noun · neutersecond declension
spatium
spatium n (genitive spatiī or spatī)
Classical[ˈspa.ti.ũː]Ecclesiastical[ˈspat.t͡si.um]
№ 426 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- neuterspace, room, extent
gentibus est aliīs tellūs data līmite certō:
To other nations, land has been allotted with a certain limit. The extent of the Roman city and of the world is the same. Or, in more natural English: Though other nations have been granted land with a border, the city of Rome's extent equals that of the world.8 CE, Ovidius, Fasti 2.683–684 - neuterdistance between points
- neutera square, walk, or promenade
- neuterracetrack, lap or a race, or racecourse
- neuterperiod or interval of time
Tamen, ut spatium intercedere posset dum milites quos imperaverat convenirent, legatis respondit diem se ad deliberandum sumpturum: si quid vellent, ad Id. April. reverterentur.
Yet, in order that a period might intervene, until the soldiers whom he had ordered [to be furnished] should assemble, he replied to the ambassadors, that he would take time to deliberate; if they wanted any thing, they might return on the day before the ides of April.c. 52 BCE, Julius Caesar, Commentarii de bello Gallico 1.7 - neuterquantity of length
- neutertime or leisure, as with opportunity
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | spatium spatiolum | spatia spacia, spatiola |
| genitive | spatiī spatī, spaciī, spatiolī | spatiōrum spaciōrum, spatiolōrum |
| dative | spatiō spaciō, spatiolō | spatiīs spaciīs, spatiolīs |
| accusative | spatium spatiolum | spatia spacia, spatiola |
| ablative | spatiō spaciō, spatiolō | spatiīs spaciīs, spatiolīs |
| vocative | spatium spatiolum | spatia spacia, spatiola |
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- respirandi spatium dare
- to give time for recovery.
- spatio temporis intermisso
- after some time.
- longum itineris spatium emetiri
- to finish a very long journey.
- longo spatio, intervallo interiecto
- at a great distance.
- paucorum dierum spatium ad deliberandum dare
- to give some one a few days for reflection.
- tempus (spatium) deliberandi or ad deliberandum postulare, dare, sibi sumere
- to require, give, take time for deliberation.
spătĭum, ii, n. root spa-, to draw; Gr. σπάω; span-, to stretch; Gr. σπάνις, want; cf.: πένομαι, πένης; Germ. spannen; Dor. σπάδιον (=στάδιον), race-course; cf. Lat. penuria,
I. room, a space (very freq. and class.).
I. Lit.
A. In gen.: est natura loci spatiumque profundi, Quod neque percurrere flumina possint, Nec, etc.... Usque adeo passim patet ingens copia rebus;
Finibus exemptis, Lucr. 1, 1002; 5, 370; 1, 389: locus ac spatium, quod inane vocamus, id. 1, 426; cf. id. 1, 523: per totum caeli spatium diffundere sese (solis lux), id. 4, 202; cf.: tres pateat caeli spatium non amplius ulnas, Verg. E. 3, 105: flumen Dubis paene totum oppidum cingit: reliquum spatium, quā flumen intermittit, mons continet, Caes. B. G. 1, 38: temporibus rerum et spatiis locorum animadversis, id. B. C. 3, 61 fin.: quod spatium non esset agitandi, Nep. Eum. 5, 4: spatium loci, Quint. 8, 3, 84: spatio distante, Ov. M. 11, 715.—B. In partic.
1. A (limited) space, distance, interval (syn. intervallum):
siderum genus spatiis immutabilibus ab ortu ad occasum commeans, Cic. N. D. 2, 19, 49: magno spatio paucis diebus confecto, Caes. B. G. 3, 29: itineris spatium, id. B. C. 1, 24 fin.: viae spatium, the distance, length, Ov. M. 8, 794: trabes paribus intermissae spatiis (shortly before: paribus intervallis), Caes. B. G. 7, 23; cf.: alios ineunt cursus aliosque recursus Adversi spatiis, Verg. A. 5, 584 Coningt. ad loc.: hic locus aequo fere spatio ab castris utrisque aberat, Caes. B. G. 1, 43: inter duas acies tantum erat relictum spatii, ut, etc., id. B. C. 3, 92: cum Viridorix contra eum duum milium spatio consedisset, id. B. G. 3, 17: magnum spatium abesse, id. ib. 2, 17: quo tanta machinatio ab tanto spatio institueretur? id. ib. 2, 30: tormentorum usum spatio propinquitatis interire, id. B. C. 2, 16 fin.: jamque tenebat Nox medium caeli spatium, Hor. S. 2, 6, 101: illi medio in spatio chorus Occurrit, Verg. A. 10, 219: dimidium fere spatium confecerat, cum, etc., Nep. Eum. 9, 1: spatium discrimina fallit, the distance, Ov. M. 8, 577.—b. Size, bulk, extent:
dum spatium victi considerat hostis (serpentis), Ov. M. 3, 95: elephantis, Luc. 9, 732: oris Et colli, Ov. M. 2, 672: dat spatium collo, id. ib. 3, 195: breve lateris, Juv. 6, 503; cf.: quod sit homini spatium a vestigio ad verticem, Plin. 7, 17, 17, § 77: spatia montis, id. 35, 1, 1, § 2: spatium admirabile rhombi, very large, Juv. 4, 39: vasti corporis, Sen. Hippol. 806: plantae Herculis, Gell. 1, 1, 2: trahit aures in spatium, in length, i. e. lengthens them out, Ov. M. 11, 176; so, in spatium, id. ib. 2, 197; 7, 783; Sil. 13, 562.—2. An open space for walking, racing, etc., in.
