Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary

I.nom. sing. infer: “ubi super inferque vicinus permittet,” Cato, R. R. 149), adj. cf. Sanscr. adh-aras, adh-amas, the lower, lowest; and Lat. infra, that is below, underneath, lower; opp. superus.

I. Posit.

A. In gen.: inferus an superus tibi fert Deus funera, Liv. Andr. ap. Prisc. p. 606 P.; cf.: “Di Deaeque superi atque inferi,” Plaut. Cist. 2, 1, 36; Ter. Phorm. 4, 4, 6; cf. “also: ut ex tam alto dignitatis gradu ad superos videantur deos potius quam ad inferos pervenisse,” Cic. Lael. 3, 12: “limen superum inferumque salve,” Plaut. Merc. 5, 1, 1: “ut omnia supera, infera, prima, ultima, media videremus,” Cic. Tusc. 1, 26, 64: “loca,” the lower parts, id. Arat. 474: “fulmina,” that come out of the ground, Plin. 2, 52, 53, § 138: aqua, that falls down, rain-water, Varr. ap. Non. 1, 221: mare inferum, the Lower, i. e. the Tuscan Sea (opp. mare superum, the Upper or Adriatic Sea), Mel. 2, 4; Plin. 3, 5, 10, § 75; Cic. Att. 9, 3, 1; id. de Or. 3, 19 et saep. also without mare: “navigatio infero,” upon the Tuscan Sea, id. Att. 9, 5, 1.—

B. In partic., underground, belonging to the Lower World: infĕri , ōrum, m. (gen. inferūm for inferorum, Varr. ap. Macr. S. 1, 16; Sen. de Ira, 2, 35), the inhabitants of the infernal regions, the dead: “triceps apud inferos Cerberus,” Cic. Tusc. 1, 5, 10: “si ab inferis exsistat rex Hiero,” were to rise from the dead, Liv. 26, 32: “si salvi esse velint, Sulla sit iis ab inferis excitandus,” to be raised from the dead, Cic. Cat. 2, 9, 20: “inferorum animas elicere,” id. Vatin. 6, 14: “ad inferos poenas parricidii luere,” in the infernal regions, id. Phil. 14, 12, 32: “ab inferis excitare aliquem,” i. e. to quote the words of one deceased, id. Or. 25, 85; id. Brut. 93, 322.

II. Comp.: infĕrĭor , ius, lower in situation or place.

A. Lit.: “spatium,” Caes. B. G. 7, 46, 3: “locus,” id. ib. 2, 25: “pars,” id. ib. 7, 35: ex inferiore loco dicere, from below (opp. ex superiore loco, from the tribunal), Cic. Att. 2, 24, 3; cf. “superus, II. A.: onerosa suo pondere in inferius feruntur,” downwards, Ov. M. 15, 241: “scriptura,” Cic. Inv. 2, 40, 117.—Plur. subst.: infĕrĭōres , um, m., the people of the lower part of the city, Auct. B. Alex. 6, 3. —

B. Trop.

1. Subsequent, later, latter, in time or succession: “erant inferiores quam illorum aetas, qui, etc.,” lived later, were younger, Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 5, 2; cf.: “aetate inferiores paulo quam Iulius, etc.,” id. Brut. 49, 182; and: “inferioris aetatis esse,” id. ib. 64, 228: “inferiores quinque dies,” the latter, Varr. L. L. 6, § 13 Müll. —

2. Inferior in quality, rank, or number.

(α). With abl. specif.: “voluptatibus erant inferiores, nec pecuniis ferme superiores,” Cic. Rep. 2, 34: “inferior fortunā,” id. Fam. 13, 5, 2: “dignitate, auctoritate, existimatione, gratia non inferior, quam qui umquam fuerunt amplissimi,” id. Q. Fr. 1, 3, 6: “inferiores animo,” Caes. B. G. 3, 24: “quemadmodum causa inferior, dicendo fieri superior posset,” Cic. Brut. 8: “erat multo inferior navium numero Brutus,” Caes. B. C. 1, 57. — With abl.: “ut humanos casus virtute inferiores putes,” Cic. Lael. 2.—

(β). With in and abl.: “in jure civili non inferior, quam magister fuit,” Cic. Brut. 48, 179.—

(γ). Absol.: “inferiores extollere,” Cic. Lael. 20, 72; cf. id. ib. § “71: invident homines maxime paribus aut inferioribus,” id. de Or. 2, 52, 209; cf.: “indignum est, a pari vinci aut superiore, indignius ab inferiore atque humiliore,” id. Quint. 31: “supplices inferioresque,” id. Font. 11: “ordines,” Caes. B. C. 1, 46: “crudelis in inferiores,” Auct. Her. 4, 40: “non inferiora secutus,” naught inferior, Verg. A. 6, 170.

