verbthird conjugation, suppletive
differō
differō (present infinitive differre, perfect active distulī, supine dīlātum)
Classical[ˈdɪf.fɛ.roː]Ecclesiastical[ˈdif.fe.ro]
№ 880 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- suppletivetransitiveto carry different ways, spread, scatter, disperse, separate
Dum differtur vīta trānscurrit.
While [one’s attention] is scattered, life rushes past. [Alternatively, in context:] While [our moral improvement] is delayed, life runs away.c. 4 BCE – 65 CE, Seneca Minor, Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium 1.1.3 - figurativelysuppletivetransitiveto distract, disquiet or disturb someone; confound
- figurativelysuppletivetransitiveto spread, publish, circulate, divulge; cry down, defame
- figurativelysuppletivetransitiveto defer, put off, protract, delay, adjourn
Spēs quae differtur adflīgit animam: lignum vītae dēsīderium veniēns.
Hope that is deferred afflicteth the soul: desire when it cometh, is a tree of life. (Douay-Rheims trans., Challoner rev.: 1752 CE)c. 347 CE – 420 CE, Hieronymus, Vulgate Proverbs.13.12 - intransitivesuppletiveto be different, differ, vary
Hī omnēs linguā, īnstitūtīs, lēgibus inter sē differunt.
These all differ from each other in language, customs, and laws.c. 52 BCE, Julius Caesar, Commentarii de bello Gallico 1.1
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
in aliud tempus pōnō; etiam: nōn similis sum.differō -ferre distulī — in Mille Verba, Basilica et Iūs
in aliud tempus pōnōdifferō, distulī — in IVLIANVS I: Gallia, ch. 9
postpone; differdifferō -ferre, distulī — in De Bello Gallico III
Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms
Differre · Proferre · Procrastinare · Prorogare
1. Differre denotes delay in a negative sense, whereby a thing is not done at present, but laid aside; whereas proferre and procrastinare, delay in a positive sense, as that which is to take place at a future time; proferre refers to some other time in general; procrastinare, to the very next opportunity. 2. Differre denotes an action, the beginning of which is put off; prorogare, a condition or state, the ending of which is put off, as to protract. (vi. 102.)
Conjugation conjugation 3
| form | present | imperfect | future | perfect | pluperfect | fut. perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | differō | differēbam | differam | distulī | distuleram | distulerō |
| 2nd sg. | differs | differēbās | differēs | distulistī | distulerās | distuleris |
| 3rd sg. | differt | differēbat | differet | distulit | distulerat | distulerit |
| 1st pl. | differimus | differēbāmus | differēmus | distulimus | distulerāmus | distulerimus |
| 2nd pl. | differtis | differēbātis | differētis | distulistis | distulerātis | distuleritis |
| 3rd pl. | differunt | differēbant | different | distulērunt distulēre | distulerant | distulerint |
active subjunctive
| form | present | imperfect | perfect | pluperfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | differam | differrem | distulerim | distulissem |
| 2nd sg. | differās | differrēs | distulerīs | distulissēs |
| 3rd sg. | differat | differret | distulerit | distulisset |
| 1st pl. | differāmus | differrēmus | distulerīmus | distulissēmus |
| 2nd pl. | differātis | differrētis | distulerītis | distulissētis |
| 3rd pl. | differant | differrent | distulerint | distulissent |
passive indicative
| form | present | imperfect | future |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | differor | differēbar | differar |
| 2nd sg. | differris differre | differēbāris differēbāre | differēris differēre |
| 3rd sg. | differtur | differēbātur | differētur |
| 1st pl. | differimur | differēbāmur | differēmur |
| 2nd pl. | differiminī | differēbāminī | differēminī |
| 3rd pl. | differuntur | differēbantur | differentur |
passive subjunctive
| form | present | imperfect |
|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | differar | differrer |
| 2nd sg. | differāris differāre | differrēris differrēre |
| 3rd sg. | differātur | differrētur |
| 1st pl. | differāmur | differrēmur |
| 2nd pl. | differāminī | differrēminī |
| 3rd pl. | differantur | differrentur |
imperative
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| pres. 2nd sg. | differ | differre |
| pres. 2nd pl. | differte | differiminī |
| fut. 2nd sg. | differtō | differtor |
| fut. 3rd sg. | differtō | differtor |
| fut. 2nd pl. | differtōte | — |
| fut. 3rd pl. | differuntō | differuntor |
infinitives & participles
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| present infinitive | differre | differrī |
| perfect infinitive | distulisse | dīlātum esse |
| future infinitive | dīlātūrum esse | dīlātum īrī |
| present participle | differēns | — |
| perfect participle | — | dīlātus dīlāta, dīlātā, dīlātae, dīlātam, dīlātārum, dīlātās, dīlāte, dīlātī, dīlātīs, dīlātō, dīlātōrum, dīlātōs |
| future participle | dīlātūrus dīlātūra, dīlātūrā, dīlātūrae, dīlātūram, dīlātūrārum, dīlātūrās, dīlātūre, dīlātūrī, dīlātūrīs, dīlātūrō, dīlātūrōrum, dīlātūrōs, dīlātūrum | differendus differundus, differenda, differendā, differendae, differendam, differendārum, differendās, differende, differendīs, differendōrum, differendōs |
gerunddifferendī, differendō, differendumsupinedīlātum, dīlātū
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- diem ex die ducere, differre
- to put off from one day to another.
