“doubt” in Latin

INTRANS., dubitare: dubium esse: in dubio esse (to be doubtful): dubitatione aestuare (to be in a state of agitating doubt or uncertainty; Vid: Cic., Verr. 2, 30, 74): animo or animi pendere (not to be able to make up one’s mind). To doubt about anything, dubitare de re (not with the accusative, in classical Latin, except of a neuter pronoun.): to doubt a little, subdubitare. I doubt whether, dubito, num, etc. I do not doubt that, etc., non dubito, quin, etc. (☞ not dubito, with the accusative and infinitive, is used in this sense by Nep., but is better avoided; in the sense of “hesitate” it is classical). Doubt not but that I shall do everything, illud cave dubites, quin ego omnia faciam: can you doubt that, etc...? dubitabitis, quin...? ☞ Sometimes “I doubt” is used in the sense of “I fear;” e.g., “I doubt he will not come,” vereor ut veniat. Vid: FEAR.

TRANS., Mostly by dubitare de aliqua re: to doubt your affection for me, dubitare de tua erga me voluntate (so dubitare de divina ratione; but a neuter pronoun will be in the accusative).

dubitatio (only in the sense of a person’s uncertainty and hesitation as to what he should decide; hence often with quin, ne, num, quidnam): scrupulus (the thing that causes me to doubt and hesitate): difficultas (the difficulty of a thing, as preventing one from getting at the bottom of it): cf., Whenever “doubt” is used to denote that one considers a thing as doubtful, uncertain, etc., the neuter dubium is used; but never substantively with another adjective, Hence, nullum est dubium; sine ullo dubio are barbarous. Without doubt beyond a doubt, sine dubio (☞ not absque dubio); haud dubie; certe (undoubtedly; e.g., haec lectio sine dubio, or haud dubie, vera est; si deus scit, certe illud eveniet); sine ulla dubitatione (without any hesitation; hence, haec lectio sine ulla dubitatione praeferenda est).”Without doubt,” may also be frequently translated by non dubito: without doubt all your friends have written to you, non dubito, quin ad te omnes scripserint: to be in doubt, dubium esse (of persons, and objectively, of things): dubitare (of persons only; subjectively): to be the subject of doubt, dubium esse; dubitari: I have or make no doubt, non, or nihil, dubito (that, but that, quin): doubt is entertained, dubitatur; ambigitur. I am in doubt whether, dubito, num; dubius, or incertus, sum utrum, ... an: there is no doubt that, non est dubium, quin: nemini dubium est, quin. I cannot entertain a doubt that, hoc sine ulla dubitatione confirmaverim (with infinitive): to cast a doubt upon, aliquid in dubium vocare, devocare, or revocare: to entertain a doubt about anything, dubitare de aliqua re (☞ In classical Latin, dubitare does not take an accusative, except that of a neuter pronoun): to put a thing out of doubt, aliquid haud dubium relinquere: to leave in doubt, dubium or in dubio, relinquere: a doubt arises in my mind, dubitatio mihi movetur or affertur; scrupulus mihi injicitur: to remove anybody’s doubt, dubitationem alicui eximere, expellere, or tollere (his hesitation); scrupulum alicui eximere; scrupulum alicui or ex alicujus animo evellere: not to leave the slightest doubt in anybody’s mind, omnem dubitationem alicui tollere.