English → Latin
“evil-speaking” in Latin
calumniaA cunning device, trickery, artifice, sophistry, chicanery.; A pretence, evasion, subterfuge.; A misrepresentation, falscrīminātiōaccusation, complaint; calumnymaledictiōcurse, evil speech; condemnation; slanderprocācitāsboldness, shamelessness, impudencepetulānspert, saucy, impudent, wanton; freakish; petulant
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
evil-speaking
calumnia (false accusation): criminatio (the blackening anybody’s character): maledictio (act of speaking against anybody; very rare; Cic., CoeL., 3). Sometimes procacitas, petulantia, temeritas linguae.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for evil-speaking?
- The usual Latin words for “evil-speaking” are calumnia, crīminātiō, maledictiō; also procācitās, petulāns. 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.