adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective
pius1
pius (feminine pia, neuter pium, comparative magis pius, superlative maximē pius or summē pius or piissimus or pīssimus or pientissimus or piissumus or pientissumus, adverb piē)
Classical[ˈpi.ʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈpiː.us]
№ 748 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- adjectivepious, devout
- adjectivedutiful, loyal, conscientious
At ego faciam, tu idem ut aliter praedices, Amphitruo, piam et pudicam esse tuam uxorem ut scias. de ea re signa atque argumenta paucis verbis eloquar.
Translation by Henry Thomas Riley But I'll make you, Amphitryon, to be holding other language; that you may understand that your wife is dutiful and chaste, upon that subject I will in a few words discover some tokens and some proofs. In the first place of all, Alcmena has given birth to two sons.c. 190 BCE – 185 BCE, Plautus, Amphitruo 5.1.33–36 - adjectivegood, blessed
- Late Latinadjectiveholy
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
quī deōs et parentēs colit; pius Aenēās.pius -a -um — in Mille Verba, Deī et Sacra
deōs et hominēs cūrānspius -a -um — in IVLIANVS I: Gallia, ch. 22
quī deīs et parentibus dēbita solvitpius -a -um — in Metamorphoses I, †
Declension
| form | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | pius | pia | pium |
| genitive | piī | piae | piī |
| dative | piō | piae | piō |
| accusative | pium | piam | pium |
| ablative | piō | piā | piō |
| vocative | pie | pia | pium |
| form | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | piī | piae | pia |
| genitive | piōrum | piārum | piōrum |
| dative | piīs | piīs | piīs |
| accusative | piōs | piās | pia |
| ablative | piīs | piīs | piīs |
| vocative | piī | piae | pia |
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- bellum iustum (pium)
- a regular, formal war.
- deos sancte, pie venerari
- to be an earnest worshipper of the gods.
- memoriam alicuius pie inviolateque servare
- to show an affectionate regard for a person's memory.
pĭus (written PIIVS, Inscr. Viscont. Monum. Degli Scip. tab. 6, n. 1; cf. Cic. Quint. 1, 4, 11), a, um (voc. pie:
I.
o crucifer bone, lucisator Omnipotens pie, Prud. Cath. 3, 1.—Comp. only magis pius; cf. Charis. pp. 88 and 130 P.—Sup.: piissimus, used by Antonius, and condemned by Cicero, as: verbum omnino nullum in linguā Latinā, Cic. Phil. 13, 19, 43; but freq. in the post-Aug. per., e. g. Sen. Contr. 4, 27 med.; id. Consol. ad Polyb. 26 med.; Tac. Agr. 43; Curt. 9, 6, 17; Flor. 4, 7, 15; Inscr. Orell. 418 et saep. From rare form PIENS, found in inscriptions, Murat. 1624, 4; Mus. Ver. 129, 3 Maff., is derived another form of the sup., PIENTISSIMVS, Inscr. Orell. 200; 203; 3592), adj. etym. dub.; often referred to τίω, τιμάω, that acts according to duty, dutiful; esp. that performs what is due to the gods and religion in general, to parrents, kindred, teachers, country; pious, devout, conscientious, affectionate, tender, kind, good, grateful, respectful, loyal, patriotic, etc. (of persons and things): si quis pius est, Plaut. Rud. prol. 26: uxor pia et pudica, id. Am. 5, 1, 33: Capus ... pium ex se Anchisen generat, Enn. ap. Philarg. ad Verg. G. 3, 35 (Ann. v. 31 Vahl.): (deos) piorum et impiorum habere rationem, Cic. Leg. 2, 7, 15; id. Rep. 6, 15, 15: di meliora piis, Verg. G. 3, 513: poëta, Cat. 16, 5: pii vates. Verg. A. 6, 662; cf.: pio vatis ab ore, Ov. F. 3, 326.—So as subst. freq. pĭi, of the departed, the blessed: piorum sedes, Cic. Phil. 14, 12: arva piorum, Ov. M. 11, 62: cf. Bentley on Hor. C. 3, 4, 6.