noun · femininefirst declension
cōpia
cōpia f (genitive cōpiae)
Classical[ˈkoː.pi.a]Ecclesiastical[ˈkɔː.pi.a]
№ 331 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- supply, abundance, copiousness, wealth, riches
Quod cupiō mēcum est. Inopem mē cōpia fēcit.
What I desire is with me: Abundance made me destitute. - plenty, fulness, multitude
- opportunity, facilities (the means of doing something)
- in pluraltroops, forces, resources
Caesar partītīs cōpiīs cum Gāiō Fabiō lēgātō et Mārcō Crassō quaestōre celeriterque effectīs pontibus adit tripertītō, aedificia vīcōsque incendit, magnō pecoris atque hominum numerō potītur.
Caesar, having divided his forces with C. Fabius, his lieutenant, and M. Crassus his questor, and having hastily constructed some bridges, enters their country in three divisions, burns their houses and villages, and gains possession of a large number of cattle and men.c. 52 BCE, Julius Caesar, Commentarii de bello Gallico 6.6
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
multitūdō; cōpiae = exercitus.cōpia -ae f — in Mille Verba, Bellum et Arma
multitūdō, magnus numeruscōpia -ae (f) — in Metamorphoses I, ch. 13, 18
Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms
Exercitus · Copiæ
Exercitus is an army that consists of several legions; but copiæ mean troops, which consist of several cohorts.
Occasio · Opportunitas · Potestas · Copia · Facultas
Occasio and opportunitas are the opportunities which fortune and chance offer; occasio, the opportunity to undertake something in a general sense, like καιρός; opportunitas, the opportunity to undertake something with facility and the probability of success, like εὐκαιρία; whereas potestas and copia are opportunities offered by men, and through their complaisance; potestas denotes the possibility of doing something with legal authority; copia the possibility of doing something with convenience; lastly, facultas, as the most general expression, the possibility to do something in a general sense.
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | cōpia | cōpiae |
| genitive | cōpiae | cōpiārum |
| dative | cōpiae | cōpiīs |
| accusative | cōpiam | cōpiās |
| ablative | cōpiā | cōpiīs |
| vocative | cōpia | cōpiae |
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- evocare undique copias
- to call up troops from all sides.
- fundere hostium copias
- to rout the enemy's forces.
- copia, ubertas verborum
- profusion of words.
- parare exercitum, copias
- to equip an army, troops.
- copias castris continere
- to keep the troops in camp.
- divitiis, copiis abundare
- to be rich, wealthy.
- semissibus magna copia est
- money is plentiful at 6 per cent.
- magnae copiae (not multae)
- a large force, many troops.
18 more phrases
- omnium rerum copia diffluere
- to be abandoned to a life of excess.
- conducere, contrahere copias
- to concentrate troops.
- exiguae copiae (Fam. 3. 3. 2)
- a small force.
- consilii mei copiam facio tibi
- I put myself at your disposal as regards advice.
- materia rerum et copia uberrima
- abundance of material.
- colloquendi copiam facere, dare
- to give audience to some one.
- copiam quam potui persecutus sum
- I have exhausted all my material.
- cogere omnes copias in unum locum
- to concentrate all the troops at one point.
- omnes ad vitam copias suppeditare alicui
- to provide some one with a livelihood.
- ubertas (not divitiae) et copia orationis
- a full and copious style of speech.
- potestatem, copiam pugnandi hostibus facere
- to offer battle to the enemy.
- hostium copias occidione occīdere (Liv. 2. 51)
- to absolutely annihilate the enemy.
- potestatem, copiam alicui dare, facere with Gen. gerund.
- to give a man the opportunity of doing a thing.
- copias (arma) cum aliquo iungere or se cum aliquo iungere
- to join forces with some one.
- aciem (copias, exercitum) instruere or in acie constituere
- to draw up forces in battle-order.
- crebritas or copia (opp. inopia) sententiarum or simply copia
- richness of ideas.
- ex infinita exemplorum copia unum (pauca) sumere, decerpere (eligere)
- to choose one from a large number of instances.
- copiae cotidianis sumptibus suppetunt (vid. sect. IV. 2, note suppeditare...)
