qualiter: of whatever q. (of what q. soever), qualis qualis, Tryphon. Dig. 20, 5, 12: qualiscunque, Cic. Leg. 3, 14: id. Att. 14, 14: of what q. you please, qualislibet, Apic. 4, 2: cf. sort, such. N.B. The proper use of these terms can only be acquired by knowledge and experience.
2. vis, f. (rare in this sense, but expressive: special q. or virtue); the q. of virtue, v. virtutis, Cic. Fam. 9, 16: cf. in quo est omnis vis amicitiae, id. A. 4, 15: the q. of mercy is not strained (Shaksp.), *non éluctábitúr vis mísericórdiaé.
3. nātūra, f. (lit. in-born q.): the essential q. of life, n. propria animae et vis, Cic. Rep. 6, 26: the q.s with which J. has endowed bees, naturas apibus quas Juppiter ipse addidit, Virg. G. 4, 149: the subtle q. of air, n. tenuis aeris, Lucr. 2, 232: pl., qualities (= endowments); a man of varied and manifold q.s, homo varia multiplicique natura, Cic. Coel. 6: cf. nature. Phr.: this q. is implanted by nature, hoc natura est insitum, Cic. Sull. 30, 83.
4. ingĕnĭum, n. (same meaning): the q.s of soils, ingenia arvorum, Virg. G. 2, 177. Join: lactis ingenia et proprietates, Gell. 12, 1: esp. of mental and moral q.s: q. of mind, animi ing., Cic. Inv. 1, 45, 83: I have tried (tested) the q. of your character, tentavi vestrum ingenium ingenii (perh. intens. redupl., your inmost q.s or nature), Pl. Stich. 1, 2, 69. esp. for high qualities: men with the most excellent q.s, praestantissimis ingeniis homines, Cic. Fin. 2, 16, 51: to be urged (to shew respect to a person) by his fine and lofty q.s, sollicitari vel ing. hominis pulcherrimo et maximo, Plin. Ep. 8, 12.
5. indŏles, is, f. (inward growth): usu. in sing.: (what avails) to preserve the q.s of (crops and cattle), ad servandam ind., Liv. 38, 17: of trees, arborum, Gell. 12, 1: esp. of character: the q. of virtue, ind. virtutis, Cic. Off. 3, 4, 16: youths of good q.s, adolescentes bona indole praediti, id. de Sen. 8, 26: chosen for a son-in-law on account of his high q.s, gener ob altam indolem adscitus, Liv. 21, 2: (endowed) with such q.s of virtue and vice, cum hac indole virtutum atque vitiorum, id. ib. 4: pl., bonae animi indoles, Gell. 19, 12.
6. dōs, ōtis, f., esp. in pl. (gifts of nature): physical: the high q.s of grapes, magnae d. uvarum, Col. 3, 2, 17: intellectual and moral: v. endowment: gift.
7. 8.? constĭtūtĭo, f., proprĭĕtas, f., specific q.s: v. constitution: property: kind.
9. virtus, ūtis, f., good q.s of things as well as persons: v. virtue.
10. 11.? hăbĭlĭtas, f., opportūnĭtas, f., such q.s as fit a thing or person for any special end: Join: omitto opportunitates habilitatesque reliqui corporis, Cic. Leg. 1, 9, 27.
12. mōres, um, m.: of things, m. coeli, Virg. G. 1, 51: m. siderum, Plin. 18, 24, 56: esp. q.s of character (in persons): cf. character: manners: most agreeable q.s, suavissimi m., Cic. Att. 16, 16, A: his q.s are so tempered and harmonized, est ita temperatis moderatisque moribus, id. Fam. 12, 27. Join: totam vitam, naturam, moresque alicujus cognoscere, id. Rosc. Am. 38.
13. nŏta, f., prop. a mark by which the q. of a thing (esp. wine, etc.) is known (fr. nosco); hence the q. itself, as we use brand: to enjoy wine of the choicest q., beari interiore nota Falerni (= from the innermost bin), Hor. Od. 2, 3, 8: cf. id. S. 1, 10, 21, at sermo lingua concinnus utraque Suavior, ut Chio nota si commixta Falerni est (like the mingled q.s of Ch. and Fal.): the first q. of wine, vini optima n., Col.: vinegar of the first q., acetum primae n., id.: honey of the second q., secundae n. mel, id. 9, 15. Fig.: of mental and moral q.s: betraying the hidden q.s of his mind, patefacta interiore animi sui nota, Suet. Tib. 54: kindnesses (or services) of no common q., cf. quaedam beneficia non sunt ex hac vulgari nota, sed majora, Sen. Ben. 3, 9.
14. In cognate sense, nōmen, ĭnis, n. (a reputation for q.): cf. ne vinum no. perdat, Cato, R. R. 25. Join: genus et nomen (poet.): (ea tellus) Nec Baccho genus aut pomis sua nomina servat, Virg. G. 2, 240.
15. Phr.: no q. of, nihil, either with gen., or with adj.: cf. Cic. A. 1, 13, 4, nihil come, n. simplex, n. ἐν τοῖς πολιτικοῖς honestum, n. illustre, n. forte, n. liberum, (he [Pompey] has no q.s of, etc.).

