Proprietas

Latin-English

prŏprĭĕt|ās, -ātis. (proˈpri.e.tas) fem.

1. A distinctive property or quality.

[proprius.]

Cic.	100%	Class.	14%	Rom.	4%	Med.	0%	Neo.	0%

Constructions

Adjective constructions

• proprietas quaedam — Cic. [αʹ]; Plin. [θʹ], [ιʹ], [ιαʹ]

Verb constructions

• proprietatem habere — Liv. [δʹ]; Vitr. [ιγʹ]; Plin. [ε²]

Loci

Cicero

• αʹ adj. Cicero, De Partitione Oratoria 11.41:

Non dubium est id quidem quin definitio genere declaretur et proprietate quadam aut etiam communium frequentia ex quibus proprium quid sit eluceat.

There is no doubt that a definition is shown by its genus and a specific property—or even a number of general ones, from which something that may be specific may come to light.

• βʹ Cicero, Topica 22:

Cum autem quid sit quaeritur, notio explicanda est et proprietas et divisio et partitio.

When we are asking what it is, though, we need to explain the notion, the property, the division, and the partition.

• β² Cicero, Topica 22:

quaeritur [...] proprietas sic: in hominemne solum cadat an etiam in beluas aegritudo.

A property is asked about thus: Does sorrow fall on man alone, or also on beasts?

Classical

• γʹ Livy, Ab Urbe Condita 38.17:

in frugibus pecudibusque non tantum semina ad servandam indolem valent, quantum terrae proprietas caelique, sub quo aluntur, mutat

The seed does not serve to preserve the nature of crops or cattle as much as the quality of the earth and the sky under which they are raised brings about change.

• δʹ v. Livy, Ab Urbe Condita 45.30:

pars prima Bisaltas habet, fortissimos viros—trans Nessum amnem incolunt et circa Strymonem—et multas frugum proprietates et metalla et opportunitatem Amphipolis

the first part has the Bisaltae, very brave men—they live across the river Nessus and by the Strymon—and mines, and many distinctive qualities in its crops, and the advantage of Amphipolis

• ιβʹ Vitruvius, De Architectura 1.1:

Nec tamen non tantum architecti non possunt in omnibus rebus habere summum effectum, sed etiam ipsi qui privatim proprietates tenent artium, non efficiunt, ut habeant omnes summum laudis principatum.

Neither, though, is it just architects who are unable to have mastery over all these fields, but even those who hold the particular qualities for the arts individually can't all bring themselves to the level of the best and most highly valued.

• ιγʹ v. Vitruvius, De Architectura 1.2:

Veneri, Florae, Proserpinae, Fonti, Lumphis Corinthio genere constitutae aptas videbuntur habere proprietates, quod his diis propter teneritatem graciliora et florida foliisque et volutis ornata opera facta augere videbuntur iustum decorem.

[Temples] to Venus, Flora, Proserpine, Fons, and the Nymphs constructed in the Corinthian style seem to have the qualities appropriate to these gods on account of their tenderness; the works made slenderer and flowery, decorated with leaves and volutes, seem to enhance the beauty proper to them.

• ιγ² Vitruvius, De Architectura 1.2:

Iunoni, Dianae, Libero Patri ceterisque diis qui eadem sunt similitudine, si aedes Ionicae construentur, habita erit ratio mediocritatis, quod et ab severo more Doricorum et ab teneritate Corinthiorum temperabitur earum institutio proprietatis.

As for Juno, Diana, Father Liber, and the other gods which are of the same sort, if an Ionic temple is built for them, consideration for their moderate position will be upheld, because the particular quality being instituted will be a mixture of the severe style of the Dorics and the tenderness of the Corinthians'.

• ιγ³ Vitruvius, De Architectura 1.2:

Item si Doricis epistlyiis in coronis denticuli sculpentur aut in pulvinatis columnis et Ionicis epistyliis [capitulis] exprimentur triglyphi, translatis ex alia ratione proprietatibus in aliud genus operis offendetur aspectus aliis ante ordinis consuetudinibus institutis.

Also, if dentils are carved on the cornices in Doric entablatures, or if triglyphs are formed on the cushion-shaped capitals on the columns in Ionic entablatures, the look of the work will be ruined by the transfer of characteristics from one order to another, when the other conventions of the order have been established beforehand.