- his means suffice to defray daily expenses.
cōpĭa, ae, f. co-ops,
I. abundant power, wealth, riches, abundance (very freq. in all periods and species of composition).
I. Of material objects.
A. Of possessions, resources, wealth, supplies, riches, prosperity (syn.: divitiae, opes;
opp. inopia): pro re nitorem et gloriam pro copiā, Plaut. Aul. 3, 6, 5: divitiarum fructus in copiā est; copiam autem declarat satietas rerum et abundantia, Cic. Par. 6, 2, 47; Plaut. Cist. 1, 1, 32: copiis rei familiaris locupletes et pecuniosi, Cic. Rosc. Com. 15, 44: utrum copiane sit agri, vectigalium, pecuniae, an penuria, id. Inv. 2, 39, 115: frugum, id. Dom. 7, 17: publicani suas rationes et copias in illam provinciam contulerunt, id. Imp. Pomp. 7, 17: circumfluere omnibus copiis atque in omnium rerum abundantiā vivere, id. Lael. 15, 52 and 55; id. Deiot. 5, 14; Caes. B. G. 4, 4 fin.; Hor. C. 3, 29, 9: Plenior ut si quos delectet copia justo, id. S. 1, 1, 57: Si recte frueris non est ut copia major Ab Jove donari possit tibi, id. Ep. 1, 12, 2; Ov. M. 8, 838: exercitus omnium rerum abundabat copiā, Caes. B. C. 1, 49: abundans omni copiā rerum est regio, Liv. 29, 25, 12: bonam copiam ejurare, to abjure property, i. e. to declare one's self exempt through poverty, Cic. Fam. 9, 16, 7.—Poet.: omnis copia narium ( = luxus odorum, Schol.), Hor. C. 2, 15, 6.—B. In respect to other objects, fulness, copiousness, multitude, number, abundance:
meretricum, Plaut. Bacch. 3, 6, 34: tanta copia venustatum aderat, id. Poen. 5, 4, 5: quorum (librorum) habeo Antii festivam copiam, Cic. Att. 2, 6, 1: tanta copia virorum fortium atque innocentium, id. Imp. Pomp. 10, 27; cf.: tanta doctissimorum hominum, Sall. H. 1, 1 Dietsch: magna latronum in eā regione, id. C. 28, 4: tubicinum, id. J. 93, 8: procorum, Ov. M. 10, 356: nimborum, Lucr. 6, 511 et saep.—2. In milit. lang. copia, and far more freq. in plur. copiae, ārum, men, troops, forces, army.
(a). Sing.:
omnis armatorum copia, Cic. Att. 13, 52, 2: eā copiā, quam secum eduxit, se hanc civitatem oppressurum arbitratur, id. Mur. 37, 78: ex omni copiā eligere aliquos, Caes. B. G. 1, 48; id. B. C. 1, 45; Pompei. ap. Cic. Att. 8, 12, A, 3; Sall. C. 56, 2 Kritz; 61, 5.—(b). More freq. plur., orig. of a body of troops as made up of smaller bodies; cf. Engi. troops; the forces, troops, etc.:
armare quam maximas copias, Sall. J. 13, 1: copias secum adducere, Ter. Eun. 4, 6, 17; cf.: in angustum oppido nunc meae coguntur copiae, id. Heaut. 4, 2, 2: cogere copias Brundusium, Cn. Pomp. ap. Cic. Att. 8, 12, A, 3; id. Fam. 3, 3, 2; Caes. B. G. 1, 11; 1, 12; 1, 13; 1, 25; Nep. Them. 2, 4; id. Alcib. 8, 2; Liv. 40, 44, 3 et saep.—II. Of immaterial objects, fulness, copiousness, multitude, abundance.
A. In gen.:
Quam tibi de quāvis unā re versibus omnis argumentorum sit copia missa per auris, Lucr. 1, 417: rerum copia verborum copiam gignit, Cic. de Or. 3, 31, 125; cf. rerum, Sall. C. 2, 10; Quint. 7, prooem. § 1;: inventionis, id. 11, 3, 56: orationis, id. 4, 2, 117: sermonis, id. 8, 6, 5: abundare debet orator exemplorum copiā, id. 12, 4, 1: tanta facultas dicendi vel copia, Cic. Verr. 1, 4, 10: verborum, Quint. 1, 8, 8: in dicendo ubertas et copia, Cic. de Or. 1, 12, 50: dicendi, id. Red. Sen. 1, 1; id. Top. 18, 67; Quint. 10, 6, 6; and so of fulness in expression, absol., copia, Cic. Brut. 11, 44; id. Fam. 5, 12, 3; Quint. 1, 8, 17: copias eloquentiae ponere in medio, id. 7, 10, 15: Platonis, id. 10, 1, 108: Senecae, id. 12, 10, 11.— B. Esp., in reference to action, ability, power, might, opportunity, facilities, means of doing a thing.