- ventus ignem distulit (B. G. 5. 43)
- the wind spread the conflagration.
- genere, non numero or magnitudine differre
- to differ qualitatively not quantitatively.
- aliquid in aliud tempus, in posterum differre
- to put off till another time; to postpone.
dif-fĕro, distŭli, dīlātum, differre (
I. Act., to carry different ways; to spread abroad, scatter, disperse, separate (cf.: reicere, proferre, procrastinare, producere, ampliare, prorogare—class.).
A. Lit.:
scintillas agere ac late differre favillam, Lucr. 2, 675; cf.: favillam longe (ventus), id. 6, 692: nubila (vis venti), id. 1, 273; Verg. G. 3, 197: ignem (ventus), Caes. B. C. 2, 14, 2: casae venti magnitudine ignem distulerunt, id. B. G. 5, 43, 2: majorem partem classis (vis Africi), Vell. 2, 79, 2: rudentes fractosque remos (Eurus), Hor. Epod. 10, 6 et saep.; cf. Plaut. Trin. 4, 1, 14: nos cum scapha tempestas dextrovorsum Differt ab illis, id. Rud. 2, 3, 39; cf. Lucr. 1, 1088: cytisum, to plant apart, in separate rows = disserere, digerere, Varr. R. R. 1, 43; Col. 11, 3, 30 sq.; 38; 42 al.; cf.: ulmos in versum, Verg. G. 4, 144: ut formicae frustillatim (te) differant, Plaut. Curc. 4, 4, 20; cf.: insepulta membra (lupi), Hor. Epod. 5, 99; and: Mettum in diversa (quadrigae), Verg. A. 8, 643. —B. Trop.
1. To distract, disquiet, disturb a person (only ante-class.): vorsor in amoris rota miser, Exanimor, feror, differor, distrahor, diripior, Plaut. Cist. 2, 1, 5:
differor clamore, id. Ep. 1, 2, 15: cupidine ejus, id. Poen. 1, 1, 28; cf.: amore istius, id. Mil. 4, 4, 27: laetitia, id. Truc. 4, 1, 3: doloribus, Ter. Ad. 3, 4, 40.—Less freq. act.: aliquem dictis, to confound, Plaut. Ps. 1, 3, 125; cf. Ter. And. 2, 4, 5 Ruhnk.—2. To spread abroad, publish, divulge; with a personal object, to cry down, to defame (mostly anteclass. and post-Aug.; not in Cic., Caes., or Sall.).
(a). With acc. rei: cum de me ista foris sermonibus differs, Lucil. ap. Non. 284, 16; cf.:
rumores famam differant licebit nosque carpant, Varr. ib. 18: commissam libertatem populo Rom. sermonibus, Liv. 34, 49: promissum jus anulorum fama distulit, Suet. Caes. 33.—With acc. and inf.: ne mi hanc famam differant, Me dedidisse, etc., Plaut. Trin. 3, 2, 63; Ter. Heaut. prol. 16; Nep. Dion. 10; Val. Fl. 1, 753.—With quasi and dependent clause: rumore ab obtrectatoribus dilato, quasi eundem mox et discruciatum necasset, Suet. Aug. 14 et saep.—Pass. impers.: quo pertinuit differri etiam per externos, tamquam veneno interceptus esset, Tac. A. 3, 12; cf. id. ib. 4, 25.—(b). With acc. pers.:
aliquem pipulo, Plaut. Aul. 3, 2, 32 (cf. Varr. L. L. 7, § 103 Müll., and see pipulum): aliquem maledicendo sermonibus, Lucil. ap. Non. 284, 24: dominos variis rumoribus, Tac. A. 1, 4: te circum omnes alias puellas, to bring into disrepute with them, Prop. 1, 4, 22.—In the pass.: differor sermone miser, Caecil. ap. Gell. 2, 93, 10: alterna differor invidia, Prop. 1, 16, 48.—3. With reference to time, to defer, put off, protract, delay any thing; with a personal object also to put off, amuse with promises, get rid of (class. and very freq.).
