LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivethird-declension one-termination adjective

contumāx

contumāx (genitive contumācis, comparative contumācior, adverb contumāciter)
Classical[ˈkɔn.tʊ.maːks]Ecclesiastical[ˈkɔn.tu.maks]

Meaning

  1. one terminationinsolent, obstinate, stiff-necked, defiant
  2. one terminationwho refuses to appear in a court of law, in disobedience of a summons
  3. one terminationunyielding, providing opposition

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Pervicacia · Perseverantia · Pertinacia · Contumacia · Destinatio · Obstinatio

1. Pervicacia and perseverantia denote adherence to what is once resolved upon as a virtue; pervicacia (from vincere? vigere?) has its foundation in natural energy of disposition; perseverantia, in earnestness of character, formed by cultivation; whereas pertinacia and contumacia as a fault; pertinacia has its foundation in a stiff-necked adherence to what is once resolved upon, like obstinacy and stubbornness, in opp. to condescension; contumacia (from temere, contemnere) in a haughty maintenance of one’s free-will, even against proper and legitimate superiority,3 like insolence and refractoriness, in opp. to complaisance, obsequium. Tac. Ann. iv. 20. Hist. iv. 74. Accius apud Non. Tu pertinacem esse, Antiloche, hanc prædicas, ego pervicaciam esse aio et a me uti volo, etc. Cic. inv. ii. 54. Unicuique virtuti finitimum vitium reperietur, ut pertinacia, quæ finitima perseverantiæ est: comp. with Balb. 27. Marc. 10. 2. Pervicacia, etc. denote persisting in a resolution once made; destinatio and obstinatio are more immediately connected with the making of the resolution; destinatio, the making of an unalterable resolution, decidedness; obstinatio, adhering to it in spite of insurmountable obstacles and reasonable remonstrances, obstinacy. (iv. 176.)

3 [But, adhibere liberam contumaciam. Cic. Tus. 1, 29.]

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativecontumāxcontumāxcontumāx
genitivecontumāciscontumāciscontumācis
dativecontumācīcontumācīcontumācī
accusativecontumācemcontumācemcontumāx
ablativecontumācī
contumāce		contumācī
contumāce		contumācī
contumāce
vocativecontumāxcontumāxcontumāx
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativecontumācēscontumācēscontumācia
genitivecontumāciumcontumāciumcontumācium
dativecontumācibuscontumācibuscontumācibus
accusativecontumācīs
contumācēs		contumācīs
contumācēs		contumācia
ablativecontumācibuscontumācibuscontumācibus
vocativecontumācēscontumācēscontumācia

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

contumacius se gerere
to display a proud obstinacy.
libera contumacia Socratis (Tusc. 1. 29. 71)
the frank but defiant demeanour of Socrates (before his judges).

con-tŭmax, ācis, adj. from the root tem, whence also temno; cf. contemno, and contumelia,
I. insolent, unyielding, obstinate, stiff-necked, stubborn, contumacious.
I. Prop.
A. In gen. (freq. and in good prose): quis contum acior? quis inhumanior? quis superbior? Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 78, § 192: Sara in me contumax, id. Att. 15, 15, 2; cf.: adversus plebem, Suet. Tib. 2; and: populus regibus suis, Sen. Thyest. 644: reus (together with arrogans, securus), Quint. 6, 1, 14; cf. animus (with arrogantia oris), Tac. A. 5, 3: contumaces et mconsultae voces, id. ib. 4, 60: preces, id. ib. 2, 57: voltus, Curt. 4, 6, 24: epistula, Suet. Claud. 35: filii, Cod. Th. 8, 14, 1.—Rarely in a good sense, unyielding, firm, steadfast: contumax etiam adversus tormenta servorum fides, Tac. H. 1, 3 (cf. contumacia).—Poet.: Hispanis ego contumax capillis, Mart. 10, 65.—Comp., v. supra.—Sup.: Fortuna contumacissimum quemque aggreditur, Sen. Prov. 3, 4; id. Ep. 83, 21.—
B. Esp., jurid. t. t., that refuses to appear in a court of justice in obedience to a lawful summons: contumax est, qui ... litteris evocatus, praesentiam, sui facere contemnet, Dig. 42, 1, 53, § 1 sqq.; cf. contumacia, I. B.—
II. Transf., of animals: boves, Col. 6, 2, 10: gallina ad concubitum, id. 8, 2, 8.—Of inanimate things, not yielding, furnishing opposition: lima, Phaedr. 4, 7, 5: cardamum frianti, Plin. 12, 13, 29, § 50: syllaba, not fitting into measure, Mart. 9, 12.—Hence, adv.: contŭmācĭter, obstinately, stubbornly, etc.: contumaciter, arroganter, ἀκοινωνήτως solet ad me scribere, Cic. Att. 6, 1, 7: contumaciter urbaneque vexatum, id. Q. Fr. 2, 1, 3: omnia agere, Liv. 2, 58, 7; Quint. 11, 3, 11 et saep.—Comp., Nep. Cim. 2, 5.—In a good sense (cf. contumax and contumacia), firmly, Sen. Ep. 13, 2; Quint. 6, prooem. § 15;.—
b. Transf., of inanimate things: lapides scalpturae resistunt, Plin. 37, 7, 30, § 104; in comp., id. 19, 7, 35, § 117.

Origins

Derived from contemnō (“to scorn, despise”) + -āx (“inclined to”), or from con- + tumēre (“to swell”) + -āx.

Descendants
  • Catalancontumaç
  • Englishcontumacious
  • Frenchcontumace
  • Italiancontumace
  • Portuguesecontumaz
  • Spanishcontumaz
  • Siciliancuntumaci

In English words that came into English from contumāx

  • contumaciouscontumāx
  • contumacycontumacia

Quick answers

What does contumāx mean in Latin?
contumāx, a adjective, means “insolent, obstinate, stiff-necked, defiant; who refuses to appear in a court of law, in disobedience of a summons; unyielding, providing opposition”.
How do you pronounce contumāx?
In classical Latin, [ˈkɔn.tʊ.maːks]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈkɔn.tu.maks].