I.gen. plur. most freq. fabrum; cf.: “jam ut censoriae tabulae loquuntur, fabrum et procum audeo dicere, non fabrorum et procorum,” Cic. Or. 46, 156: fabrum, Caes. ap. Cic. Att. 9, 8, C, 2; Caes. B. C. 1, 24, 4; Plin. 34, 1, 1, § 1 al.: “fabrorum,” Plaut. Most. 1, 2, 54; Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 56, § 147; Plin. 35, 15, 51, § 182 al.), m. Sanscr. root bha-, gleam, shine; Gr. φημί, say, φαίνω, show; cf. for, a worker in wood, stone, metal, etc., a forger, smith, artificer, carpenter, joiner (syn.: artifex, opifex, operarius), τέκτων.
I. Prop.
A. With adj. of material, etc., specifying the trade: “tamen ego me Phidiam esse mallem, quam vel optimum fabrum tignarium,” carpenter, Cic. Brut. 73, 257; so, “tignarius,” id. Rep. 2, 22; Inscr. Orell. 4087; cf.: “fabros tignarios dicimus non eos duntaxat, qui tigna dolant, sed omnes, qui aedificant,” Dig. 50, 16, 235: “ut fortunati sunt fabri ferrarii, Qui apud carbones assident!” blacksmiths, Plaut. Rud. 2, 6, 47: “fabrum aerariorum conlegium,” copper-smiths, braziers, Plin. 34, 1, 1, § 1; cf.: “marmoris aut eboris fabros aut aeris amavit,” Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 96: “‡ eburarius, Inscr. ap. Spon. Misc. p. 222: ‡ intestinarius,” one who does the fine carved work in wood for the interior of a building, a joiner, Inscr. Orell. 4182: “‡ a Corinthiis,” ib. 4181: “‡ oculariarius,” one who made silver eyes for statues, ib. 4185.—
B. In gen.: “ut arcessatur faber, ut istas compedis tibi adimam,” Plaut. Capt. 5, 4, 29: “cogito, utrum me dicam medicum ducere an fabrum,” id. Men. 5, 3, 11: “hominem pro fabro aut pro tectore emere,” Cic. Planc. 25, 62: “fabri ad aedificandam rem publicam,” work-people, workmen, laborers, id. Fam. 9, 2, 5; cf. Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 19, § 48: “ex legionibus fabros delegit,” the workmen belonging to the army, Caes. B. G. 5, 11, 3; “whose overseer was called praefectus fabrūm,” id. B. C. 1, 24, 4: “His fabris crescunt patrimonia,” i. e. these smiths know how to add to their patrimonies, Juv. 14, 116: “faber volans, i. e. Icarus,” id. 1, 54.— Prov.: faber est quisque fortunae suae, every man is the maker of his own fortune, Appius ap. Sall. de Republ. Ordin. 1.
