I.a nomad: “Arabia Numidarum,” Vitr. 8, 3, 8 ( = Arabia Nomadum, Plin. 5, 16, 15, § 72): Numidas dicimus quos Graeci Νομάδας, sive quod id genus hominum pecoribus negotietur, sive quod herbis, ut pecora aluntur, Paul. ex Fest. p. 173 Müll.—
II. In partic., a Numidian; usually in the plur., Nŭmĭ-dae , ārum, the Numidians, a people of Northern Africa, between Mauritania and the territory of Carthage, in the modern Algiers, Sall. J. 46, 3; 66, 2; 89, 7; Liv. 29, 31; 34; Verg. A. 4, 41; Hor. C. 3, 11, 47.— “Enslaved and used in Rome as mounted attendants and messengers,” Sen. Ep. 87, 8; 123, 6; Tac. H. 2, 40; Inscr. Orell. 2877: “Numidarum columnae,” i. e. of Numidian marble, Juv. 7, 182.—In gen. plur.: “Numidūm gentes,” Mart. 12, 26, 6.—In sing.: “Numida,” Sall. J. 12, 4.—
2. As adj., of or belonging to the Numidians, Numidian: “Numidae jaculatores,” Liv. 28, 11; “Numidae leones,” Ov. A. A. 2, 183; “Numida dens,” i. e. ivory, id. P. 4, 9, 28: “ursos figebat Numidas,” Juv. 4, 100.—
3. A Roman surname: “Plotius Numida,” Hor. C. 1, 36.—
B. Hence,
1. Nŭmĭdĭa , ae, f., the country of Numidia, Mel. 1, 6, 1; Plin. 5, 3, 2, § 22; Sall. J. 8, 1; 13, 2; 16, 5; Col. 3, 12, 6 et saep.— Whence, Nŭmĭdĭānus , a, um, adj, Numidian, Plin. 15, 15, 16, § 55.—
2. Nŭmĭ-dĭcus , a, um, adj., Numidian: “equi Numidici,” Liv. 30, 6: “scuta,” Sall. J. 94, 1: “cedri,” Plin. 16, 40, 79, § 216: “gallina,” Col. 8, 2, 2; “called also Numidicae aves,” Plin. 10, 48, 67, § 132: “marmor, called also Libycum, Poenum,” id. 5, 3, 2, § 22; 36, 6, 8, § 49; Sen. Ep. 86, 6: Numidicus, a surname of Q. Caecilius Metellus, bestowed on him for his victory over Jugurtha, Vell. 2, 11, 2; Aur. Vict. Vir. Ill. 62, 1.
