I.lively, gay, festive, joyous, gladsome, merry (syn.: lepidus, urbanus, salsus, facetus).
I. Lit. (ante- and post-class.): festivum festinant diem, Enn. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 9, 401 (Trag. v. 434 ed. Vahl.): “ludi,” Plaut. Cas. 4, 1, 3; cf. “alea,” Gell. 18, 13, 1: “locus,” Plaut. Capt. 2, 1, 5; id. Poen. 5, 1, 9: “facinus lepidum et festivum,” id. ib. 1, 2, 95: “hospitium in lepido loco,” id. ib. 3, 3, 82; cf.: “festivissimum convivium,” Just. 38, 8 fin.—*
B. Subst.: festīvum , i, n., festive jollity, festivity: “in vindemiarum festivo,” Lampr. Heliog. 11.—
II. Transf.
A. In gen., agreeable, pleasing, handsome, pretty: “luculenta atque festiva femina,” Plaut. Mil. 4, 1, 12; cf. id. Ep. 5, 1, 17: “nonne igitur sunt ista festiva?” Cic. Par. 5, 2, 38: “aedes festivissimae,” Plaut. Curc. 1, 1, 93: “area parvula sed festiva,” Plin. Ep. 2, 17, 4: “copia librorum,” Cic. Att. 2, 6, 1: “opera,” Plaut. Mil. 2, 6, 108. —
B. In partic.
1. Of behavior, character, etc., jovial, jocose, agreeable, dear: “quod te isti facilem et festivum putant,” Ter. Ad. 5, 9, 29: “puer,” Cic. Att. 1, 12 fin.; cf.: “quibus (pueris) nihil potest esse festivius,” id. Fam. 6, 4, 3: “filius,” id. Fl. 36, 91: “homo,” id. Phil. 5, 5, 13; id. de Or. 2, 68, 277. —
2. As a term of endearment: “o mi pater festivissime!” Ter. Ad. 5, 9, 26; so, “festivum caput!” id. ib. 2, 3, 8.—
3. Of speech, humorous, pleasant, witty: “dulcis et facetus festivique sermonis,” Cic. Off. 1, 30, 108: “poëma facit ita festivum, ita concinnum, ita elegans, nihil ut fieri possit argutius,” id. Pis. 29, 70: “oratio,” id. de Or. 3, 25, 100: “acroama,” Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 22, § 49; Quint. 6, 3, 39.— Hence, adv., in two forms, festīve (class. ) and festīvĭter (ante- and post-class.). *
2. Transf. *
a. Agreeably, pleasantly, delightfully: o domus parata pulchrae familiae festiviter! Naev. ap. Non. 510, 16. —
b. Humorously, facetiously, wittily.
(α).
Form festive: “agere fabellam,” Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 16, 3: “crimen contexere,” id. Deiot. 6, 19: “dissolvere argumentum,” id. Div. 2, 15, 35: “aliquid odorari,” id. Att. 4, 14, 2: “tradere elementa loquendi,” id. Ac. 2, 28, 92. As a particle of assent: “quare bene et praeclare quamvis nobis saepe dicatur: belle et festive nimium saepe nolo,” Cic. de Or. 3, 26, 101.—
(β).
Form festiviter: Epictetus severe simul ac festiviter sejunxit a vero Stoico, qui esset ἀκώλυτος, Gell. 1, 2, 7: “respondere,” id. 1, 22, 6.—Sup.: decorare festum festivissime, Poët. ap. Charis. 2, p. 180 P. (Rib. Fragm. Trag. Inc. 223).
