Lewis & Short

āio, verb. defect. The forms in use are: pres. indic. āio, ăis, ait—aiunt; subj. aias, aiat—aiant; imperf. indic. throughout, aiebam, aiebas, etc.; imper. ai, rare; part. pres. aiens, rare; once in App. M. 6, p. 178 Elm.; and once as P. a. in Cic. Top. 11, 49, v. below. Cic. wrote the pres. aiio, acc. to Quint. 1, 4, 11.
From ais with the interrog. part. ne, ain is used in colloquial language. For imperf. also aibas, Plaut. Trin. 2, 4, 28; Ter. Ad. 4, 2, 22: aibat, Plaut. Trin. 4, 2, 33; 5, 2, 16: aibant, id. ib. 1, 2, 175; 4, 2, 102; Ter. And. 3, 3, 3; ai is dissyl., but in the imper. also monosyl., Plaut. Truc. 5, 49; cf. Bentl. ad Ter. Ad. 4, 6, 5. Acc. to Prisc. 818 P., the pres. ait seems to take the place of a perf., but acc. to Val. Prob. 1482 P., there was a real perf. ai, aisti, ait; as aisti, Aug. Ep. 54 and 174: aierunt, Tert. Fuga in Persec. 6; the pres. inf. aiere is found in Aug. Trin. 9, 10 [cf. ἠμί = I say; Sanscr. perf. 3d sing. āha = he spake; adagium, adagio; negare for neigare; Umbr. aitu = dicito; Engl. aye = yea, yes, and Germ. ja], to say yes, to assent (opp. nego, to say no; with the ending -tumo, aiutumo; contract. autumo; opp. negumo; v. autumo).

  1. I. In gen.: vel ai vel nega, Naev. ap. Prisc. 473 P.: veltu mihi aias vel neges, Plaut. Rud. 2, 4, 14: negat quis? nego. Ait? aio, Ter. Eun. 2, 2, 21: Diogenes ait, Antipater negat, Cic. Off. 3, 23: quasi ego id curem, quid ille aiat aut neget, id. Fin. 2, 22; so id. Rab. Post. 12, 34.
  2. II. Esp.
    1. A. To say, affirm, or assert something (while dicere signifies to speak in order to inform, and affirmare, to speak in affirmation, Doed. Syn. 4, 6 sq.
      Therefore different from inquam, I say, I reply, since aio is commonly used in indirect, and inquam in direct discourse; cf. Doed. as cited above; Herz. ad Sall. C. 48, 3; and Ramsh. Gr. 800).
        1. a. In indirect discourse: insanam autem illam (sc. esse) aiunt, quia, etc., Pac. ap. Cic. Her. 2, 23, 36; Plaut. Capt. 1, 1, 3: Ch. Hodie uxorem ducis? Pa. Aiunt, they say so, id. ib. 2, 1, 21: ait hac laetitiā Deiotarum elatum vino se obruisse, Cic. Deiot. 9: debere eum aiebat, etc., id. Verr. 2, 1, 18: Tarquinium a Cicerone immissum aiebant, Sall. C. 48, 8: Vos sapere et solos aio bene vivere, Hor. Ep. 1, 15, 45; id. S. 1, 2, 121; id. Ep. 1, 1, 88; 1, 7, 22.
        2. b. In direct discourse: Ennio delector, ait quispiam, quod non discedit a communi more verborum; Pacuvio, inquit alius, Cic. Or. 11, 36: Vos o, quibus integer aevi Sanguis, ait, solidaeque, etc., Verg. A. 2, 639; 6, 630; 7, 121; 12, 156: O fortunati mercatores! gravis annis Miles ait, Hor. S. 1, 1, 4; id. Ep. 1, 15, 40; 1, 16, 47; id. S. 2, 7, 72; 1, 3, 22.
        3. c. With acc.: Causa optumast, Nisi quid pater ait aliud, Ter. And. 5, 4, 47: Admirans ait haec, Cat. 5, 3, 4; 63, 84: Haec ait, Verg. A. 1, 297; v. B.
    2. B. Simply to speak, and esp. in the form of transition, sic ait, thus he speaks or says (cf. the Hom. ὣς φάτο): Sic ait, et dicto citius tumida aequora placat, Verg. A. 1, 142; 5, 365; 9, 749.
      Also of what follows: Sic ait in molli fixa toro cubitum: “Tandem,” etc., Prop. 1, 3, 34.
