I.dumb, mute (class.; cf.: infans, elinguis).
I. Lit., that does not speak, silent.—Of creatures who do not possess the faculty of speech, and can utter only inarticulate sounds: “pecudes,” Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 8, § 24: “bestiae,” id. Fin. 1, 21, 71: “agna,” Hor. S. 2, 3, 219: “armenta,” Stat. Th. 5, 334: “animalia,” Juv. 8, 56: “satius est mutum esse quam quod nemo intellegat dicere,” Cic. Phil. 3, 9, 22: “subjugale, animal,” Vulg. 2 Pet. 2, 16: “vere dici potest, magistratum legem esse loquentem, legem autem mutum magistratum,” Cic. Leg. 3, 1, 2: papae! Jugularas hominem: quid ille? Thr. Mutus illico, he was struck speechless, was silent, could not say a word more, Ter. Eun. 3, 1, 27: “ad mandata mancus est, caecus, mutus,” Plaut. Merc. 3, 4, 45: mutum dices, you shall call me dumb, i. e. I will not say a word, id. Heaut. 4, 4, 26: “omnis pro nobis gratia muta fuit,” has not spoken a word, Ov. P. 2, 7, 52: “mutus aspectus miserorum lacrimas movet,” Quint. 6, 1, 26: “numquam vox est de te mea muta,” i. e. I have never ceased to praise thee, Ov. Tr. 5, 14, 17: “dolore lyra est,” id. H. 15, 198: “spiritus,” which makes one mute, Vulg. Marc. 9, 16; 9, 24.—Of that which utters no sound, dumb, mute, silent: “tintinnabulum,” Plaut. Trin. 4, 2, 163: “imago,” Cic. Cat. 3, 5: “mare,” the silent sea, Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 69: “consonantes,” which cannot be pronounced alone, mutes, Quint. 1, 4, 6: artes, the plastic arts, arts of design, opp. to eloquence, Cic. de Or. 3, 7; also, artes, the silent arts, i. e. which do not concern themselves with language, as medicine, Verg. A. 12, 397: “scientia,” i. e. which does not impart the power of speaking, Quint. 5, 10, 119: “instrumentum fundi,” i. e. wagons, carts, Varr. R. R. 1, 17: “magistri,” i. e. books, Gell. 14, 2, 1: “lapides,” that say nothing, have no inscriptions on them, Hyg. de Lim. p. 156 Goes.: muta exta dicuntur, quibus nihil divinationis aut deorum responsi inesse animadvertunt, contra adjutoria, quae certum aliquid eventurum indicant, Paul. ex Fest. p. 157 Müll.: “simulacra muta,” dumb idols, Vulg. 1 Cor. 12, 2.—
II. Transf., of places where no sound is heard, silent, still: “mutum forum, elinguem curiam, tacitam et fractam civitatem videbatis,” Cic. post Red. 1, 3: “solitudo,” id. Mil. 19: “spelunca,” Stat. Ach. 1, 239.—Of times: “nullum fuit tempus, quod magis debuerit mutum esse a litteris,” in which nothing should have been written, Cic. Att. 8, 14, 1: “silentia noctis,” the deep silence of night, Ov. M. 7, 184.—Of things of which nothing is said: “mutum aevum,” not celebrated, unsung, Sil. 3, 579.—As subst.
