I. With acc. rei, to merit, deserve a thing (ante-and post-class., and very rare): “aliquid mercedis domino,” Plaut. Ps. 4, 7, 90: “grandem pecuniam,” Gell. 1, 8, 3: “demeritae laetitiae,” Plaut. Ps. 2, 4, 14.—
II. (Since the Aug. per.) With acc. pers., to deserve well of, to oblige: “avunculum magnopere,” Suet. Aug. 8: “nec tibi sit servos demeruisse pudor,” Ov. A. A. 2, 252: “crimine te potui demeruisse meo,” id. Her. 2, 28: “matrona amoenitate aliqua demerenda erit,” Col. 1, 4, 8. In this signif. usually in the deponent form, dē-mĕrĕor (not ante-Aug.): ut pleniori obsequio demererer amantissimos meos, Quint. prooem. § 3; so, “Pompeium et Caesarem, quorum nemo alterum offendere audebat, nisi ut alterum demereretur, simul provocavit,” lay under obligation, Sen. Ep. 104, 33; id. Ben. 1, 2, 5: “demerendi beneficio tam potentem civitatem occasio,” Liv. 3, 18: “in Regulo demerendo,” Plin. Ep. 4, 2, 4; Suet. Vit. 2; id. Oth. 4; Quint. 9, 2, 29; Tac. A. 15, 21 al.
