adjectivethird-declension two-termination adjective
dēbilis
dēbilis (neuter dēbile, comparative dēbilior, superlative dēbilissimus)
Classical[ˈdeː.bɪ.lɪs]Ecclesiastical[ˈdɛː.bi.lis]
Meaning
- two terminationweak, frail, feeble
Ita est utraque rēs sine alterā dēbilis.
Thus each is feeble without the other.106 BCE – 43 BCE, Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes 2.13 - two terminationlame, disabled, crippled, infirm, debilitated
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
mancus, membrō carēnsdēbilis -e — in Evangelium secundum Matthaeum, ch. 16
Declension
| form | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | dēbilis | dēbilis | dēbile |
| genitive | dēbilis | dēbilis | dēbilis |
| dative | dēbilī | dēbilī | dēbilī |
| accusative | dēbilem | dēbilem | dēbile |
| ablative | dēbilī | dēbilī | dēbilī |
| vocative | dēbilis | dēbilis | dēbile |
| form | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | dēbilēs | dēbilēs | dēbilia |
| genitive | dēbilium | dēbilium | dēbilium |
| dative | dēbilibus | dēbilibus | dēbilibus |
| accusative | dēbilīs dēbilēs | dēbilīs dēbilēs | dēbilia |
| ablative | dēbilibus | dēbilibus | dēbilibus |
| vocative | dēbilēs | dēbilēs | dēbilia |
dēbĭlis (old shortened form
I. debil, v. Ritschl, Opusc. Phil. 2, 331), e, adj. de-habilis; cf. Dig. 49, 16, 4, § 12: lit. unmanageable, wanting in flexibility or activity; hence, lame, disabled, crippled, infirm, debilitated, feeble, frail, weak, etc. For syn. cf.: imbecillus, infirmus, invalidus (freq. and class.).
I. Lit.
a. Of personal subjects:
debiles fieri, Cato R. R. 157, 10: si gladium imbecillo seni aut debili dederis, Cic. Sest. 10, 24; cf. id. Phil. 8, 10, 31; Phaedr. 4, 2, 10: confectus senectute, mancus et membris omnibus captus ac debilis, Cic. Rab. Perd. 7, 21; cf.: debilis manu, pede, coxa, Maecen. ap. Sen. Ep. 101, 11; ille humero, hic lumbis, hic coxa debilis, * Juv. 10, 227: plurimis stipendiis debilis miles, Plin. 7, 28, 29, § 104: integris debiles implicabantur, Curt. 4, 16, 11: amissis remis atque ordine debilis uno Sergestus, Verg. A. 5, 271: claudi ac debiles equi, Liv. 21, 40.—b. Of inanimate subjects: membra metu, * Ter. Ad. 4, 4, 3; Sen. Contr. 5, 33; cf.
debile fit corpus, Lucr. 4, 952; 5, 830: manus, Ov. M. 12, 106: crus, * Suet. Vesp. 7: ferrum, Verg. A. 12, 50: pennae, Ov. R. Am. 198: jugum, id. Pont. 3, 1, 68: umbra, id. Tr. 3, 4, 20.—Poet.: iter, i.e. of a wounded man, Stat. Th. 12, 144.II. Trop., disabled, weak, in mind, character, authority, etc.
a. Of personal subjects:
eos qui restitissent infirmos sine illo (sc. Catilina) ac debiles fore putabam, Cic. Cat. 3, 2: qui hac parte animi (sc. memoria) tam debilis esset, ut, etc., id. Brut. 61, 219: ingenio debilior, Tac. H. 4, 62; cf.: sine animo anima est debilis, Att. ap. Non. 426, 48 (v. 296 Ribbeck).—b. Of inanimate subjects:
duo corpora esse reipublicae, unum debile, infirmo capite: alterum firmum sine capite, Cic. Mur. 25, 51: manca ac debilis praetura, id. Mil. 9, 25; id. Tusc. 2, 5, 13: manus, sine quibus trunca esset actio ac debilis, Quint. 11, 3, 85: inscitia, * Pers. 5, 99.—Comp. v. supra.—Sup. appears not to occur.—* Adv., dēbĭlĭter, infirmly, lamely, feebly: lacrimis lingua debiliter stupet, Pac. ap. Non. 98, 18 (v. 355 Ribbeck).Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
dēbilis e, adj. with comp.
de + habilis, lame, disabled, crippled, infirm, debilitated, feeble, frail, weak : senex: membris omnibus: Ille umero, Iu.: equi, L.: Membra metu, T.: ferrum, V.—Fig., disabled, weak, helpless, feeble : parte animi: duo corpora esse rei p., unum debile: praetura: ingenio debilior, Ta.
Origins
Disputed. By surface analysis, the term is an adjective formed according to the model of terms such as inermis. It has been proposed that the term may derive from dēbeō (“to owe”) in the manner as habilis (“able to have”), from habeō (“to have, hold”). However, according to De Vaan, the form dēbilis is isolated within Latin and therefore likely archaic, in which case it may preserve an older i-stem form. De Vaan suggests that the term may continue either Proto-Indo-European *bel-i- or *bol-i- (“strength”), though he considers the latter pre-form more likely on the basis of Proto-Slavic *boľьjь, which also displays an o-grade. Ultimately, De Vaan connects the term with the root *bel-. Compare Sanskrit बल (bala), Russian большой (bolʹšoj), Ancient Greek βελτίων (beltíōn, “better < stronger”)
Gallo-Romance
- Catalandèbil
- Frenchdébilefrom Middle French débile
- Romaniandebilfrom Middle French débile
- Englishdebilefrom Middle French débile
- Occitandebil
- Dutchdebielfrom Middle French débile
- Armenianդեբիլfrom Middle French débile
- Estoniandebiilfrom Middle French débile
- Georgianდებილიfrom Middle French débile
- Hebrewדֶּבִּילִיfrom Middle French débile
Elsewhere
- Sardiniandébbile
- Sardiniandébbili
- Sardiniandíbbile
- Spanishendeblefrom Vulgar Latin *indēbilis
- Italiandebile
- Emiliandàbbel
- Cimbriandébelfrom Venetan debol
- Asturianendébilefrom Vulgar Latin *indēbilis
- Old Frenchendeblefrom Vulgar Latin *indēbilis
Ibero-Romance
- Portuguesedébil
- Spanishdébil
- Asturiandébil
- Galiciandébil
- Chavacanodebilfrom Spanish débil
Italo-Dalmatian
- Italiandebole
- Corsicandebuli
- Dalmatiandébol
- Istriotdibalo
- Istriotdibulo
- Siciliandèbbuli
- Siciliandèbuli
- Siciliandèbbili
- Siciliandèbili
Others
- Germandebil
- Albaniandebil
- Czechdebil
- Danishdebil
- Macedonianдебил
- Polishdebil
- Swedishdebil
- Serbo-Croatiandebil
Rhaeto-Romance
- Friuliandebul
- Romanshdebel