verbsecond conjugation, no supine stem, third person-only in the passive
sileō
sileō (present infinitive silēre, perfect active siluī)
Classical[ˈsɪ.ɫe.oː]Ecclesiastical[ˈsiː.le.o]
Mille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- to be silent, noiseless, quiet, make no sound; speak not, to be quiet
Silendo libertatem servo.
By being silent, I protect liberty.Motto of Operation Gladio - transitiveto keep silent over or about
- to be inactive; rest, cease
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
taceō, nūllum sonum dō.sileō -ēre siluī — in Mille Verba, Theātrum
taceōsileō -ēre — in IVLIANVS I: Gallia, ch. 6
Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms
Silere · Tacere · Reticere · Obticere
1. Silere (from ἑλλός) means to be still, σιωπᾶν, in opp. to strepere, Suet. Aug. 94; whereas tacere (from tegere?) means to be silent, σιγᾶν, in opp. to loqui, dicere. And the compound word reticere, if a man has something to say, and keeps it to himself, in opp. to eloqui, proloqui; but obticere, if a man does not speak to one who asks or expects an explanation, in opp. to respondere. Cic. Harusp. 28. Sed tamen facile tacentibus cæteris reticuissem. 2. Tacens and tacitus denote being silent merely as a temporary state; tacens means any one who does not speak; tacitus, one who, when an opportunity for speaking offers, purposely refrains, and observes a significant silence; whereas taciturnus denotes silence as an habitual quality, like close and reserved. (i. 85.)
Conjugation conjugation 2 no-supine
| form | present | imperfect | future | perfect | pluperfect | fut. perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | sileō | silēbam | silēbō | siluī | silueram | siluerō |
| 2nd sg. | silēs | silēbās | silēbis | siluistī | siluerās | silueris |
| 3rd sg. | silet | silēbat | silēbit | siluit | siluerat | siluerit |
| 1st pl. | silēmus | silēbāmus | silēbimus | siluimus | siluerāmus | siluerimus |
| 2nd pl. | silētis | silēbātis | silēbitis | siluistis | siluerātis | silueritis |
| 3rd pl. | silent | silēbant | silēbunt | siluērunt siluēre | siluerant | siluerint |
active subjunctive
| form | present | imperfect | perfect | pluperfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | sileam | silērem | siluerim | siluissem |
| 2nd sg. | sileās | silērēs | siluerīs | siluissēs |
| 3rd sg. | sileat | silēret | siluerit | siluisset |
| 1st pl. | sileāmus | silērēmus | siluerīmus | siluissēmus |
| 2nd pl. | sileātis | silērētis | siluerītis | siluissētis |
| 3rd pl. | sileant | silērent | siluerint | siluissent |
passive indicative
| form | present | imperfect | future |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | — | — | — |
| 2nd sg. | — | — | — |
| 3rd sg. | silētur | silēbātur | silēbitur |
| 1st pl. | — | — | — |
| 2nd pl. | — | — | — |
| 3rd pl. | silentur | silēbantur | silēbuntur |
passive subjunctive
| form | present | imperfect |
|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | — | — |
| 2nd sg. | — | — |
| 3rd sg. | sileātur | silērētur |
| 1st pl. | — | — |
| 2nd pl. | — | — |
| 3rd pl. | sileantur | silērentur |
imperative
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| pres. 2nd sg. | silē | — |
| pres. 2nd pl. | silēte | — |
| fut. 2nd sg. | silētō | — |
| fut. 3rd sg. | silētō | silētor |
| fut. 2nd pl. | silētōte | — |
| fut. 3rd pl. | silentō | silentor |
infinitives & participles
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| present infinitive | silēre | silērī |
| perfect infinitive | siluisse | — |
| present participle | silēns | — |
| future participle | — | silendum |
gerundsilendī, silendō, silendum
sĭlĕo, ŭi (
I. perf. pass. silitum est, Aug. Civ. Dei, 16, 2), 2, v. n. and a. [cf. Goth. silan, ana-silan, to be silent; Germ. seltsam, selten], to be noiseless, still, or silent, to keep silence; act., not to speak of, to keep silent respecting a thing (class.; stronger than tacere).