a. A walk, promenade; a public place or square, etc. (cf. ambulatio):
urbs delubris distincta spatiisque communibus, Cic. Rep. 1, 26, 41: templaque et innumeris spatia interstincta columnis, i. e. colonnades, porticos, Stat. S. 3, 5, 90: quin igitur ad illa spatia nostra sedesque pergimus, ubi cum satis erit deambulatum, requiescemus, Cic. Leg. 1, 4, 14: spatia silvestria, id. ib. 1, 5, 15: orator ex Academiae spatiis, id. Or. 3, 12 (quoted by Quint. 12, 2, 23, and by Tac. Or. 32): Academiae non sine causā nobilitata spatia, Cic. Fin. 5, 1, 1: locus planis Porrectus spatiis, in level spaces, i. e. plains, Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 42: ille actus habenā Curvatis fertur spatiis, Verg. A. 7, 381.—b. A race-course, track:
sicut fortis equus, spatio qui saepe supremo Vicit Olympia, Enn. Ann. 18, 22: nec vero velim quasi decurso spatio a calce ad carceres revocari, Cic. Sen. 23, 83: amat spatiis obstantia rumpere claustra, Hor. Ep. 1, 14, 9: cum carceribus sese effudere quadrigae, Addunt in spatia, Verg. G. 1, 513 Forbig. ad loc.: hic ad Elei metas et maxuma campi Sudabit spatia, id. ib. 3, 202: signoque repente Corripiunt spatia audito, id. A. 5, 316: tritumque relinquunt Quadrijugi spatium, Ov. M. 2, 168; cf.: equi Pulsabant pedibus spatium declivis Olympi, id. ib. 6, 487: abstulere me velut de spatio Graeciae res immixtae Romanis, Liv. 35, 40, 1: nobilis equos cursus et spatia probant, Tac. Or. 39.—c. Poet., in gen., room or space in a building:
Phocus in interius spatium pulchrosque recessus Cecropidas ducit, the inner space, the interior, Ov. M. 7, 670.—3. Transf., the action of walking, a walk, promenade; a turn, course:
cum in ambulationem ventum esset, Scaevolam, duobus spatiis tribusve factis, dixisse, etc., Cic. de Or. 1, 7, 28; cf. id. Rep. 1, 12, 18; Suet. Aug. 83: si interdum ad forum deducimur, si uno basilicae spatio honestamur, Cic. Mur. 34, 70: septem spatiis circo meruere coronam, Ov. Hal. 68: (agitatores) septimo spatio palmae appropinquant, Sen. Ep. 30, 13.—II. Trop.
A. Of time.
1. In gen., a space of time, interval, period:
spatia omnis temporis non numero dierum sed noctium finiunt, Caes. B. G. 6, 18: spatium praeteriti temporis, Cic. Arch. 1, 1: quantum fuit diei spatium, as the portion of the day allowed, Caes. B. G. 2, 11 fin.: annuum spatium, id. B. C. 3, 3: annuum, menstruum, diurnum, nocturnum, Cic. Inv. 1, 26, 39: dierum triginta, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 39, § 96: parvo dilexit spatio Minoida Theseus, Prop. 2, 24, 43 (3, 19, 27): spatio brevi, Hor. C. 1, 11, 6: in brevi spatio mutantur secla animantum, Lucr. 2, 77; so, in brevi spatio, Ter. Heaut. 5, 2, 2: aliquid longo spatio tenere, Cic. Off. 2, 23, 81: me ex comparato et constituto spatio defensionis in semihorae curriculum coëgisti, id. Rab. Perd. 2, 6: hoc interim spatio conclave illud concidisse, id. de Or. 2, 86, 353: spatia annorum, Prop. 3 (4), 21, 31. spatium juventae Transire, Ov. M. 15, 225: illa dies ... incerti spatium mihi finiat aevi, id. ib. 15, 874: post sexagesimum vitae spatium, i. e. after the sixtieth year, Plin. 7, 50, 51, § 170.—2. In partic.