—Of things having reference to religion: far, Hor. C. 3, 23, 20: tura, Ov. H. 7, 24; 21, 7: luci, sacred, holy, Hor. C. 3, 4, 6: pia et aeterna pax, a conscientiously kept and eternal peace, Cic. Balb. 16, 35: Poeni homines immolare pium esse duxerunt, id. Rep. 3, 9; cf. Ov. Tr. 1, 2, 96: ore pio, id. M. 7, 172; so, quosque pium est adhibere deos, id. F. 4, 829.— As subst.: pĭum, i, n.: stabit pro signis jusque piumque tuis, justice and equity, Ov. A. A. 1, 200; id. H. 8, 4.—Of respectful, affectionate conduct towards parents, etc.: pius in parentes, Cic. Off. 3, 23, 90: pius Aeneas, on account of his filial love for Anchises, Verg. A. 1, 220; 305; 378; 4, 393; 5, 26 et saep.; cf.: seniorque parens, pia sarcina nati, Ov. H. 7, 107; id. M. 7, 482: pius dolor, Cic. Sest. 2: impietate pia est, she is affectionate (towards her brothers) through want of affection (for her son), her sisterly triumphed over her maternal love, Ov. M. 8, 477: quo pius affectu Castora frater amat, id. Tr. 4, 5, 30: metus, of a wife for her husband, id. M. 11, 389: bellum, waged for one's country or allies, Liv. 30, 31; 39, 36; Sil. 15, 162.—II. Transf., in gen.
A. Honest, upright, honorable (very rare): pius quaestus, Cato, R. R. praef.—
B. Benevolent, kind, gentle, gracious (postAug.): clementia patrem tuum in primis Pii nomine ornavit, M. Aurel. ap. Vulcat. Gallic. in Avid. Cass. 11:
pius enim et clemens es, Dominus Deus, Vulg. 2 Par. 30, 9; id. Ecclus. 2, 13.—Pĭus, a title of the emperors after M. Antoninus, on coins and inscrr.; v. Eckh. D. N. 7, p. 36; 8, p. 453; Inscr. Orell. 840 sq.—Poet., of a wine-jar: testa, my kindly jar, = benigna, Hor. C. 3, 21, 4.—Hence, adv.: pĭē, piously, religiously, dutifully, affectionately: pie sancteque colere deos, Cic. N. D. 1, 20, 56; 1, 17, 45; id. Att. 6, 7, 1: memoriam nostri pie inviolateque servabitis, id. Sen. 22, 81: metuo ne scelerate dicam in te, quod pro Milone dicam pie, id. Mil. 38, 103: pie lugere, id. de Or. 2, 40, 167; Ov. H. 15, 153.—Sup.: quod utrumque piissime tulit, Sen. Cons. ad Polyb. 34, 4.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
pius adj.
with (late) sup. piissimus.—Of character, dutiful, pious, devout, conscientious, religious: ingenium Pamphili, T.: homo: di meliora piis, V.: poëta, Ct.: pio vatis ab ore, O.—Plur m. as subst, the departed, blessed: piorum sedes: arva piorum, O.—Of actions, just, holy, right, pious, religious: bellum, L.: homines inmolare pium esse duxerunt, a religious act: Quosque pium est adhibere deos, O.—As subst n.: contra iusque piumque, sacred obligation, O.—Of things, sacred, holy, consecrated: far, H.: pax, under religious sanction: arma, conscientiously taken up, L.—Of natural ties, faithful to kindred, devoted, filial, loving, dutiful: in parentes: Aeneas, the filial, V.: Inpietate pia est, i. e. sacrifices her son to her brother, O.: ‘piissimos’ quaeris, et, quod verbum omnino nullum in linguā Latinā est, etc.: piissima filia, Ta.: piissimi civium, Cu.—Sacred, prompted by natural affection, loving: seniorque parens, pia sarcina nati, O.: dolor, inspired by friendship: piosque pone metūs, i. e. of your husband, O.—Beloved, dear: testa, H.
Origins
From Proto-Italic *pīos, from Proto-Indo-European *puHyós (“purifying”), from *pewH-.
Elsewhere
- Italianpio
- Frenchpieuxfrom Old French pius
- Romanianpiosfrom Old French pius
- Spanishpío
- Englishpious
- Sicilianpìu
Old Galician-Portuguese
- Portuguesepio
- Galicianpío