I. Lit.
(a). Absol.:
silete et tacete atque animum advortite, Plaut. Poen. prol. 3; id. Capt. 3, 1, 20: optimum quemque silere, Liv. 39, 27 fin.: muta silet virgo, Ov. M. 10, 389: lingua, sile, id. P. 2, 2, 61: sedentibus ac silentibus cunctis, Suet. Claud. 21: obstrepentes forte ranas silere jussit, id. Aug. 94.—(b). With de:
cum ceteri de nobis silent, Cic. Sull. 29, 80: de dracone silet, id. Div. 2, 30, 65: de re publicā ut sileremus, id. Brut. 42, 157; cf. id. ib. 76, 266; cf. Fabri ad Sall. J. 19, 2.—Impers. pass.: de jurgio siletur, Ter. Phorm. 5, 2, 13; Cic. Div. in Caecil. 10, 32; Sall. C. 2, 8: usque ab Abraham de justorum aliquorum commemoratione silitum est, Aug. Civ. Dei, 16, 2.—(g). With acc.:
quae hoc tempore sileret omnia, Cic. Clu. 6, 18: tu hoc silebis, id. Att. 2, 18, 3: neque te silebo, Liber, Hor. C. 1, 12, 21; cf. id. ib. 4, 9, 31: fortia facta, Ov. M. 12, 575: alium silere quod voles, Sen. Hippol. 876: nulla me tellus silet, id. Herc. Oet. 39; cf.: facti culpa silenda mihi, Ov. Tr. 2, 208.—Pass.: ea res siletur, Cic. Fl. 3, 6: quod ego praetermitto et facile patior sileri, id. Cat. 1, 6, 14: ne nunc quidem post tot saecula sileantur, Liv. 27, 10, 7: per quem tria verba silentur, Ov. F. 1, 47: mala causa silenda est, id. P. 3, 1, 147: quisquis ille, sileatur, Plin. Ep. 8, 22, 4; cf. Tac. Agr. 41.—Part. pass. as subst.: sĭlenda, ōrum, mysteries, secrets, Liv. 39, 10, 5; cf. Curt. 6, 25, 3.—(d). With rel.clause:
quā tulerit mercede, silet, Ov. M. 7, 688.—* (ε) With obj.-clause: ut sileat verbum facere, Auct. B. Hisp. 3, 7.—2. Of things (mostly poet.):
intempesta silet nox, Verg. G. 1, 247: silet aequor, id. E. 9, 57: mare, Val. Fl. 7, 542: immotae frondes, Ov. M. 7, 187: umidus aër, id. ib.: aura, Col. 2, 21, 5: venti, id. 12, 25, 4: tranquillo silet immotāque attollitur undā Campus, Verg. A. 5, 127; cf.: silent late loca, id. ib. 9, 190: tempus erat quo cuncta silent, Ov. M. 10, 446; cf. also infra P. a.—Act.: si chartae sileant quod bene feceris, Hor. C. 4, 8, 21.—II. Transf., to be still or quiet (opp. to being in action), to remain inactive, to rest, cease (in class. prose, for the most part only of things; cf.
quiesco): et cycnea mele Phoebeaque Carmina consimili ratione oppressa silerent, Lucr. 2, 506: silent diutius Musae Varronis quam solebant, Cic. Ac. 1, 1, 2: silent leges inter arma, id. Mil. 4, 10: si quando ambitus sileat, id. Leg. 3, 17, 39: ne sileret sine fabulis hilaritas, Petr. 110, 6.—Of persons: fixaque silet Gradivus in hastā, Val. Fl. 4, 281: nec ceterae nationes silebant (with arma movere), Tac. H. 3, 47.—Hence, sĭlens, entis (abl. silente; but -ti, Liv. 23, 35, 18 al.; Ov. M. 4, 84; neutr. plur. silenta loca, Laev. ap. Gell. 19, 7, 7; gen. plur. (poet.) silentum, Verg. A. 6, 432; Ov. M. 5, 356 al.), P. a., still, calm, quiet, silent: nocte silenti, Ov. M. 4, 84; Verg. A. 4, 527: silenti nocte, Liv. 26, 5, 9; Petr. poët. 89, 2, 32: silente nocte, Tib. 1, 5, 16: silente caelo, Plin. 18, 28, 69, § 279: silenti agmine ducam vos, Liv. 25, 38; so, silenti agmine, id. 31, 38 fin.; 35, 4: per lucos silentes, Verg. G. 1, 476: vultu defixus uterque silenti, Val. Fl. 7, 407: umbrae silentes, i. e. the dead, Verg. A. 6, 264; called populus silens, Claud. Rapt. Pros. 2, 237; more freq. as subst.: sĭlentes, um, comm., the dead: umbrae silentum, Ov. M. 15, 797; so, rex silentum, id. ib. 5, 356: sedes, id. ib. 15, 772; Val. Fl. 1, 750; cf.: Aeacus jura silentibus illic Reddit, Ov. M. 13, 25.—The Pythagoreans were also called Silentes for the five years during which they were to listen to the instructions of Pythagoras: coetus silentum, Ov. M. 15, 66; hence, silentes anni, these five years of the Pythagoreans, Claud. Cons. Mall. Theod. 157: luna silenti, not shining, i. e. at the end of the month, Cato, R. R. 29; 40; 50; Col. 2, 10, 11; cf. Plin. 16, 39, 74, § 190: sarmentum, not yet shooting forth, Col. 4, 29, 1: vineae, id. 4, 27, 1: surculi, id. 11, 2, 26: flos, id. 12, 7, 1: ova, in which the chicks do not yet move, id. 8, 5, 15.—With ab: dies silens a ventis, Col. 4, 29, 5.—Hence, adv.: sĭlenter, silently, Juvenc. 3, 462; Vulg. 1, Reg. 24, 5.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
sileō uī, —, ēre,
to be noiseless, be still, be silent, keep silence, not speak of, keep silent about, suppress: optimum quemque, L.: Lingua, sile, O.: de nobis: de iurgio siletur, T.: quae hoc tempore sileret omnia: facti culpa silenda mihi, O.: ea res siletur: tempora, quae sileri Agricolam non sinerent, Ta.: quod bene feceris, H.: Quā tulerit mercede, silet, O.—Poet.: intempesta silet nox, V.: Immotae frondes, O.: silent late loca, V.—To be still, keep quiet, remain inactive, rest, cease: silent diutius Musae Varronis quam solebant: silent leges inter arma: si quando ambitus sileat.
Origins
From Proto-Indo-European *seyl- (“still, windless, quiet, slow”). Cognate with Proto-Germanic *silāną (“to be still”), Old English sālnes (“silence”), Old Norse sil (“slow flowing water”).
In English words that came into English from sileō
- silentsilēns
- silencesilentium
- silentioussilentiōsus