adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective
perfidus
perfidus (feminine perfida, neuter perfidum)
Classical[ˈpɛr.fɪ.dʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈpɛr.fi.dus]
Meaning
- adjectivethat breaks one's promise; false; faithless; dishonest; disloyal; deceitful
“Dissimulāre etiam spērāstī, perfide, tantum posse nefās, tacitusque meā dēcēdere terrā?” “Had you even hoped to be able to hide so great a crime – you faithless [man]! – and to slip away from my land unnoticed?”
29 BCE – 19 BCE, Vergilius, Aeneis 4.305–306 - adjectivebroadlytreacherous; unsafe; dangerous
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
sine fidēperfidus -a -um — in IVLIANVS I: Gallia, ch. 9
fidem fallēnsperfidus -a -um — in IVLIANVS II: Imperium, ch. 13
quī fidem frangitperfidus -a -um — in Aeneis, ch. 11
treacherous
perfidus -a -um — in De Bello Gallico II
Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms
Fidus · Fidelis · Infidus · Infidelis · Perfidus · Perfidiosus
1. Fidus denotes a natural quality, like trustworthy, with relative praise; whereas fidelis denotes a moral characteristic, as faithful, with absolute praise. Liv. xxii. 22. Eo vinculo Hispaniam vir unus solerti magis quam fideli consilio exsolvit. Abellex erat Sagunti, nobilis Hispanus, fidus ante Pœnis. 2. Infidus means unworthy of trust; infidelis, unfaithful; perfidus, treacherous, in particular actions; perfidiosus, full of treachery, with reference to the whole character. (v. 255.)
Declension
| form | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | perfidus | perfida | perfidum |
| genitive | perfidī | perfidae | perfidī |
| dative | perfidō | perfidae | perfidō |
| accusative | perfidum | perfidam | perfidum |
| ablative | perfidō | perfidā | perfidō |
| vocative | perfide | perfida | perfidum |
| form | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | perfidī | perfidae | perfida |
| genitive | perfidōrum | perfidārum | perfidōrum |
| dative | perfidīs | perfidīs | perfidīs |
| accusative | perfidōs | perfidās | perfida |
| ablative | perfidīs | perfidīs | perfidīs |
| vocative | perfidī | perfidae | perfida |
perfĭdus, a, um, adj. per-fides,
I. that breaks his promise, faithless, false, dishonest, treacherous, perfidious.
I. Lit. (class.;
syn. infidus): vanum et perfidiosum esse, Cic. Quint. 6, 26: omnes, aliud agentes, aliud simulantes, perfidi, improbi, malitiosi sunt, id. Off. 3, 14, 60.—(b). With gen. (poet.):
gens perfida pacti, faithless, Sil. 1, 5.—b. Of inanim. and abstr. things (poet.):
bella, Sil. 15, 819: nex, effected by treachery, Sen. Agam. 887: arma, Ov. F. 4, 380: verba, id. R. Am. 722.—c. Adverb.: perfidum ridens Venus (= maligne ac dolose), Hor. C. 3, 27, 67.—As subst.: perfĭdus, i, m., a scoundrel, Juv. 13, 245; 9, 82.—
II. Transf., treacherous, unsafe, dangerous (poet. and in post-class. prose):
freta, Sen. Med. 302: saxa, id. Agam. 570: perfidum glacie flumen, Flor. 3, 4, 5: perfida et lubrica via, Prop. 4 (5), 4, 49. vappa, wretched wine that has a good appearance, Mart. 12, 48, 14.—Sup.: homo, quoad vixerat, perfidissimus, Amm. 16, 12, 25.—Adv.: perfĭ-dē, faithlessly, perfidiously, treacherously (post-Aug.): perfide recuperans, Sen. Contr. 4, 26: rumpere pactum, Gell. 20, 1, 54: agere, Dig. 26, 7, 55: quod perfide gestum est, ib. 44, 4, 4, § 13.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
perfidus adj.
1 FID-, promise-breaking, faithless, dishonest, treacherous, perfidious : vanum et perfidiosum esse: Rutulus, V.: arma, O.: verba, O.—Sing n . As adv.: perfidum ridens Venus, H. —As subst m., a scoundrel , O., Pr.— Unsafe : via, Pr.
Origins
From per (“through; along”) + fidēs (“faith; trust”) + -us (adjectival suffix), based on the phrase per fidem dēcipere (“to deceive through faith”).
Descendants
- Catalanpèrfid
- Frenchperfide
- Germanperfidefrom French perfide
- Romanianperfidfrom French perfide
- Italianperfido
- Portuguesepérfido
- Spanishpérfido
- Danishperfidfrom French perfide
- Hungarianperfidfrom French perfide