Humanistic Studies of the University of Kansas, Vol. 1Mitchell, Arthur
Philosophy
Humanistic Studies of the University of Kansas, Vol. 1
Mitchell, Arthur
Humanities
Delectamentum (delecto) might at first sight be taken to be the means
by which one is delighted. That such is not necessarily so may be seen
from the examples: qui me pro ridiculo ac delectamento putat, Heaut.
952; inania sunt ista delectamenta puerorum, captare plausus, vehi per
urbem, Pis. 25, 60. In both these examples the source of delight and
the delight itself are too close in meaning to warrant the drawing of
any distinction.
2. NOUNS DENOTING RESULT OF ACTION, WITH RESTRICTED APPLICATION.--The
preceding four words, as has been said, are of general application,
because their verb stems have a general meaning. There are five nouns
expressing result of action which have a narrower and more restricted
sense than their verb stems would require.
Caementum (caedo) means not everything that is cut off, but a piece of
rough stone: in eam insulam materiem, calcem, caementa, arma convexit,
Mil. 27, 74; caementum de silice frangatur, Vitr. 8, 7, 14. The
influence of caedo here is slight; only the context shows the meaning
of “stone.”
Sarmentum (sarpo) is not everything that is plucked, but twigs or
fagots: ligna et sarmenta circumdare, ignemque subicere coeperunt,
Verr. II, 1, 27; sarmentis virgultisque collectis, quibus fossas
compleant, ad castra pergunt, B. G. 3, 18; ne vitis sarmentis
silvescat, C. 15. In the last example the noun is used of objects not
at all necessarily affected by the verb stem sarpere.
Pavimentum (pavio) is a floor, or pavement (something beaten down): ubi
structum erit, pavito fricatoque oleo, uti pavimentum bonum siet, Cato,
R. R. 18; mero tingete pavimentum, Hor. C. 2, 14, 26. In Bell. Alex.
1, it means a roof: aedificia tecta sunt rudere aut pavimentis. The
predominating element in the meaning of the word is that it denotes the
result of the action expressed in pavire.
Sicilimentum (sicilio) in the single instance of its occurrence plainly
means what is cut with a sickle: faenum cordum, sicilamenta de prato,
ea arida condito, Cato, R. R. 5.
Testamentum (testor) is not necessarily the _means_ of bearing witness
nor of making a will--a particular significance which this verb stem
sometimes has,--but is the document itself: antequam tabulas testamenti
aperuit, Ad Her. I, 24; quare sit in lege aut in testamento scriptum,
Inv. II, 137; una fui, testamentum simul obsignavi, Mil. 18, 48.
Lutamentum (lutare) in the single occurrence we have of it evidently
means, by inference from the passage in which it is found, a mud wall,
or a piece of work bedaubed with mud: neque lutamenta scindent se,
Cato, R. R. 128.
The contribution of stem-meaning, in this class of _-mentum_ words
to the meanings of the words themselves is quite apparent. Whatever
else they suggest, the verb stems all suggest the result of the action
expressed by them; and this result of action is expressed by the
_-mentum_ word.
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