II. Rank: esp. high social rank, good birth:

1. lŏcus, m., gen. term: a man of the meanest q., infimo loco natus, Cic. Fl. 11: of the highest q., summo l. n., Caes. B. G. 5, 25: Liv. 1, 34: and without natus; ex humili l., contr. with ad summam dignitatem, Caes.
2. gĕnus, ĕris, n.: with and without natus: cf. ii, qui nobili genere nati sunt, Cic. Verr. 5, 70, 180: amplissimo gen. n., Caes. B. G. 4, 12: of royal q., gen. regio n., Cic. Rep. 1, 33. Join: genere et nobilitate facile primus, id. Rosc. Am. 6, 15: Join: et genus et virtus, nisi cum re, vilior alga est, Hor. S. 2, 5, 8.
3. gens, ntis, f.: persons of high q., quorum g. eminebat, Curt. 6, 4: of mean q., sine gente, Hor. S. 2, 5, 15.
4. nōmen, n.: cf. n. habere, Cic. Brut. 69.
5. ordo, ĭnis, m. Join: homo ornatissimus loco, ordine, nomine, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 48: the q. of a freedman, libertini or., Suet. Gr. 18: for concrete sense, v. order.
6. 7.? grădus, ūs, m.: stătus, ūs, m.: v. degree: rank, station.
8. clārĭtas, ātis, f., with appropriate gen.: cl. nominis, Hist. B. Afr. 22: cl. generis, Quint. 8, 6, 7: cl. natalium, Tac. H. 1, 49: also clārĭtūdo familiae, Tac. A. 15, 35: also expr. by the adj., a man of the highest q., clarissimus vir, Cic. Att. 15, 20: women of q., clarissimae feminae, Ulp. Dig. 1, 9, 8.
9. nōbĭlĭtas, ātis, f.: cf. nobilitate sui municipii facile primus, Cic. Rosc. Am. 6: to glorify their q., ad illustrandam nob. suam, id. Brut. 16, 62: for concrete sense, v. No. III.--Also expr. by adjs.
10. nōbĭlis: persons of q., nobili genere nati, id. Verr. 5, 70: a lady whose q. is too well known, mulier non solum nobilis sed etiam nota (an ironical paronomasia), id. Coel. 13: cf. noble.
11. illustris: and comp., in the phr., illustriore loco natus, Caes. B. G. 6, 19: oft. alone, women of q., feminae illustres, Suet. Tib. 45: he attended the funerals of persons of q., quorundam illustrium exsequias usque ad rogum frequentavit, id. ib. 32.
12. conspĭcŭus: c. feminae, Tac. H. 4, 42: also spectābĭlis, only as a title under the empire, Cod. Just. 9, 27, 5: but in Vulg. for men of high q. (or degree), 1 Paralip. xvii. 17.
13. hŏnestus: v. honourable.

III. Concrete: the quality: a term formerly used by our best writers, but now vulgar:

1. nōbĭlĭtas: a follower (or admirer) of the q., nobilitatis fautor, Cic. Rosc. Am. 6: cf. superbia commune nobilitatis malum, Sall. J. 64: with a pl. verb, id. ib. 41: also nobiles: cf. n. nostri, Plin. Ep. 5, 17.
2. illustres: used as a title of high officers under the later empire. Also expr. by phrr. with the above subs. and adjs.: but this wants the terseness of the one Eng. word.

IV. In the opp. sense, low or mean q.:

1. hŭmĭlĭtas, atis, f.: h. generis ac nominis, Suet. Vesp. 4: and alone: cf. h. alicujus despicere, Cic. Phil. 13, 10, 23: objicere h. alicui, Liv. 26, 31. Join: propter h. et obscuritatem, Cic. Off. 2, 13, 45: superl., the lowest q. of birth, infima h. natalium, Plin. 18, 6, 7: expr. by adj.: of low q., humiles nati, Phaedr. 1, 27, 2: cf. ut si parentibus nati sint humilibus, Cic. Am. 19, 70. Join: h. et obscuri homines, Cic. Div. 1, 40, 88: cf. Vulg. Luc. i. 52: compar. humiliores, opp. to opulentiores, Hirt. B. G. 8, 51, fin.: superl., humillimus homo de plebe, Liv. 3, 19.
2. ignōbĭlĭtas, ātis, f.: ign. generis: cf. multis viris fortibus ne ignobilitas objiceretur, Cic. Mur. 8, 17: absol. Join: malorum turba quaedam, paupertas, ignobilitas, humilitas, id. Tusc. 5, 12, 29. Also expr. by the adj. ignōbĭlis, ĕ: ign. vulgus, Virg. Aen. 1, 149: a maiden of low q., ign. virgo, Ter. Ph. 1, 2, 70: sprung from a family of no mean q., ex aliqua familia non ignobili, Cic. Verr. 5, 11, 28. Also by ignōtus (poet.): you (don't) turn up your nose at men of low q., (non) naso suspendis adunco Ignotos, Hor. S. 1, 6, 5: cf. Quo patre sit natus, num ignota matre inhonestus, id. ib. 35.

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