I.gen. plur. incertūm, Pac. ap. Non. 495, 27), adj. 2. incertus; hence, acc. to certus.
I. Object., of things whose (external or internal) qualities are not firmly established, uncertain, unsettled, doubtful, untrustworthy, not fast, not firm (class.): amicus certus in re incerta cernitur, Enn. ap. Cic. Lael. 17, 64 (Trag. v. 428 Vahl.); cf. id. ap. Non. 166, 22 (Trag. v. 12 Vahl.): “incerti socii an hostes essent,” Liv. 30, 35, 9: “incertus (infans) masculus an femina esset,” id. 31, 12, 6; cf. Sall. J. 49, 5: “cum incerta bellum an pax cum Celtiberis essent,” Liv. 34, 19, 8 Weissenb.: spe incerta certum mihi laborem sustuli, Ter. Hec. prol. alt. 9; id. And. 2, 3, 16: “nuptiae,” id. ib. 5, 1, 11: “aetas (puerilis) maxime lubrica atque incerta,” Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 52, § 137: “itinera,” Caes. B. G. 5, 37 fin.: “dominatus,” Cic. Rep. 1, 17: “status,” id. ib. 1, 26: “sedes,” Sall. C. 6, 1: “ambiguae testis incertaeque rei,” Juv. 8, 81: “comarum Anulus incertā non bene fixus acu,” not fast, Mart. 2, 66, 2: “colligere incertos et in ordine ponere crines,” dishevelled, Ov. Am. 1, 11, 1: “per incertam lunam sub luce maligna,” not clearly visible, dim, Verg. A. 6, 270: “soles,” id. ib. 3, 203: “securis,” that did not strike with a sure blow, id. ib. 2, 224: “vultus,” disturbed, uneasy, Sall. J. 106, 2: “ille vitam suam ad incertissimam spem reservavit,” Cic. Sest. 22, 50: arbori incertae nullam prudentia cani Rectoris cum ferret opem, the ship uncertain in her course, because no longer obeying the helm, Juv. 12, 32 Halm. — In neutr. ellipt.: “clauserant portas incertum vi an voluntate,” Liv. 31, 41, 2; 31, 43, 7 al. — Neutr. as adv. (poet.): “incertum vigilans,” Ov. H. 10, 9; Stat. Th. 5, 212. —
II. Subject., as respects one's perceptions or convictions, not firmly established, uncertain, undetermined, doubtful, dubious (so most freq. in prose and poetry): “nihil est incertius vulgo,” Cic. Mur. 17, 36: “casus,” id. Or. 28, 98: “ut alia certa, alia incerta esse dicunt,” id. Off. 2, 2, 7; cf.: est igitur ridiculum, quod est dubium, id relinquere incertum, id. Mur. 32, 68; and: “incerta atque dubia,” Plin. 17, 1, 1, § 9 fin.: “ut incertis temporibus diversisque itineribus iretur,” Caes. B. G. 7, 16 fin.; so, “eventus reliqui temporis,” Cic. Quint. 26, 83: “exitus pugnarum,” id. Mil. 21, 56: “adulterium,” Quint. 7, 2, 52: “auctor,” id. 5, 11, 41: “cujus ora puellares faciunt incerta capilli,” make the sex doubtful, Juv. 15, 137: “incerta persona heres institui non potest,” Ulp. Fragm. 22, 4; Gai. Inst. 2, 242; cf. 2, 238.—
(β).
