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sperno , sprēvi, sprētum, 3 (
I.perf. sync. sprērunt, Prud. Dittoch. 31), v. a. root spar-, to part; Sanscr. spar-itar, enemy; cf. Lat. parcus; Germ. sperren, to sever, separate, remove (syn.: segrego, separo; perh. only in the foll. passages): jus atque aequom se a malis spernit procul, Enn. ap. Non. 399, 10 (Trag. v. 224 Vahl.): “nunc spes, opes auxiliaque a me segregant spernuntque se,Plaut. Capt. 3, 3, 2 Brix ad loc.: “ille illas spernit segregatque ab se omnis extra te unam,id. Mil. 4, 6, 17 Lorenz ad loc.—
II. Transf., subject., to despise, contemn, reject, scorn, spurn (the class. signif.; esp. freq. after the Aug. period; syn.: contemnere, despicere; pro nihilo putare, etc.; “opp. colere): meam speciem spernat (a little later: se contemnit),Plaut. Mil. 4, 6, 20: spernitur orator bonus, horridus miles amatur, Enn. ap. Gell. 20, 10 (Ann. v. 273 Vahl.): “non respondit, nos sprevit et pro nihilo putavit,Cic. Phil. 13, 9, 21; id. Rep. 1, 43, 67: “cum spernerentur ab iis, a quibus essent coli soliti,id. Sen. 3, 7: “sperni ab iis veteres amicitias, indulgeri novis,id. Lael. 15, 54; Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 98: “me animo non spernis,Verg. E. 3, 74: “comitemne sororem Sprevisti moriens,id. A. 4, 678: “quis tam inimicus nomini Romano est, qui Ennii Medeam spernat,Cic. Fin. 1, 2, 4: “veritas auspiciorum spreta est,id. N. D. 2, 3, 9: “aliorum judicia,id. Or. 13, 41: “prodigus et stultus donat quae spernit et odit,Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 20 et saep.: “doctrina deos spernens,Liv. 10, 40, 10: “conscientia spretorum (deorum),id. 21, 63, 7; 30, 40, 5: “ab eo quoque spretum consulis imperium est,id. 41, 10, 9; so, “imperium,id. 8, 30, 11: “litteras praetoris,id. 30, 24, 3: “consilium,Ov. M. 6, 30; Curt. 3, 2, 18: “voluptates,Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 55: “dulces amores,id. C. 1, 9, 16: “cibum vilem,id. S. 2, 2, 15: “(genus orationis) spretum et pulsum foro,Cic. Or. 13, 42: “haudquaquam spernendus auctor,Liv. 30, 45, 5; cf. Col. 1, 1, 4: “haud spernendos falsi tituli testes,Liv. 4, 20, 11: “neque morum spernendus,Tac. A. 14, 40: “spernens dotis,App. Mag. p. 332.—Poet. with inf.: “nec partem solido demere de die Spernit,Hor. C. 1, 1, 21: “obsequio deferri spernit aquarum,Ov. M. 9, 117.
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