    3. C. Ut ait quispiam (regularly in this order in Cic.), in quoting an unusual expression, as one says: ut ait Statius noster in Synephebis, Cic. Sen. 7: ut ait Homerus, id. ib. 10: ut ait Theophrastus, id. Tusc. 1, 19, 45: ut ait Thucydides, Nep. Them. 2: ut ait Cicero, Quint. 7, 1, 51; 8, 6, 73; 9, 4, 40; 9, 56, 60: ut Cicero ait, id. 10, 7, 14; 12, 3, 11: ut Demosthenes ait, id. 11, 1, 22: ut rumor ait, Prop. 5, 4, 47: uti mos vester ait, Hor S. 2, 7, 79.
      So without def. subject: ut ait in Synephebis, Cic. Tusc. 1, 14, 31.
    4. D. Aiunt, ut aiunt, quemadmodum or quod aiunt, in quoting a proverbial or technical phrase, as they say, as is said, as the saying is (Gr. τὸ λεγόμενον, ὡς φασί; Fr. on dit; Germ. man sagt), either placed after it or interposed: eum rem fidemque perdere aiunt, Plaut. Curc. 4, 2, 18: ut quimus, aiunt; quando, ut volumus, non licet, Ter. And. 4, 5, 10: docebo sus, ut aiunt, oratorem eum, Cic. de Or. 2, 57: Iste claudus, quemadmodum aiunt, pilam, id. Pis. 28 B. and K.
      Also in telling an anecdote: conspexit, ut aiunt, Adrasum quendam vacuā tonsoris in umbrā, Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 49; 1, 17, 18.
    5. E. In judic. lang.: ait lex, ait praetor, etc., the law, the prœtor says, i. e. prescribes, commands: ut ait lex Julia, Dig. 24, 3, 64: Praetor ait, in eadem causā eum exhibere, etc., ib. 2, 9, 1: Aiunt aediles, qui mancipia vendunt, etc., ib. 21, 1, 1: Ait oratio, fas esse eum, etc., ib. 24, 1, 32 al.
  3. F. Ain? = aisne? also often strengthened: ain tu? ain tute? ain tandem? ain vero? in conversational lang., a form of interrogation which includes the idea of surprise or wonder, sometimes also of reproof or sorrow, do you really mean so? indeed? really? is it possible? often only an emphatic what? Plaut. Ep. 3, 4, 73: Merc. Servus esne an liber? Sos. Utcumque animo conlibitumst meo. Merc. Ain vero? Sos. Aio enim vero, id. ib. 3, 4, 188; id. Am. 1, 1, 128: Phil. Pater, inquam, aderit jam hic meus. Call. Ain tu, pater? id. Most. 2, 1, 36; id. Ep. 5, 2, 33; id. Aul. 2, 2, 9; id. Curc. 2, 3, 44; Ter. Hec. 3, 4, 1; id. Eun. 3, 5, 19 al: Ain tu? Scipio hic Metellus proavum suum nescit censorem non fuisse? Cic. Att. 6, 1; 4, 5 al.: ain tute, Plaut. Truc. 1, 2, 90: ain tandem ita esse, ut dicis? id. Aul. 2, 4, 19; so id. As. 5, 2, 47; id. Trin. 4, 2, 145; Ter. And. 5, 3, 4: ain tandem? insanire tibi videris, quod, etc., Cic. Fam. 9, 21 Manut.; id. Att. 6, 2.
    Also with a plur. verb (cf. age with plur. verb, s. v. ago, IV. a.): ain tandem? inquit, num castra vallata non habetis? Liv. 10, 25.
  4. G. Quid ais? (as in conversation).
        1. a. With the idea of surprise, astonishment, Τί λέγεις (cf. Quid dixisti? Ter. And. 3, 4, 14; id. Eun. 5, 6, 16, Τί εἶπας); what do you say? what? Merc. Quis herus est igitur tibi? Sos. Amphitruo, quicum nuptast Alcumena. Merc. Quid ais? Quid nomen tibist? Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 208; so Ter. And. 4, 1, 42; id. Heaut. 5, 1, 27.
        2. b. When one asks another for his meaning, opinion, or judgment, what do you mean? what do you say or think? Th. Ita me di ament, honestust. Pa. Quid tu ais, Gnatho? Num quid habes, quod contemnas? Quid tu autem, Thraso? Ter. Eun. 3, 2, 21: Hunc ais? Do you mean this man? (= dicis, q. v., II.) Pers. 4, 27.
        3. c. When one wishes to try or prove another, what is your opinion? what do you say? Sed quid ais? quid Amphitruoni [dono] a Telebois datumst? Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 262.
          Hence, * āiens, entis, P. a., affirming, affirmative (usu. affirmativus): negantia contraria aientibus, Cic. Top. 11, 49.