With rel. or interrog.-clause: “nunc mihi incertumst, abeam an maneam,” Plaut. Aul. 4, 9, 19: “moriendum certe est, et id incertum, an hoc ipso die,” Cic. Sen. 20, 74; cf. Quint. 1, 6, 27: “(Gallus) avem, an gentem, an nomen, an fortunam corporis significet, incertum est,” id. 7, 9, 2: “confessus est quidem sed incertum, utrum quia verum erat, an quia, etc.,” Plin. Ep. 4, 11, 5: “neque plane occultati humilitate arborum et tamen incerti, quidnam esset,” Sall. J. 49, 5 Kritz.—Abl. absol.: “multi annantes navibus incerto prae tenebris, quid aut peterent aut vitarent, foede interierunt,” Liv. 28, 36, 12.—
2. Subst.: incer-tum , i, n., an uncertainty: “quicquid incerti mihi in animo prius aut ambiguum fuit, Nunc liquet, nunc defaecatum est,” Plaut. Ps. 2, 4, 69: “ne cujus incerti vanique auctor esset,” Liv. 4, 13, 9: “incerta maris et tempestatum,” Tac. A. 3, 54: “incerta fortunae experiri,” Plin. Ep. 3, 19, 4: “incerta belli,” Liv. 30, 2: “bona, fortunae possessionesque omnium in dubium incertumque revocabuntur,” Cic. Caecin. 27, 76; cf. id. ib. 13, 38: “Minucius praefectus annonae in incertum creatus,” for an indefinite time, Liv. 4, 13, 7: “postremo fugere an manere tutius foret, in incerto erat,” Sall. J. 38, 5: “Allobroges diu in incerto habuere, quidnam consilii caperent,” id. C. 41, 1; cf. id. J. 46, 8: “imperia ducum in incerto reliquerat,” Tac. H. 2, 33 fin.—
B. Transf., of a person who is in a state of uncertainty respecting any thing, uncertain, in uncertainty, hesitating, doubtful: quo ego ope mea Pro incertis certos compotesque consili Dimitto, Enn. ap. Cic. de Or. 1, 45, 199 (Trag. v. 188 Vahl.): “nolo suspensam et incertam plebem Romanam obscura spe et caeca exspectatione pendere,” Cic. Agr. 2, 25, 66; so, “varius incertusque agitabat,” Sall. J. 74, 1; Plaut. Ep. 3, 4, 3: “ego certe me incerto scio hoc daturum nemini homini,” id. As. 2, 4, 60.—
(β).
With rel.-clause: “quid dicam hisce, incertus sum,” Ter. Hec. 3, 4, 36: “cum incertus essem, ubi esses,” Cic. Att. 1, 9, 1: “incerti ignarique, quid potissimum facerent,” Sall. J. 67, 1: “incerti quidnam esset,” id. ib. 49, 5: “incertus, quonam modo aciem instrueret,” id. ib. 101, 2: “incerti, quo fata ferant, ubi sistere detur,” Verg. A. 3, 7: “incertus, Geniumne loci famulumne parentis Esse putet,” id. ib. 5, 95: “faber, incertus scamnum faceretne Priapum,” Hor. S. 1, 8, 2.—
(γ).
With gen. (not in Cic.): summarum rerum incerti, Enn. ap. Cic. de Or. 1, 45, 199 (Trag. v. 187 Vahl.): “incertusque meae paene salutis eram,” Ov. Tr. 3, 3, 4: “sententiae,” Liv. 4, 57, 3: “veri,” id. 4, 23, 3; 1, 27, 6: “rerum,” id. 24, 24, 9: “ultionis,” Tac. A. 2, 75: “sui,” Stat. Th. 5, 525: “naves incertae locorum, Auct. B. Afr. 7: mox incertus animi, fesso corpore, etc.,” Tac. A. 6, 46; id. H. 3, 55 fin.: “futurorum,” Plin. Ep. 9, 13, 11: “consilii,” Curt. 8, 10, 27.—
(δ).
With abl.: “incerti metu,” Val. Fl. 3, 602.—(ε) With de and abl.: “incertus de salute alicujus,” Plin. Ep. 6, 20, 10.—Hence, adv. in two forms: incertē and incerto (both ante-class.), uncertainly, not certainly, dubiously: incerte errat animus, Enn. ap. Gell. 19, 10, 12 (Trag. v. 259 Vahl.): vagat exsul, Pac. ap. Non. 467, 25 (Trag. Rel. p. 87 Rib.): “ubi Habitet dum incerto scio,” Plaut. Ep. 3, 4, 69: “incerto scio,” id. Ps. 4, 2, 7: “incerto autumo,” id. Ep. 4, 1, 18.