“discovery” in Latin

Act of finding out, inventio. excogitatio (by thought, contrivance, etc.): investigatio (the tracing it out till found). (The words are found in this connection and order.) inventio atque excogitatio. Often by participle: the Egyptians claim the discovery of medicine, medicinam aegyptii apud ipsos volunt repertam (Plin.). Long before the discovery of the arts, multo ante inventas artes: to make a discovery, invenire aliquid; alicujus rei auctorem esse: excogitare aliquid (to make it out; devise it): animadvertere, deprendere aliquid (notice it, and so detect it): Vid: also, below.

Thing discovered, inventum: res inventa. res excogitata (cleverly devised): ars nova (new device; Nep.): commentum (an imaginary discovery; in Liv.; and afterwards “an invention;” e.g., mechanicum, Suet.): quod aliquis invenit, excogitavit, etc. ☞ “A discovery” is never inventio, but inventum. It is better to join it with an adverb (e.g., useful discoveries, bene, utiliter, etc. inventa): brilliant discoveries, divinitus inventa); but sometimes an adjective, is found e.g., optima inventa, Quint., 5, 12, 19. A petty or trifling discovery, (minuta) inventiuncula. To make a discovery; Vid: above. To make many discoveries in anything and apply them to practice, multa in aliqua re nova afferre (Nep.). No discovery is perfected at once, nihil est simul et inventum et perfectum: not to publish one’s brilliant discoveries, *quae quis divinitus excogitavit in lucem non proferre: to be acquainted with the discoveries of modern philosophy, *novae philosophiae inventa tenere: our forefathers made many splendid discoveries, multa a patribus divinitus inventa sunt. A voyage of d. iscovery, *navigatio novarum terrarum inveniendarum or cognoscendarum causa suscepta (iter - susceptum for a traveller). To make a voyage of discovery, nova quaerentem navigare: *nova quaerere. No discoveries of man can equal the operations of nature, nemo opifex naturae solertiam imitando consequi potest (Cic.): a talent for discovery, ingenium ad excogitandum acutum: animus sollers.

Disclosure, indicium (of an informer, etc.): enunciatio (of what ought to be kept secret). Vid: DISCLOSURE.