noun · femininethird declension
fax
fax f (genitive facis)
Classical[ˈfaks]Ecclesiastical[ˈfaks]
№ 511 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- femininetorch, firebrand
Near-synonym: fūnāle
- femininefireball, comet
- femininecause of ruin, incitement
Igitur statim prima iuventutis face patruum ab arce deturbat, avum reponit.
Translation by Edward Seymour Forster Romulus, therefore, in the first ardour of youth, expelled his uncle from the citadel and restored his grandfather.Florus, Epitome of Roman History 1.5-6
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
lignum quod ārdēns lūmen dat; facēs nūptiās et fūnera dūcunt.fax facis f — in Mille Verba, ch. Vīta et Mors
lignum ārdēns lūminisfax, facis (f) — in IVLIANVS II: Imperium, ch. 14
lignum ārdēns quod lūmen fertfax facis (f) — in Metamorphoses I, ch. 3, 11, 18
Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms
Fax · Tæda · Funale
Fax is the general expression for any sort of torch; tæda is a natural pine torch; funale, an artificial wax-torch.
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | fax | facēs |
| genitive | facis | facum |
| dative | facī | facibus |
| accusative | facem | facēs |
| ablative | face | facibus |
| vocative | fax | facēs |
fax, făcis (also in the
I. nom. sing. † faces, acc. to Paul. ex Fest. p. 87, 9 Müll.; gen. plur.: facum, acc. to Charis. p. 113 P., but without example), f. root bhā, to shine; cf. favilla, a torch, firebrand, flambeau, link, orig. of pine or other resinous wood.
I. Lit. (syn.: taeda, funale, cerĕus, candela, lucerna, laterna): alii faces atque aridam materiem de muro in aggerem eminus jaciebant, * Caes. B. G. 7, 24, 4; Liv. 22, 16, 7:
ambulare cum facibus, Hor. S. 1, 4, 52: malleolos et faces ad inflammandam urbem comparare, Cic. Cat. 1, 13, 32; cf.: ego faces jam accensas ad hujus urbis incendium exstinxi, id. Pis. 2, 5: servi in tecta nostra cum facibus immissi, id. Att. 14, 10, 1; cf.: faces incendere, id. Phil. 2, 36, 91: si te in Capitolium faces ferre vellet, id. Lael. 11, 37: ardentem facem praeferre, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 34, § 74: castris inicere, Tac. H. 4, 60; subdere urbi, Curt. 5, 7, 4: faces ferro inspicare, Verg. G. 1, 292; cf.: facis incidere, Plin. 18, 26, 63, § 233: dilapsam in cineres facem, Hor. C. 4, 13, 28.—At weddings, the torch carried before the bride on the way to her home, usually made of white-thorn (Spina alba) or pine, the nuptial torch: spina, nuptiarum facibus auspicatissima, Masur. ap. Plin. 16, 18, 30, § 75; Fest. s. v. patrimi, p. 245; s. v. rapi, p. 289 Müll.; Varr. ap. Non. 112, 27; id. ap. Serv. Verg. E. 8, 29; Plaut. Cas. 1, 30; Cat. 61, 98 sq.; Verg. E. 8, 29; Ov. M. 10, 6; Stat. Th. 2, 259 al.; hence, nuptiales, Cic. Clu. 6, 15; Liv. 30, 13, 12: maritae, Ov. H. 11, 101: legitimae, Luc. 2, 356.—Cf. Anthon's Dict. of Antiq. p. 434, and v. infra. Torches were also carried in funeral processions, Verg. A. 11, 142; Prop. 3, 13 (4, 12), 17; Ov. F. 2, 561; id. H. 21, 172; Sen. Tranq. 11; id. Vit. Beat. fin.; id. Ep. 222; and in the Eleusinian mysteries, Juv. 15, 140.—An attribute of Cupid, Tib. 2, 1, 82; Prop. 3, 16 (4, 15), 16; Ov. M. 1, 461; 10, 312 al.; of the Furies, Verg. A. 7, 337; Ov. M. 4, 482; 508; 6, 430; Quint. 9, 3, 47 al.—B. Transf.
1. On account of the use of torches at weddings (poet.), a wedding, marriage:
face nuptiali digna, Hor. C. 3, 11, 33; cf.: te face sollemni junget sibi, Ov. M. 7, 49.—And referring at the same time to the funeral torch: viximus insignes inter utramque facem, i. e. between marriage and death, Prop. 4 (5), 11, 46.—2. The light of the heavenly bodies (poet.):
dum roseā face sol inferret lumina caelo, Lucr. 5, 976; cf.: Phoebi fax, Cic. poët. Div. 1, 11, 18: canentes Rite crescentem face Noctilucam, Hor. C. 4, 6, 38: aeterna fax, i. e. the sun, Sen. Thyest. 835.—3. A fiery meteor, fire-ball, shooting-star, comet:
noctivagaeque faces caeli flammaeque volantes, Lucr. 5, 1191; cf.: nocturnasque faces caeli, sublime volantes, id. 2, 206: emicant et faces non nisi cum decidunt visae, etc., Plin. 2, 26, 25, § 96: tum facibus visis caelestibus, tum stellis iis, quas Graeci cometas, nostri cincinnatas vocant, Cic. N. D. 2, 5, 14; id. Cat. 3, 8, 18; Liv. 41, 21, 13; 29, 14, 3; Verg. A. 2, 694; Ov. M. 15, 787; Luc. 1, 528; Petr. 122; Sen. Oet. 232.—4. Of the eyes:
oculi, geminae, sidera nostra, faces, Prop. 2, 3, 14: has ego credo faces, haec virginis ora Dianae, Val. Fl. 5, 380; cf.: tranquillaeque faces oculis et plurima vultu materinest, Stat. Ach. 1, 164.—5. Prima fax (noctis), early torchlight, immediately after dark (post-class.); cf.:
luminibus accensis, Auct. B. Afr. 89: tempus diei occiduum, mox suprema tempestas, hoc est diei novissimum tempus: deinde vespera: ab hoc tempore prima fax dicitur, deinde concubia, etc., Macr. S, 1, 3 fin.; Gell. 3, 2, 11; 18, 1 fin.; App. M. 2, p. 119, 20.II. Trop.