III. Sup. in two forms: infĭmus (or infŭmus ) and īmus .

A. Form infimus (infumus), a, um, lowest, last (= imus; “but where the lowest of several objects is referred to, infimus is used,” Cic. N. D. 1, 37, 103; 2, 6, 17; v. Krebs, Antibarb. p. 588).

1. Lit.: “stabiliendi causa singuli ab infimo solo pedes terra exculcabantur,” Caes. B. G. 7, 73, 7: “ab infimis radicibus montis,” id. B. C. 1, 41, 3; 1, 42, 2: “cum scripsissem haec infima,” Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 1, 6: “ab infima ara,” from the lowest part of the altar, id. Div. 1, 33; cf.: “sub infimo colle,” the foot, Caes. B. G. 7, 79. — Subst.: infĭmum , i, n., the lowest part, bottom, in the phrase: “ab infimo,” from below, at the bottom, Plaut. Most. 3, 2, 140: “collis erat leniter ab infimo acclivis,” Caes. B. G. 7, 19, 1 (for which, ab imo; “v. below, B. 1.): stipites demissi et ab infimo revincti,” id. ib. 7, 73, 3; cf. Sen. Q. N. 3, 30, 4; 6, 4, 1; so, “ad infimum,” at the bottom, Caes. B. G. 7, 73, 3: “collis passus circiter CC. infimus apertus,” at the bottom, id. ib. 2, 18, 2.—

2. Trop., lowest, meanest, basest in quality or rank: “infima faex populi,” Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 6; cf.: “condicio servorum,” id. Off. 1, 13: “infimo loco natus,” id. Fl. 11: “summos cum infimis pari jure retinebat,” id. Off. 2, 12: “humilitas natalium,” Plin. 18, 6, 7, § 37: “preces,” the most humble, Liv. 8, 2; 29, 30. — Hence, infĭmē , adv., only trop., at the bottom (late Lat.): “quid summe est, quid infime,” Aug. Ep. 18, 2. —

B. Form imus , a, um, the lowest, deepest, last ( = infimus; but when opp. to summus, to express a whole from end to end, imus is used; v. Suet. Aug. 79; Quint. 2, 13, 9; Liv. 24, 34, 9; Cic. Rosc. Com. 7, 20; Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 54; cf. Krebs, Antibarb. p. 588).

1. Lit.: “ab imis unguibus usque ad verticem summum,” Cic. Rosc. Com. 7, 20: “terra ima sede semper haeret,” id. Rep. 6, 18: “fundo in imo,” at the very bottom, Verg. A. 6, 581: vox, the deepest bass (opp. vox summa, the treble), Hor. S. 1, 3, 7; Quint. 11, 3, 15: “conviva,” that reclines at the bottom, Hor. S. 2, 8, 40; Mart. 6, 74: “ad imam quercum,” at the foot of the oak, Phaedr. 2, 4, 3: “in aure ima,” at the bottom of the ear, Plin. 11, 45, 103, § 205. — As substt.

A. Plur.: īmi , ōrum, m., the lowest, most humble: “aequalis ad maximos imosque pervenit clementiae tuae admiratio,” Sen. Clem. 1, 1, 9: “pacis et armorum superis imisque deorum Arbiter,” Ov. F. 5, 665. —

B. īmum , i, n., the bottom, depth, low est part. Lit.: “ab imo ad summum,” Hor. S. 2, 3, 308: “locus erat paulatim ab imo acclivis,” Caes. B. G. 3, 19, 1 (for which, ab infimo; v. above, A. 1.); so, “tigna paulum ab imo praeacuta,” id. ib. 4, 17: “suspirare ab imo,” to fetch a deep sigh, Ov. A. A. 3, 675: “(aures) instabiles imo facit,” at the bottom. at their roots, id. M. 11, 177: “aquae perspicuae imo,” down to the bottom, id. ib. 5, 588. — Plur.: “ima summis mutare,” to turn the lowest into the highest, Hor. C. 1, 34, 12; Vell. 2, 2: “ima,” the under world, Ov. M. 10, 47.—With gen.: “ima maris,” the bottom of the sea, Plin. 32, 6, 21, § 64: “ima montis,” the foot of a mountain, id. 4, 11, 18, § 40.—

2. Trop., with respect to time or order, the last (mostly poet.): “mensis,” Ov. F. 2, 52.—Hence, subst.: īmum , i, n., the last, the end: “nihil nostrā intersit an ab summo an ab imo nomina dicere incipiamus,” Auct. Her. 3, 18, 30: “si quid inexpertum scaenae committis ... servetur ad imum,” till the last, to the end, Hor. A. P. 126: “dormiet in lucem ... ad imum Threx erit,” at last, id. Ep. 1, 18, 35.