(a). With acc. rei:
cetera praesenti sermoni reserventur: hoc tamen non queo differre, etc., Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 8: differre quotidie ac procrastinare rem, id. Rosc. Am. 9 fin.: saepe vadimonia, id. Quint. 5 fin.: iter in praesentia, Caes. B. C. 3, 85, 4: pleraque (with omittere in praesens tempus), Hor. A. P. 44: distulit ira sitim, Ov. M. 6, 366 et saep.: differri jam hora non potest, Cic. Phil. 6, 7, 19: tempus, id. ib. 8, 8; id. Prov. Cons. 11 fin.; Liv. 3, 46; Ov. M. 1, 724 al.: diem de die, Liv. 25, 25 et saep.—With inf.: quaerere distuli, Hor. Od. 4, 4, 21; so Liv. 42, 2 (but not Suet. Caes. 81, where agere belongs to proposuerat, cf. id. Aug. 72; id. Calig. 49).—With quin: nihil dilaturi, quin periculum summae rerum facerent, Liv. 6, 22 fin.; so Suet. Caes. 4; with in and acc.: reliqua in crastinum, Cic. Rep. 2, 44 fin.: in posterum diem, id. Deiot. 7, 21; cf. Caes. B. C. 1, 65 fin.: in posterum, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 32; Caes. B. G. 7, 11, 5: in aliud tempus, Cic. Brut. 87; Caes. B. C. 1, 86, 2: in adventum tuum, Cic. Fam. 2, 3 fin.: diem edicti in a. d. IV. Kal. Dec., id. Phil. 3, 8, 20: curandi tempus in annum, Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 39 et saep. —Poet.: tropaea in pueros suos, to reserve for, Prop. 4, 6, 82.—Rarely with ad: aliquid ad crudelitatis tempus, Cic. Vat. 11 fin.; cf. the foll.—(b). With acc. pers.:
sin autem differs me in tempus aliud, Cic. Fam. 5, 12, 10; Liv. 26, 51; 41, 8: differri non posse adeo concitatos animos, id. 7, 14: dilatus per frustrationem, id. 25, 25; cf.: aliquem variis frustrationibus, Just. 9, 6 fin.: Campanos, Liv. 26, 33: aliquem petentem, Suet. Vesp. 23 Ern.: caros amicos (opp. properare), Mart. 13, 55 et saep.— Poet.: vivacem anum, to preserve alive, i. e. to postpone her death, Ov. M. 13, 519; cf.: decimum dilatus in annum (belli) Hector erat, id. ib. 12, 76: aliquem in spem impetrandi tandem honoris, Liv. 39, 32: aliquem in septimum diem, Suet. Tib. 32; id. Caes. 82 Oud.; id. Aug. 44 fin. et saep.— Rarely with ad: legati ad novos magistratus dilati, Liv. 41, 8: aliquem ad finem muneris, Suet. Vit. 12: quas (legationes) par tim dato responso ex itinere dimisit, partim distulit Tarraconem, Liv. 26, 51.—Once with post: aliquid post bellum differre, Liv. 4, 6, 4.—(g). Absol. Prov.: differ;
habent parvae commoda magna morae, Ov. F. 3, 394.II. Neut., to differ, be different (esp. freq. since the Ciceron. period—cf.:
discrepare, distare, interesse): qui re consentientes vocabulis differebant, Cic. Fin. 4, 2 fin.; cf.: naturis differunt, voluntate autem similes sunt, id. de Or. 2, 23: verbo differre, re esse unum, id. Caecin. 21, 59: distare aliquid aut ex aliqua parte differre, id. ib. 14: nihil aut non fere multum differre, id. Brut. 40 fin.: paulum differre, id. Agr. 2, 31, 85 et saep.: nec quicquam differre, utrumne ... an, etc., Hor. S. 2, 3, 251; cf.: quid enim differt, barathrone Dones quicquid habes, an? etc., id. ib. 166.—(b). With ab:
ita ut pauxillum differat a cavillulis, Plaut. Truc. 3, 2, 18: quidnam esset illud, quo ipsi (poëtae) differrent ab oratoribus, Cic. Or. 19, 66; id. Off. 1, 27 fin.: quid hoc ab illo differt? id. Caecin. 14: non multum ab hostili expugnatione, id. de Imp. Pomp. 5 fin.: multum a Gallica consuetudine, Caes. B. G. 5, 14; cf. ib. 6, 21; 6, 28, 5: hoc fere ab reliquis differunt, quod, etc., id. ib. 6, 18, 3 et saep.—(g). With inter (esp. impers.):
si nihil inter deum et deum differt, Cic. N. D. 1, 29, 80; id. Off. 1, 28, 99; id. Fin. 4, 25, 70: nequid inter privatum et magistratum differat, id. Rep. 1, 43: ut non multum differat inter summos et mediocres viros, id. Off. 2, 8, 30: multa sunt alia, quae inter locum et locum plurimum differunt (for which, shortly before, inter locorum naturas quantum intersit), id. Fat. 4: haec cogitatione inter se differunt, re quidem copulata sunt, id. Tusc. 4, 11: inter se aliqua re, id. Opt. gen. 2, 6; id. N. D. 1, 7, 16; Caes. B. G. 1, 1, 2; 6, 11, 1; Quint. 12, 10, 22; 34; 67 et saep.: quae quidem inter se plurimum differunt, id. 5, 14, 27.—(d). Rarely with cum:
