Lewis & Short

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argŭo, ŭi, ūtum (ŭĭtum, hence arguiturus, Sall. Fragm. ap. Prisc. p. 882 P.), 3, v. a. [cf. ἀργής, white; ἀργός, bright; Sanscr. árgunas, bright; ragatas, white; and rag, to shine (v. argentum and argilla); after the same analogy we have clarus, bright; and claro, to make bright, to make evident; and the Engl. clear, adj., and to clear = to make clear; v. Curt. p. 171].

  1. A. In gen., to make clear, to show, prove, make known, declare, assert, μηνύειν: arguo Eam me vidisse intus, Plaut. Mil. 2, 3, 66: non ex auditu arguo, id. Bacch. 3, 3, 65: M. Valerius Laevinus … speculatores, non legatos, venisse arguebat, Liv. 30, 23: degeneres animos timor arguit, Verg. A. 4, 13: amantem et languor et silentium Arguit, Hor. Epod. 11, 9; id. C. 1, 13, 7.
    Pass., in a mid. signif.: apparet virtus arguiturque malis, makes itself known, Ov. Tr. 4, 3, 80: laudibus arguitur vini vinosus Homerus, betrays himself, Hor. Ep. 1, 19, 6.
  2. B. Esp.
      1. a. With aliquem, to attempt to show something, in one’s case, against him, to accuse, reprove, censure, charge with: Indicāsse est detulisse; arguisse accusāsse et convicisse, Dig. 50, 16, 197 (cf. Fest. p. 22: Argutum iri in discrimen vocari): tu delinquis, ego arguar pro malefactis? Enn. (as transl. of Eurip. Iphig. Aul. 384: Εἶτ’ ἐγὼ δίκην δῶ σῶν κακῶν ὁ μὴ σφαλείς) ap. Rufin. § 37: servos ipsos neque accuso neque arguo neque purgo, Cic. Rosc. Am. 41, 120: Pergin, sceleste, intendere hanc arguere? Plaut. Mil. 2, 4, 27; 2, 2, 32: hae tabellae te arguunt, id. Bacch. 4, 6, 10: an hunc porro tactum sapor arguet oris? Lucr. 4, 487: quod adjeci, non ut arguerem, sed ne arguerer, Vell. 2, 53, 4: coram aliquem arguere, Liv. 43, 5: apud praefectum, Tac. A. 14, 41: (Deus) arguit te heri, Vulg. Gen. 31, 42; ib. Lev. 19, 17; ib. 2 Tim. 4, 2; ib. Apoc. 3, 19 al.
      2. b. With the cause of complaint in the gen.; abl. with or without de; with in with abl.; with acc.; with a clause as object; or with ut (cf. Ramsh. p. 326; Zumpt, § 446).
        1. (α) With gen.: malorum facinorum, Plaut. Ps. 2, 4, 56 (cf. infra, argutus, B. 2.): aliquem probri, Stupri, dedecoris, id. Am. 3, 2, 2: viros mortuos summi sceleris, Cic. Rab. Perd. 9, 26: aliquem tanti facinoris, id. Cael. 1: criminis, Tac. H. 1, 48: furti me arguent, Vulg. Gen. 30, 33; ib. Eccl. 11, 8: repetundarum, Tac. A. 3, 33: occupandae rei publicae, id. ib. 6, 10: neglegentiae, Suet. Caes. 53: noxae, id. Aug. 67: veneni in se comparati, id. Tib. 49: socordiae, id. Claud. 3: mendacii, id. Oth. 10: timoris, Verg. A. 11, 384: sceleris arguemur, Vulg. 4 Reg. 7, 9; ib. Act. 19, 40 al.
        2. (β) With abl.: te hoc crimine non arguo, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 18; Nep. Paus. 3 fin.
        3. (γ) With de: de eo crimine, quo de arguatur, Cic. Inv 2, 11, 37: de quibus quoniam verbo arguit, etc., id. Rosc. Am. 29 fin.: Quis arguet me de peccato? Vulg. Joan. 8, 46; 16, 8.
        4. (δ) With in with abl. (eccl. Lat.): non in sacrificiis tuis arguam te, Vulg. Psa. 49, 8.
          (ε) With acc.: quid undas Arguit et liquidam molem camposque natantīs? of what does he impeach the waves? etc., quid being here equivalent to cujus or de quo, Lucr. 6, 405 Munro.
          (ζ) With an inf.-clause as object: quae (mulier) me arguit Hanc domo ab se subripuisse, Plaut. Men. 5, 2, 62; id. Mil. 2, 4, 36: occidisse patrem Sex. Roscius arguitur, Cic. Rosc. Am. 13, 37: auctor illius injuriae fuisse arguebatur? id. Verr. 2, 1, 33: qui sibimet vim ferro intulisse arguebatur, Suet. Claud. 16; id. Ner. 33; id. Galb. 7: me Arguit incepto rerum accessisse labori, Ov. M. 13, 297; 15, 504.
          (η) With ut, as in Gr. ὡς (post-Aug. and rare), Suet. Ner. 7: hunc ut dominum et tyrannum, illum ut proditorem arguentes, as being master and tyrant, Just. 22, 3.
  • II. Transf. to the thing.