A. That which illuminates, makes conspicuous (poet.):
incipit parentum nobilitas facem praeferre pudendis, Juv. 8, 139; cf. Sall. J. 80.—B. That which inflames or incites, incitement, stimulus, cause of ruin, destruction (freq. and class.):
cum corporis facibus inflammari soleamus ad omnes fere cupiditates eoque magis incendi, quod, etc., Cic. Tusc. 1, 19, 44: me torret face mutua Calais, flame of love, Hor. C. 3, 9, 13; cf.: iraï fax, Lucr. 3, 303: dicendi faces, flames, fires of eloquence, Cic. de Or. 2, 51, 205; cf.: alicui quasi quasdam verborum faces admovere, id. ib. 3, 1, 4: alicui acriores ad studia dicendi faces subdere, Quint. 1, 2, 25 Spald.: hortator studii causaque faxque mei, guide, leader, Ov. Pont. 1, 7, 28; and: incitator et fax omnium, Prud. στεφ. 10, 67: subicere faces invidiae alicujus, Cic. Mil. 35, 98; cf.: flagrantibus jam militum animis velut faces addere, Tac. H. 1, 24: acerrimam bello facem praetulit, id. ib. 2, 86: (rogationes promulgavit) duas faces novantibus res ad plebem in optimates accendendam, Liv. 32, 38, 9: inde faces ardent, a dote, Juv. 6, 139: adolescentulo ad libidinem facem praeferre, i. e. to be a leader or guide, Cic. Cat. 1, 6, 13: Antonius omnium Clodi incendiorum fax, instigator, id. Phil. 2, 19, 48; cf.: fax accusationis et origo, Plin. Ep. 4, 9, 3: fax hujus belli (Hannibal), Liv. 21, 10, 11; Vell. 2, 25, 3: dolorum cum admoventur faces, Cic. Off. 2, 10, 37; cf. id. Tusc. 2, 25, 61: (dolor) ardentes faces intentat, id. ib. 5, 27, 76: quae (Agrippinae) Gaium et Domitium Neronem principes genuere totidem facis generis humani, destroyers, Plin. 7, 8, 6, § 45.—Absol.: cum his furiis et facibus, cum his exitiosis prodigiis (i e. Gabinio et Pisone), Cic. Har. Resp. 2, 4.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
fax facis, f
1 FAC-, a torch, firebrand, flambeau, link : faces de muro eminus iaciebant, Cs.: faces undique ex agris conlectae, L.: ambulare cum facibus, H.: faces iam accensas ad urbis incendium exstinxi: ardens: faces ferro inspicare, V.: dilapsa in cineres fax, H.: arcana, i. e. carried in the Eleusinian mysteries, Iu.— A nuptial-torch (carried in the wedding procession): novas incide faces, tibi ducitur uxor, V.: face nuptiali digna, i. e. of marriage , H.: nuptiales: maritae, O.— A funeral-torch (with which the pyre was kindled): Funereas rapuere faces, V.—As an attribute of Cupid, the torch of love , O., Tb., Pr.—As an attribute of the Furies, the torch of wrath : madefacta sanguine, O.—Of the heavenly bodies, a light, orb : Phoebi fax, C. poët.— A fiery meteor, fire-ball, shooling-star, comet : visae nocturno tempore faces: Stella facem ducens, i. e. a torch-like train , V.: stellae, a comet , L.: faces visae ardere sub astris, meteors , O.—Fig., a torch, light : facem praeferre pudendis, i. e. make deeds of shame conspicuous , Iu.: studii mei, guide , O.: adulescentulo ad libidinem facem praeferre.— A torch, fire, flame, incitement, stimulus, cause of ruin, destruction : corporis facibus inflammari ad cupiditates: me torret face mutuā Calais, flame of love , H.: dicendi faces, flaming eloquence : subicere faces invidiae alicuius: inde faces ardent (a dote), Iu.: Antonius incendiorum, instigator : belli, L.
Origins
Uncertain. Possibly from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰwok(ʷ)- > Proto-Italic *fwak(ʷ)-. Potential cognates include facētus and Lithuanian žvakė (“candle”). Compare also Etruscan 𐌚𐌀𐌂𐌄 (face, “torch (?)”). Schrijver argues the -a- can be explained as going back to Proto-Indo-European *o, with unrounding after *w in an originally open syllable (as in the oblique case-forms). According to De Vaan, even if the Latin and Lithuanian words are cognate, the root structure is more consistent with a later loanword rather than a Proto-Indo-European formation.
Descendants
- Italianface