• ιεʹ Vitruvius, De Architectura 1.4:

Ut etiam in ferro animadvertimus, quod, quamvis natura sit durum, in fornacibus ab ignis vapore percalefactum ita mollescit, uti in omne genus formae faciliter fabricetur; et idem, cum molle et candens refrigeretur tinctum frigida, redurescat et restituatur in antiquam proprietatem.

We even notice in iron that, however hard it may be by nature, it softens enough when thoroughly heated by the warmth of the fire in the furnace that it may be easily wrought into any kind of shape; likewise, when soft and glowing it is cooled, being dipped in cold water, it hardens again and its original quality is restored.

Roman

• εʹ Pliny, Naturalis Historia 13.2:

huius proprietas ut ventiletur in coquendo, donec desinat olere; rursus refrigeratum odorem suum capit.

It is a distinctive property of this [megalium] that it is to be stirred while it is being heated until it ceases to smell; it takes its scent again when it is cooled.

• ε² adj. Pliny, Naturalis Historia 13.41:

similis et coccygia folio, magnitudine minor. proprietatem habet fructum amittendi lanugine (pappum vocant), quod nulli alii arbori evenit.

The smoketree, also, is similar in leaf, but of smaller size. It has the distinctive property of losing its fruit in its down (called pappus), which happens to no other tree.

• στʹ Pliny, Naturalis Historia 14.4:

nec omnia dicentur, sed maxime insignia, quippe totidem paene sunt quot agri, quam ob rem celeberrimas vitium aut quibus est aliqua proprietate miraculum ostendisse satis erit.

And not all [kinds of vine] are being spoken of, but the most notable, as there are nearly as many as there are fields, for which reason it will be enough to have shown the most famous of the vines, or those which have something remarkable to them due to some distinctive property.

• στ² Pliny, Naturalis Historia 14.9:

Apamenum mulso praecipue convenire dicitur, sicut Praetutium in Italia. est enim et haec proprietas generum.

Apamean [wine] is said to be particularly suitable for mulse, like Praetutian in Italy, and that indeed is the distinctive property of those kinds.

• ζʹ Pliny, Naturalis Historia 15.17:

Pomis proprietas pirisque quae vini, similiterque in aegris medentes cavent.

Apples, as well as pears, have the distinctive property that wine has, and likewise doctors are wary of them among their patients.

• ζ² Pliny, Naturalis Historia 15.34:

In siliquis vero quod manditur quid nisi lignum est? non omittenda seminis earum proprietate: nam neque corpus nec lignum nec cartilago dici potest neque aliud nomen inveniat.

In carob, indeed, what is eaten, except for the woody part? There is a distinctive property of its seed not to be left out, for it can neither be called fleshy nor woody nor gristly, nor may any other name be found.

• ηʹ Pliny, Naturalis Historia 16.6:

distinguemus ergo proprietate naturaque et, ubi res coget, etiam Graecis nominibus.

Therefore we will distinguish them by their properties, their natures, and, when the occasion requires, also by their Greek names.

• θʹ adj. Pliny, Naturalis Historia 17.18:

Iam quaedam umbrarum proprietas: iuglandum gravis et noxia, etiam capiti humano omnibusque iuxta satis.

Now there is a certain distinctive property to some shades: that of walnut trees is unwholesome and harmful, both to human life, and to anything close enough.

• ιʹ adj. Pliny, Naturalis Historia 19.33:

insigne quod, cum fimo laetoque solo gaudeat, rigua odit. et tamen proprietate quadam soli constant

It is notable that while [the leek] enjoys manure and rich soil, it despises well-watered ground—and yet they endure, when a certain distinctive property is in the soil.

• ιαʹ adj. Pliny, Naturalis Historia 2.62:

Praeterea quasdam proprietates quibusdam locis esse, roscidas aestate Africae noctes, in Italia Locris et in lacu Velino nullo non die apparere arcus, Rhodi et Syracusis numquam tanta nubila obduci, ut non aliqua hora sol cernatur.

Additionally, certain places have certain distinctive properties—nights in Africa are dewy in the summer; in Italy, at Locri and Lake Velinus there is never a day a rainbow doesn't appear; at Rhodes and Syracuse it is never cloudy enough for the sun to be invisible at any time.

• ιδʹ Pliny, Naturalis Historia 21.54:

Tribulo proprietas, quod et fructum spinosum habet.

The caltrop has the distinctive property that it even has a spiny fruit.