      1. 1. To accuse, censure, blame: ea culpa, quam arguo, Liv. 1, 28: peccata coram omnibus argue, Vulg. 1 Tim. 5, 20: tribuni plebis dum arguunt in C. Caesare regni voluntatem, Vell. 2, 68; Suet. Tit. 5 fin.: taciturnitatem pudoremque quorumdam pro tristitiā et malignitate arguens, id. Ner. 23; id. Caes. 75: arguebat et perperam editos census, he accused of giving a false statement of property, census, id. Calig. 38: primusque animalia mensis Arguit imponi, censured, taught that it was wrong, Ov. M. 15, 73: ut non arguantur opera ejus, Vulg. Joan. 3, 20.
      2. 2. Trop., to denounce as false: quod et ipsum Fenestella arguit, Suet. Vit. Ter. p. 292 Roth.
        With reference to the person, to refute, confute: aliquem, Suet. Calig. 8.
        Hence, argūtus, a, um, P. a.
    1. A. Of physical objects, clear.
      1. 1. To the sight, bright, glancing, lively: manus autem minus arguta, digitis subsequens verba, non exprimens, not too much in motion, Cic. de Or. 3, 59, 220 (cf. id. Or. 18, 59: nullae argutiae digitorum, and Quint. 11, 3, 119-123): manus inter agendum argutae admodum et gestuosae, Gell. 1, 5, 2: et oculi nimis arguti, quem ad modum animo affecti sumus, loquuntur, Cic. Leg. 1, 9, 27: ocelli, Ov. Am. 3, 3, 9; 3, 2, 83: argutum caput, a head graceful in motion, Verg. G. 3, 80 (breve, Servius, but this idea is too prosaic): aures breves et argutae, ears that move quickly (not stiff, rigid), Pall. 4, 13, 2: argutā in soleā, in the neat sandal, Cat. 68, 72.
  • 2.
    1. a. To the hearing, clear, penetrating, piercing, both of pleasant and disagreeable sounds, clear-sounding, sharp, noisy, rustling, whizzing, rattling, clashing, etc. (mostly poet.): linguae, Naev. ap. Non. p. 9, 24: aves, Prop. 1, 18, 30: hirundo, chirping, Verg. G. 1, 377: olores, tuneful, id. E. 9, 36: ilex, murmuring, rustling (as moved by the wind), id. ib. 7, 1: nemus, id. ib. 8, 22 al.
      Hence, a poet. epithet of the musician and poet, clear-sounding, melodious: Neaera, Hor. C. 3, 14, 21: poëtae, id. Ep. 2, 2, 90: fama est arguti Nemesis formosa Tibullus, Mart. 8, 73, 7: forum, full of bustle or din, noisy, Ov. A.A. 1, 80: serra, grating, Verg. G. 1, 143: pecten, rattling, id. ib. 1, 294; id. A. 7, 14 (cf. in Gr. κερκὶς ἀοιδός, Aristoph. Ranae, v. 1316) al.
      Hence, of rattling, prating, verbose discourse: sine virtute argutum civem mihi habeam pro preaeficā, etc., Plaut. Truc. 2, 6, 14: [Neque mendaciloquom neque adeo argutum magis], id. Trin. 1, 2, 163 Ritschl.
        1. b. Trop., of written communications, rattling, wordy, verbose: obviam mihi litteras quam argutissimas de omnibus rebus crebro mittas, Cic. Att. 6, 5: vereor, ne tibi nimium arguta haec sedulitas videatur, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 1.
          Transf. to omens, clear, distinct, conclusive, clearly indicative, etc.: sunt qui vel argutissima haec exta esse dicant, Cic. Div. 2, 12 fin.: non tibi candidus argutum sternuit omen Amor? Prop. 2, 3, 24.
      1. 3. To the smell; sharp, pungent: odor argutior, Plin. 15, 3, 4, § 18.
      2. 4. To the taste; sharp, keen, pungent: sapor, Pall. 3, 25, 4; 4, 10, 26.
    2. B. Of mental qualities.
      1. 1. In a good sense, bright, acute, sagacious, witty: quis illo (sc. Catone) acerbior in vituperando? in sententiis argutior? Cic. Brut. 17, 65: orator, id. ib. 70, 247: poëma facit ita festivum, ita concinnum, ita elegans, nihil ut fieri possit argutius, id. Pis. 29; so, dicta argutissima, id. de Or. 2, 61, 250: sententiae, id. Opt. Gen. 2: acumen, Hor. A. P. 364: arguto ficta dolore queri, dexterously-feigned pain, Prop. 1, 18, 26 al.
      2. 2. In a bad sense, sly, artful, cunning: meretrix, Hor. S. 1, 10, 40: calo. id. Ep. 1, 14, 42: milites, Veg. Mil. 3, 6.
        As a pun: ecquid argutus est? is he cunning? Ch. Malorum facinorum saepissime (i.e. has been accused of), Plaut. Ps. 2, 4, 56 (v. supra, I. B. a.).
        Hence, adv.: argūtē (only in the signif. of B.).
        1. a. Subtly, acutely: respondere, Cic. Cael. 8: conicere, id. Brut. 14, 53: dicere, id. Or. 28, 98.
          Comp.: dicere, Cic. Brut. 11, 42.
          Sup.: de re argutissime disputare, Cic. de Or. 2, 4, 18.
        2. b. Craftily: obrepere, Plaut. Trin. 4, 2, 132; Arn. 5, p. 181.