(a). With gen. gerund.:
ut mi ejus facias conveniundi copiam, Plaut. Capt. 3, 5, 90; so, facere, Ter. Heaut. prol. 29; cf. dare, id. ib. 28; Verg. A. 1, 520 al.: edundi, Plaut. Capt. 4, 2, 72: cunctandi, id. Ep. 1, 2, 58: illius inspectandi, id. Bacch. 3, 3, 84: societatis amicitiaeque conjungendae, Sall. J. 83, 1 al.—(b). With inf.:
quibus in otio vel magnifice vel molliter vivere copia erat, Sall. C. 17, 6; so Cat. 64, 366. —(g). With ut:
cum copiam istam mihi et potestatem facis, ut ego, etc., Plaut. Capt. 2, 3, 14; id. Mil. 3, 1, 174; Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 87 al.—(d). Absol.:
neque edepol facio: neque, si cupiam, copia est, Plaut. Aul. 2, 2, 76; id. Trin. 1, 2, 98 al.: ne quam aliam quaerat copiam ac te deserat, Ter. Heaut. 5, 1, 54; cf. Plaut. Capt. 2, 1, 22.—So pro copiā, according to one's ability, as one is able: volo habere hic aratiunculam pro copiā hic aput vos. Plaut. Truc. 1, 2, 46: pro copiā supplicare Lari familiari, Cato, R. R. 143, 2: dona pro copiā portantes, Liv. 26, 11, 9: in vehiculis pro copiā cujusque adornatīs, Curt. 9, 10, 26.—Esp. with the implication that one can do little: pro eā copiā quae Athenis erat, Sulp. ap. Cic. Fam. 4, 12, 3: pro rei copiā, Sall. J. 90, 1: ludi funebres additi pro copiā provinciali et castrensi apparatu, Liv. 28, 21, 10: iudos pro temporis hujus copiā magnifici apparatus fecerunt, id. 27, 6, 19. —2. Access to a person, with gen.: quando ejus copia est. Plaut. Trin. 3, 2, 45; cf.:
obsecrat, ut sibi ejus faciat copiam, Ter. Phorm. 1, 2, 63. Cōpĭa, ac, f.
I. The goddess of abundance, Plaut. Ps. 2, 4, 46:
bona, Ov. M. 9, 88: opulenta, Hor. C. 1, 17, 16; id. C. S. 60 al.— II. An appellation of the town Lugdunum (Lyons), in Gaul, Inscr. Orell. 194; 2325.—
Hence, COPIENSIS, Inscr. Murat. 753, 3.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
cōpia ae, f
com-+ops, an abundance, ample supply, plenty: frumenti, Cs.: navium magna, Cs.: bona librorum, H.: nullā ferramentorum copiā, in the scarcity of, Cs.—Resources, wealth, supplies, riches, prosperity: domesticis copiis ornare convivium: (civitas) copiis locupletior: circumfluere omnibus copiis: se eorum copiis alere, Cs.: Fastidiosam desere copiam, H.: inopem me copia fecit, O.: bonam copiam eiurare, i. e. to claim exemption as poor: (milites) mixti copiis et laetitiā, sharing supplies, Ta.: copia narium (i. e. luxus odorum), H.: copia ruris honorum opulenta, H.—Person., the goddess of plenty: beata pleno cornu, H.: dives meo bona Copia cornu est, O.—A multitude, number, plenty, abundance, throng: (principum) in castris, Cs.: virorum fortium: latronum in eā regione, S.: quae sit me circum copia, lustro, V.—A force, army, body of men: eā copiā civitatem oppressurus: ex omni copiā singulos deligere, Cs.— Usu. plur, forces, troops, an army, men: armare quam maximas copias, S.: cum omnibus copiis exire, in a body, Cs.: pedestres, N.: omnibus copiis contendere, with the whole army, Cs.—Fig., fulness, copiousness, multitude, abundance: rerum copia verborum copiam gignit: dicendi copiā valere: ubertas et copia, fulness in expression.—Ability, power, might, opportunity, facilities, means: facere civibus consili sui copiam: qui spectandi faciunt copiam, T.: fandi, V.: societatis coniungendae, S.: Ut sibi eius faciat copiam, give access to, T.: sit tibi copia nostri, power over, O.: facta est copia mundi, the world was open, O.: quibus in otio vivere copia erat, S.: nec te Adfari data copia matri, V.: tecum sine metu ut sit copiast, T.: si copia detur, veniam, O.: dona pro copiā portantes, as each is able, L.: pro rei copiā, S.: ludi additi pro copiā provinciali, L.
Origins
- Proto-Indo-European*ḱe?
- Proto-Indo-European*ḱóm
- Proto-Italic*kom
- Proto-Italic*kom-
- Latincōpia
Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep-der. Proto-Italic *opis Latin ops Latin cōps Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -ia Latin cōpia From cōps + -ia.
Descendants
- Catalancòpia
- Englishcopy
- GermanKopie
- Frenchcopie
- Romaniancopiefrom French copie
- Italiancopia
- Portuguesecópia
- Spanishcopia
- Turkishkopyafrom Italian copia