English → Latin
“curtail” in Latin
curtōto shorten, cut short, abbreviatedētruncōto lop off, cut off; to mutilate (the body from which a limb is cut off), beheadabscīdōto cut off (with an instrument), cut short; to amputate; to deprive (of), cut off, detractpraecīdōto cut off in front or through; shorten; sever, separate; to beat to pieces, batter, smash; to cut off or across, avoid,recidōto fall back, return (especially of an evil); to recoil; to fall upon, happen toresecōto cut off or loose; to curtail, stop; to check, restrainpilusa hair; an insignificant amount; iota; least amount
The English word curtail itself goes back to Latin curtus.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
curtail
curtare: decurtare (to shorten by cutting off apart): detruncare (to cutoff and so mutilate): subsecare (to cut off below, or a small part): abscidere (not abscindere: to shorten by hewing off a part): praecidere (to cut or hew off a piece in front): recidere; also praecidere (to cut from off the ends, to clip; e.g., pilos, the hair): resecare (to cut off what is too long).
FIG. to curtail anybody’s power, pinnas alicujus or nervos alicujus incidere: to curtail anybody’s anything, praecidere alicui aliquid (e.g., his liberty): to curtail one’s expenses, parce vivere: sumtus circumcidere: modum facere sumtibus: impensas corripere (with regard to luxury, the last in Suet., Tiberius, 34); se cohibere (to restrain one’s self in one’s manner of living, in general): to curtail anything that one has written; e.g., commentarios, commentaries, writings, etc., in angustum cogere (Sen., Ep. 39, 1): injuria detrahere aliquid de aliqua re (to curtail or diminish in an unjust manner; e.g., anybody’s wages or salary-, de alicujus mercede, after Cic., Verr., 3, 78, 182): deminuere partem alicujus rei, or aliquid de aliqua re: detrahere de re (to lessen anything by the abstraction of a part): fraudare aliquem parte alicujus rei (e.g., servitia parte cibi diurni): To curtail anybody of his rights, deminuere partem juris or aliquid de jure; detrahere de jure.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for curtail?
- The usual Latin words for “curtail” are curtō, dētruncō, abscīdō; also praecīdō, recidō, resecō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.