fābulor

1. Garrire (γηρύω) denotes talking, with reference to excessive fondness for speaking; fabulari, to the nullity; blatire, and the intensive blaterare, to the foolishness of what is said. 2. The garrulus is tiresome from the quality, the loquax from the quantity, of what he says. For garrulitas expresses childish or idle talkativeness, from the mere pleasure of talking and hearing one’s self talk, without regard to the value and substance of what is said, and has its origin in a degeneracy of youthful vivacity, and even in the abuse of superior talents, like λαλία; whereas loquacitas (λακάζειν) expresses a quaint talkativeness, from inability to stop short, which has its origin in the diminished energy of old age, like ἀδολεσχία. The garrulus, in his efforts to please and entertain by light conversation, is silly and imbecile; the loquax, in his efforts to instruct, and make himself clearly understood, is often tedious. 3. Garrulus and loquax denote qualities of persons, speakers; verbosus, of things, speeches, and writings. (iii. 81.)

1. Dicere denotes to say, as conveying information, in reference to the hearer, in opp. to tacere, like the neutral word loqui. Cic. Rull. ii. 1. Ver. ii. 1, 71, 86. Plin. Ep. iv. 20. vii. 6, like λέγειν; but aio expresses an affirmation, with reference to the speaker, in opp. to nego. Cic. Off. iii. 23. Plaut. Rud. ii. 4, 14. Terent. Eun. ii. 2, 21, like φάναι. 2. Ait is in construction with an indirect form of speech, and therefore generally governs an infinitive; whereas inquit is in construction with a direct form of speech, and therefore admits an indicative, imperative, or conjunctive. 3. Aio denotes the simple affirmation of a proposition by merely expressing it, whereas asseverare, affirmare, contendere, denote an emphatic affirmation; asseverare is to affirm in earnest, in opp. to a jocular, or even light affirmation, jocari. Cic. Brut. 85; affirmare, to affirm as certain, in opp. to doubts and rumors, dubitare, Divin. ii. 3, 8; contendere, to affirm against contradiction, and to maintain one’s opinion, in opp. to yielding it up, or renouncing it. 4. Dicere (δεῖξαι) denotes to say, without any accessory notion, whereas loqui (λακεῖν), as a transitive verb, with the contemptuous accessory notion that that which is said is mere idle talk. Cic. Att. xiv. 4. Horribile est quæ loquantur, quæ minitentur. 5. Loqui denotes speaking in general; fabulari, a good-humored, or, at least, pleasant mode of speaking, to pass away the time, in which no heed is taken of the substance and import of what is said, like λαλεῖν; lastly, dicere, as a neuter verb, denotes a speech prepared according to the rules of art, a studied speech, particularly from the rostrum, like λέγειν. Liv. xlv. 39. Tu, centurio, miles, quid de imperatore Paulo senatus decreverit potius quam quid Sergio Galba fabuletur audi, et hoc dicere me potius quam illum audi; ille nihil præterquam loqui, et id ipsum maledice et maligne didicit. Cic. Brut. 58. Scipio sane mihi bene et loqui videtur et dicere. Orat. iii. 10. Neque enim conamur docere eum dicere qui loqui nesciat. Orat. 32. Muren. 34, 71. Suet. Cl. 4. Qui tam ἀσαφῶς loquatur, qui possit quum declamat σαφῶς dicere quæ dicenda sunt non video. 6. Fari (φάναι) denotes speaking, as the mechanical use of the organs of speech to articulate sounds and words, nearly in opp. to infantem esse; whereas loqui (λακεῖν), as the means of giving utterance to one’s thoughts, in opp. to tacere. And as fari may be sometimes limited to the utterance of single words, it easily combines with the image of an unusual, imposing, oracular brevity, as in the decrees of fate, fati; whereas loqui, as a usual mode of speaking, is applicable to excess in speaking, loquacitas. (iv. 1.)