English → Latin
“entertain” in Latin
excipiōto take out, extract, pull out; to except, exempt from, exclude; to rescue, releaserecipiōto take back, (i.e., regain possession of something); to recapture; to receive, accept, admitoblectōto entertain, delight, amuse; to pass (the time) agreeably; to delay, detaincōnfābulorto converse; to discussalōto feed, to nourish, to nurture; to cultivate, to raise, to rear, etc. (as a child, an animal, etc.); to cause (a thing)pāscōto feed, nourish, maintain, support; to pasture, drive to pasture, tend, attend; to feed, supply, cultivate, let growinvītōto invite, summon; to lure; to challenge
The English word entertain itself goes back to Latin inter.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
entertain
As a host, hospitio accipere, excipere, recipere (accusative and excipere, to entertain friends; recipere, to entertain those who need assistance): convivio excipere: hospitaliter invitare (to entertain at table): to entertain sumptuously, apparatis epulis accipere, excipere, invitare. To entertain (guests) with anything, pascere aliquem aliqua re (e.g., olusculis, Cic.); apponere alicui aliquid (serve it up to him).
Amuse, oblectare: delectare [SYN. in AMUSE.] To be entertained, oblectari aliqua re; oblectari et duci aliqua re; delectatione alicujus rei duci; voluptatem ex aliqua re capere, percipere, habere. To entertain one’s self with anything, se oblectare aliqua re; se delectare aliqua re: delectari aliqua re.
To amuse with conversation, loqui cum aliquo; confabulari or sermones familiares conferre cum aliquo; habere sermonem cum aliquo de aliqua re (to hold a discourse about anything with anybody): to entertain one’s self very agreeably with anybody, jucundissime loqui cum aliquo.
To keep in one’s service, habere (to have): alere (to support, to feed): mercede conducere (to hire): pascere (to feed, especially slaves).
To receive anything into the mind; to entertain hatred against anybody, odium habere or odio ferri in aliquem; an affection for anybody, amorem erga aliquem habere; in amore habere, or amore prosequi aliquem; hope, sperare, spem habere: I entertain hopes that, spes me tenet, etc.; a doubt, dubitare; a suspicion, suspicionem habere suspicari; a wish, optare; est in optatis or votis (both with infinitive); an opinion, Vid: OPINION.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for entertain?
- The usual Latin words for “entertain” are excipiō, recipiō, oblectō; also cōnfābulor, alō, pāscō. 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.