I.a leaning, bending, inclining to one side (class., esp. in the trop. signif.).
I. Lit.
A. In gen.: “(corporis) ingressus, cursus, accubitio, inclinatio, sessio, etc.,” Cic. N. D. 1, 34, 94: “corporis,” Quint. 1, 11, 16: “fortis ac virilis laterum,” id. ib. 18: “incumbentis in mulierculam,” id. 11, 3, 90: “alternā egerunt scobem,” Plin. 16, 43, 83, § 227: “merso navigio inclinatione lateris unius,” id. 8, 51, 77, § 208.— In plur.: “variis trepidantium inclinationibus,” Tac. H. 2, 35; Plin. 37, 10, 58, § 160.—
B. In partic.: caeli, a transl. of the Gr. κλίμα, the inclination or slope of the earth from the equator to the pole, a parallel of latitude, clime, Vitr. 1, 1; Gell. 14, 1, 8; “for which, mundi,” Vitr. 6, 1.—
II. Trop., an inclination, tendency.
A. In gen.: “ad meliorem spem,” Cic. Sest. 31, 67: “crudelitas est inclinatio animi ad asperiora,” Sen. Clem. 2, 4 med.: “alii (loci communes) ad totius causae inclinationem (faciunt),” Quint. 5, 13, 57.—
B. In partic., inclination, bias, favor: “voluntatis,” Cic. de Or. 2, 29, 129; cf. “voluntatum,” id. Mur. 26, 53: “judicum ad aliquem,” Quint. 6, 1, 20: “principum inclinatio in hos, offensio in illos,” Tac. A. 4, 20: “utendum ea inclinatione Caesar ratus,” id. ib. 1, 28: “senatus,” id. ib. 2, 38: “animorum,” Liv. 44, 31, 1: “in aliquem,” Tac. H. 2, 92 —
C. Transf.
1. (Qs., a leaning or bending out of its former position; hence.) An alteration, change: “communium temporum,” Cic. Balb. 26, 58: “an ignoratis, populi Romani vectigalia perlevi saepe momento fortunae inclinatione temporis pendere?” id. Agr. 2, 29, 80; cf. id. Phil. 5, 10, 26: “hoc amplius Theophrastus (scripsit), quae essent in re publica rerum inclinationes et momenta temporum,” id. Fin. 5, 4, 11: “inclinationes temporum atque momenta,” id. Fam. 6, 10, 5; cf. id. Planc. 39, 94.—
2. Rhet. t. t.: vocis, the play of the voice, its elevation and depression in impassioned speech, Cic. Brut. 43, 158; plur., Quint. 11, 3, 168. —
3. In the old gram. lang., the formation or derivation of a word, Varr. L. L. 9, § 1 Müll.