I.of or belonging to the country, rural, rustic, country- (very freq. and class.; syn. agrestis; opp. urbanus).
I. Lit.: “vita,” Varr. R. R. 3, 1, 1; cf.: “vita haec rustica, quam tu agrestem vocas,” Cic. Rosc. Am. 27, 75: “duae vitae hominum, rustica et urbana,” id. ib. 17, 48: “Romani (opp. urbani),” Varr. R. R. 2, praef. § 1; cf. plebes (opp. urbana), Col. praef. § 17; “praedia,” Cic. Rosc. Am. 15, 42: “hortus,” Plin. Ep. 2, 17, 15: “instrumentum,” Phaedr. 4, 4, 24: “opus,” Ter. Heaut. 1, 1, 90: “res,” Cic. de Or. 1, 16, 69; 1, 58, 249; “Col. praef. § 19 sq.: homo (with agricola),” Cic. Rosc. Am. 49, 143; id. N. D. 3, 5, 11: “colona,” Ov. F. 2, 645; cf. “Phidyle,” Hor. C. 3, 23, 2: “mus (opp. urbanus),” id. S. 2, 6, 80; 115: “gallinae,” heathcocks, Varr. R. R. 3, 9, 16; Col. 8, 2, 1 sq. (cf. infra, B. 2. b.): “numina,” Ov. M. 1, 192: “fistula,” id. ib. 8, 191: “sedulitas,” id. F. 6, 534: “regna,” id. H. 4, 132: “opprobria versibus alternis,” Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 146: “carcer,” Juv. 14, 24.—
B. Substt.
1. ru-stĭcus , i, m., a countryman, rustic, peasant; in plur.: rustici, country people, rustics: “urbani fiunt rustici, etc.,” Plaut. Mere. 4, 3, 15 sq.: “omnes urbani, rustici,” Cic. Fin. 2, 23, 77; cf. id. Or. 24, 81; “semper occant prius quam sarriunt rustici,” Plaut. Capt. 3, 5, 5; id. Most. 5, 1, 28; Col. 2, 4, 8; 9, 10 et saep.—In sing., Ov. M. 2, 699; Hor. Epod. 2, 68; id. Ep. 1, 7, 83; 2, 2, 39; Vulg. Sap. 17, 16.—
2. rustĭca , ae, f.
a. A country girl, Ov. M. 5, 583.—
b. (Sc. gallina.) A heath-cock, Mart. 13, 76 (cf. supra, A., and rusticulus, II. B.).—
II. Transf., countrylike, rustic, simple, in a good or (more freq.) in a bad sense, i. e. plain, simple, provincial, rough, coarse, gross, awkward, clownish, etc. (in this sense not freq. till after the Aug. period; “previously, as in Cic., agrestis was more used): rustica vox et agrestis quosdam delectat, etc. ... neque solum rusticam asperitatem, sed etiam peregrinam insolentiam fugere discamus,” Cic. de Or. 3, 11, 42; 12, 44: “pro bardā et pro rusticā haberi,” Plaut. Pers. 2, 1, 2: “rusticus inlitteratusque litigator,” Quint. 2, 21, 16: “manus (with indoctae),” id. 1, 11, 16; cf. “with indoctus,” id. 12, 10, 53; “with barbarus,” id. 2, 20, 6; “(opp. disertus) 7, 1, 43: id vitium sermonis non barbarum esse, sed rusticum,” Gell. 13, 6, 2: “Germana illuvies, rusticus, hircus, hara suis, etc.,” a lout, clown, Plaut. Most. 1, 1, 39 Lorenz ad loc.: “rusticus es, Corydon,” Verg. E. 2, 56: “quid coeptum, rustice, rumpis iter?” Ov. Am. 3, 6, 88: “addidit obscenis convicia rustica dictis,” id. M. 14, 522: sive procax aliqua est; “capior, quia rustica non est,” very prudish, id. Am. 2, 4, 13; cf. id. A. A. 1, 607: “nec tamen est, quamvis agros amet illa feraces, Rustica,” id. Am. 3, 10, 18.—In a good sense: “mores,” Cic. Rosc. Am. 27, 75: “veritas,” Mart. 10, 72, 11. —Comp.: “simus hoc titulo rusticiore contenti,” Sen. Ep. 88, 33.—Hence, adv.: ru-stĭcē (acc. to II.), in a countrified manner, clownishly, boorishly, awkwardly: “loquinon aspere, non vaste, non rustice,” Cic. de Or. 3, 12, 45: “urgere,” id. Off. 3, 9, 39: “facere aliquid,” id. Att. 12, 36, 2: “cum eo vitio loquentes rustice loqui dictitabant,” Gell. 13, 6, 2.— Comp.: “rusticius toga defluit,” Hor. S. 1, 3, 31.—Sup. does not occur.