occasio cum tempore hoc differt, Cic. Inv. 1, 27: hoc genus causae cum superiore hoc differt, quod, etc., id. ib. 2, 30, 92 Orell. N. cr.—(ε) Likewise rarely, differre in aliqua re, Lucr. 3, 314; Nep. Ages. 7 fin.—(ζ) Rarely, and only poet. or in post-Aug. prose, with dat.: quod pede certo Differt sermoni sermo merus, Hor. S. 1, 4, 48: tragico differre colori, id. A. P. 236; Quint. 2, 21, 10; Plin. 9, 35, 54, § 107; cf. id. 9, 8, 7, § 23.—Hence, diffĕ-rens, entis, P. a., different, superior: differentius nomen, a more excellent name, Vulg. Heb. 1, 4; in Quintilian subst. n. (opp. proprium), a difference, Quint. 5, 10, 55; 58; 6, 3, 66; 7, 3, 3; 25 sq.—*Adv.: diffĕren-ter, differently, Sol. 1.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
differō distulī, dīlātus, ferre
dis- + fero, to carry apart, spread abroad, scatter, disperse, separate : venti magnitudine ignem, Cs.: Nubila, V.: rudentis (Eurus), H.: in versum ulmos, i. e. planted , V.: Mettum in diversa, tore to pieces , V.—Fig., to distract, disquiet, disturb, confound : (Oratione) te, T.: differor doloribus, T.— To spread abroad, publish, report, circulate : male commissam libertatem populo R. sermonibus, L.: rumores, T.: celeri rumore dilato, N.: alqm rumoribus, make notorious , Ta.: alqm circum puellas, Pr.— To defer, put off, postpone, adjourn, protract, delay : rem cotidie: bellum: iter in praesentia, Cs.: pleraque, H.: vadimonia, to adjourn court , Iu.: distulit ira sitim, O.: differri iam hora non potest: diem de die, L.: impetūs, i. e. make no rash attacks , Ta.: quaerere distuli, H.: nihil dilaturi, quin, etc., L.: in posterum diem: vim doloris in posterum: in aliud tempus, Cs.: (diem edicti) in a. d. IV Kal. Dec.: curandi tempus in annum, H.: id ad crudelitatis tempus: quas (legationes) partim distulit Tarraconem, till he should reach , L.: contentionem totam post bellum, L.: Differ; habent commoda morae, O.: differendum negat, says there must be no delay , L.—Of personal objects, to put off, get rid of, keep off, keep : me in tempus aliud: differri non posse adeo concitatos animos, L.: decumum quos distulit Hector in annum, V.: vivacem anum, i. e. to postpone her death , O.: hi repulsi in spem impetrandi tandem honoris dilati, L.: legati ad novos magistratūs dilati, L.—Intrans. (only praes. system), to differ, vary, be different : verbo differre, re esse unum: paulum: quid enim differt, barathrone Dones quicquid habes, an? etc., H.: a vobis vestitu: multum a Gallicā consuetudine, Cs.: ut in nullā re (domus) differret cuiusvis inopis (sc. a domo), N.: hi (populi) omnes linguā inter se differunt, Cs.: non multum inter summos et mediocrīs viros: cogitatione inter se: (occasio) cum tempore hoc differt: pede certo Differt sermoni sermo, H.: tragico differre colori, H.
Origins
- Proto-Indo-European*dwóh₁
- Latindifferō
Proto-Indo-European *trísinflu. Proto-Indo-European *d(w)is- Proto-Italic *dis- Latin dis- Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *bʰéreti Proto-Italic *ferō Latin ferō Latin differō From dis- (“apart”) + ferō (“carry, bear”).
Borrowed
- Catalandiferir
- Englishdiffer
- Englishdefer
- Englishdilate
- Frenchdifférer
- Italiandifferire
- Portuguesediferir
- Romaniandiferi
- Spanishdiferir
- Galiciandiferir
Inherited
- Old Occitandeferir
In English words that came into English from differō
- differentdifferēns
- differencedifferentia
- indifferentindifferens
- differdifferō
- deferdifferō
- differentiationdifferō
- differentialdifferentiālis
- dilatorydīlātōrius
- differentiadifferentia
- dilatedīlātus