lūdō
Meaning
- to play (a game or sport)
- to frolic, behave playfully
- to practice, amuse oneself with
- to sport, play amorously
- to mock, mimic
- to tease, ridicule
- to deceive, delude, trick, take advantage of
In the readers how our graded readers gloss it
Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms
Ludus · Lusus · Ludicrum · Jocus
1. Ludus (from λοίδορος) denotes play in an objective sense, inasmuch as it is at hand for a man’s entertainment; whereas lusus, in a subjective sense, inasmuch as a man carries it on and produces it himself; further, ludus denotes play, as a means of recreation, in opp. to exertion; lusus, as a childish, useless pastime, in opp. to real business. Plin. Ep. ix. 33. 3. Pueri quos otium ludusque sollicitat: comp. with ix. 25. Lusus et ineptias nostras legis. Or, Cic. Flacc. 5, 12. Græci quibus jusjurandum jocus est, testimonium ludus; that is, to whom it is a mere trifle to bear false witness; compare with Sen. Contr. i. 2. Piratas . . . quibus omne fas nefasque lusus est; that is, to whom the distinction between right and wrong is a mere sporting with words. 2. The plur. ludi assumes the special meaning of public spectacles, and in this sense has a singular peculiar to itself in the word ludicrum. 3. Ludus and lusus have more a negative character, as mere pastimes and amusements, as a guard against ennui; whereas jocus more a positive character, as an utterance of humor and wit. The ludens wishes merely to be free from exertion, to do nothing serious, and to amuse himself; the jocans will be as active at the command of mirth, as others at the command of seriousness. (ii. 33.)
Conjugation conjugation 3
| form | present | imperfect | future | perfect | pluperfect | fut. perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | lūdō | lūdēbam | lūdam | lūsī | lūseram | lūserō |
| 2nd sg. | lūdis | lūdēbās | lūdēs | lūsistī | lūserās | lūseris |
| 3rd sg. | lūdit | lūdēbat | lūdet | lūsit | lūserat | lūserit |
| 1st pl. | lūdimus | lūdēbāmus | lūdēmus | lūsimus | lūserāmus | lūserimus |
| 2nd pl. | lūditis | lūdēbātis | lūdētis | lūsistis | lūserātis | lūseritis |
| 3rd pl. | lūdunt | lūdēbant | lūdent | lūsērunt lūsēre | lūserant | lūserint |
active subjunctive
| form | present | imperfect | perfect | pluperfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | lūdam | lūderem | lūserim | lūsissem |
| 2nd sg. | lūdās | lūderēs | lūserīs | lūsissēs |
| 3rd sg. | lūdat | lūderet | lūserit | lūsisset |
| 1st pl. | lūdāmus | lūderēmus | lūserīmus | lūsissēmus |
| 2nd pl. | lūdātis | lūderētis | lūserītis | lūsissētis |
| 3rd pl. | lūdant | lūderent | lūserint | lūsissent |
passive indicative
| form | present | imperfect | future |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | lūdor | lūdēbar | lūdar |
| 2nd sg. | lūderis lūdere | lūdēbāris lūdēbāre | lūdēris lūdēre |
| 3rd sg. | lūditur | lūdēbātur | lūdētur |
| 1st pl. | lūdimur | lūdēbāmur | lūdēmur |
| 2nd pl. | lūdiminī | lūdēbāminī | lūdēminī |
| 3rd pl. | lūduntur | lūdēbantur | lūdentur |
passive subjunctive
| form | present | imperfect |
|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | lūdar | lūderer |
| 2nd sg. | lūdāris lūdāre | lūderēris lūderēre |
| 3rd sg. | lūdātur | lūderētur |
| 1st pl. | lūdāmur | lūderēmur |
| 2nd pl. | lūdāminī | lūderēminī |
| 3rd pl. | lūdantur | lūderentur |
imperative
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| pres. 2nd sg. | lūde | lūdere |
| pres. 2nd pl. | lūdite | lūdiminī |
| fut. 2nd sg. | lūditō | lūditor |
| fut. 3rd sg. | lūditō | lūditor |
| fut. 2nd pl. | lūditōte | — |
| fut. 3rd pl. | lūduntō | lūduntor |
infinitives & participles
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| present infinitive | lūdere | lūdī |
| perfect infinitive | lūsisse | lūsum esse |
| future infinitive | lūsūrum esse | lūsum īrī |
| present participle | lūdēns | — |
| perfect participle | — | lūsus |
| future participle | lūsūrus lūsūra, lūsūrā, lūsūrae, lūsūram, lūsūrārum, lūsūrās, lūsūre, lūsūrī, lūsūrīs, lūsūrō, lūsūrōrum, lūsūrōs, lūsūrum | lūdendus lūdundus, lūdenda, lūdendā, lūdendae, lūdendam, lūdendārum, lūdendās, lūdende, lūdendīs, lūdendōrum, lūdendōs |
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- ludi gymnici
- gymnastic contests.
- ludi apparatissimi
- sumptuous public games.
- ludi circenses, scaenici
- performances in the circus; theatrical perfomances.
- ludere, irridere, deridere aliquem
- to make sport of, rally a person.
- ludi Olympia (not ludi Olympici), Pythia
- the Olympian, Pythian games.
tesseris, Ter. Ad. 4, 7, 21: aleā ludere, Cic. Phil. 2, 23, 56: pilā et duodecim scriptis, id. de Or. 1, 50, 217; 1, 16, 73; 2, 62, 253: cum pila, id. Tusc. 5, 20, 60: trocho, Hor. C. 3, 24, 56: nucibus, Mart. 14, 1, 12: pilā, Val. Max. 8, 8, 2: positā luditur arcā, with one's whole cash-box staked, Juv. 1, 90: eburnis quadrigis cotidie in abaco, Suet. Ner. 22: apud quem alea lusum esse dicetur, Dig. 11, 5, 1 praef.: senatus consultum vetuit in pecuniam ludere, to play for money, ib. 11, 5, 2: ego nisi quom lusim nil morer ullum lucrum, Plaut. Rud. 4, 7, 22. —aleam, Suet. Aug. 70; id. Claud. 33; id. Ner. 30: par impar, id. Aug. 71; Hor. S. 2, 3, 248: ducatus et imperia, Suet. Ner. 35: Trojam, id. Caes. 39; id. Ner. 7: proelia latronum, Ov. A. A. 3, 357; cf. pass.: sunt aliis scriptae, quibus alea luditur, artes, id. Tr. 2, 471: alea luditur, Juv. 8, 10: aleae ludendae causa, Dig. 11, 5, 1 praef.: alea ludebatur, ib. 11, 5, 1, § 2.—lusimus per omnes dies, Suet. Aug. 71; 94; cf.: ludis circensibus elephantos lusisse, appeared in the public games, Liv. 44, 18, 8.—In sup.: dimittere lusum, Varr. Sat. Men. 53, 7.—dum se exornat, nos volo Ludere inter nos, have some fun, Plaut. Stich. 5, 4, 20: ludere armis, Lucr. 2, 631: suppeditant et campus noster et studia venandi honesta exempla ludendi, Cic. Off. 1, 29, 104: ad ludendumne, an ad pugnandum, arma sumturi, id. de Or. 2, 20, 84: in numerum, dance, Verg. E. 6, 28: hic juvenum series teneris immixta puellis ludit, Tib. 1, 3, 64: cumque marinae In sicco ludunt fulicae, Verg. G. 1, 363: in exiguo cymba lacu, Ov. Tr. 2, 330. —illa ipsa ludens conjeci in communes locos, Cic. Par. prooem.: Prima Syracosio dignata est ludere versu Nostra ... Thalia, Verg. E. 6, 1.—Esp., to play on an instrument of music, to make or compose music or song: ludere quae vellem calamo permisit agresti, Verg. E. 1, 10: talia fumosi luduntur mense Decembri, Ov. Tr. 2, 491: quod tenerae cantent, lusit tua musa, puellae, id. Am. 3, 1, 27: coloni Versibus incomptis ludunt, Verg. G. 2, 386: carmina pastorum, id. ib. 4, 565; Suet. Ner. 3: si quid vacui sub umbra Lusimus tecum, Hor. C. 1, 22, 2.—scis solere illam aetatem tali ludo ludere, Plaut. Most. 5, 2, 36: affatim edi, bibi, lusi, Liv. Andron. ap. Paul. ex Fest. s. v. affatim, p. 11 Müll.; cf.: lusisti satis, edisti satis, atque bibisti, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 214; Ov. A. A. 2, 389; Cat. 61, 207; Suet. Tib. 44; Mart. 11, 104, 5.—ludere opus, to imitate work, make believe work, Hor. S. 2, 3, 252: magistratum fascibus purpurāque, App. M. 11, p. 260 fin.: ludere causas, Calp. Ecl. 1, 45: impia dum Phoebi Caesar mendacia ludit, Poët. ap. Suet. Aug. 70.—otium, Mart. 3, 67, 9.—Hence, ludere operam, to throw away one's labor, to labor in vain, Plaut. Ps. 1, 3, 135.—Domitius in senatu lusit Appium collegam, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 15 a, 13: satis jocose aliquem ludere, id. ib. 2, 12, 2: omnium irrisione ludi, id. de Or. 1, 12, 50.—Rarely with ad: caput aselli, ad quod lascivi ludebant ruris alumni, Juv. 11, 98.—auditis, an me ludit amabilis Insania? Hor. C. 3, 4, 5; Ov. A. A. 3, 332: custodes, Tib. 1, 6, 9; 3, 4, 7.—Comp.: hoc civili bello, quam multa (haruspicum responsa) luserunt, i. e. gave wanton, deceptive responses, Cic. Div. 2, 24, 53.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
Origins
Uncertain. * De Vaan suggests that the term ultimately derives from Proto-Italic *loidō (“to play”), from *loyd-, the o-grade of the root *leyd- (“to let go”). The source of the o-grade is unclear—it could hint at an original causative formation, in which case it would perhaps correspond to Old Irish laídid and Lithuanian laidyti. However, the suffix does not match, which militates against this proposal. Alternatively, De Vaan suggests it may reflect an o-grade present with a frequentative meaning. * Another theory, posited by the LIV, maintains that the term derives from Proto-Indo-European *lé-loyd-ti ~ *lé-lid-n̥ti, an o-grade reduplicated athematic present, in which case it may correspond to Lithuanian láisti. * The EIEC connects the term with Ancient Greek λίζω (lízō, “to play”) and reconstructs a pre-form *loyd- (“play, jest”).
- EnglishLudo
- Englishludicrous
- Italianludere
- Italianludico
- Spanishlúdico
- Spanishluir
- Spanishludir
- Frenchludique
- Esperantoludi