a. Of a portion of time in which to do any thing, space, time, leisure, opportunity:
neque, ut celari posset, tempus spatium ullum dabat, Ter. Hec. 3, 3, 14: nisi tempus et spatium datum sit, Cic. Quint. 1, 4: irae suae spatium et consilio tempus dare, Liv. 8, 32: ubicumque datum erat spatium solitudinis, Ter. Hec. 1, 2, 55: quantum spatii nobis datur, Cic. de Or. 1, 59, 252: tempus inane peto, requiem spatiumque furori, Verg. A. 4, 433: ne properes, oro; spatium pro munere posco, Ov. R. Am. 277: proin quicquid est, da tempus ac spatium tibi. Quod ratio non quit, saepe sanavit mora, Sen. Agam. 2, 129.—Esp.: spatium (aliquid, nihil spatii, etc.) alicui faciendi or ad faciendum aliquid, time to do a thing: breve spatium'st perferundi quae minitas mihi, Plaut. Capt. 3, 5, 85: ut Ne esset spatium cogitandi ad disturbandas nuptias, Ter. And. 1, 2, 11: quam longum spatium amandi amicam tibi dedi! id. Hec. 4, 4, 62: dare alicui spatium ad se colligendum, Cic. Caecin. 2, 6: ad scribendum, id. Fam. 15, 17, 1: pila in hostes coniciendi, Caes. B. G. 1, 52; 4, 13; Ov. M. 10, 163: nec fuit spatium ad contrahenda castra, Caes. B. G. 7, 40: cum erit spatium, utrumque praestabo, Cic. Att. 5, 14, 1: si spatium ad dicendum habuissemus, Cic. Verr. 1, 18, 56: spatium sumamus ad cogitandum, id. Fin. 4, 1, 1; id. de Or. 1, 33, 150: sex dies ad eam rem conficiendam spatii postulant, Caes. B. C. 1, 3 fin.: vix explicandi ordines spatium Etruscis fuit, Liv. 2, 46, 3: spatium Vitellianis datum refugiendi, Tac. H. 2, 25.—Rarely with dat.: spatium quidem tandem adparandis nuptiis, vocandi, sacruficandi dabitur paululum, Ter. Phorm. 4, 4, 20.—b. A year of life:
quosdam (morbos) post sexagesimum vitae spatium non accidere, Plin. 7, 50, 51, § 170. —c. Metrical time, measure, quantity:
trochaeus, qui est eodem spatio quo choreus, Cic. Or. 57, 193; cf. Quint. 1, 5, 18: neu sermo subsultet imparibus spatiis ac sonis, miscens longa brevibus, etc., id. 11, 3, 43; cf. id. 11, 3, 40; 11, 3, 17 al.—B. (Acc. to I. B.) A path, course, race, track:
ut eadem spatia quinque stellae dispari motu cursuque conficiant, Cic. de Or. 3, 45, 178: quid mihi opu'st, decurso aetatis spatio, cum meis gerere bellum? Plaut. Stich. 1, 2, 14: prope jam excurso spatio, Ter. Ad. 5, 4, 6: te vero, mea quem spatiis propioribus aetas Insequitur, Verg. A. 9, 275: deflexit jam aliquantulum de spatio curriculoque consuetudo majorum, Cic. Lael. 12, 40; cf.: quemadmodum simus in spatio Q. Hortensium ipsius vestigiis persecuti, id. Brut. 90, 307: currenti spatium praemonstra, Lucr. 6, 93: pede inoffenso spatium decurrere vitae, Ov. Tr. 3, 4, 33; Sen. Troad. 398.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
spatium ī, n
SPA-, a space, room, extent : Trīs pateat caeli spatium non amplius ulnas, V.: spatiis locorum animadversis, Cs.: quod spatium non esset agitandi, N.: spatio distante, O.— A space, distance, interval : magno spatio paucis diebus confecto, Cs.: viae, length , O.: tantum erat relictum spati, ut, etc., Cs.: tormentorum usum spatio propinquitatis interire, Cs.: medium caeli, H.: spatium discrimina fallit, the distance , O.— Size, bulk, extent : spatium victi hostis (serpentis), O.: Dat spatium collo, O.: admirabile rhombi, very large , Iu.: trahit (aurīs) in spatium, i. e. lengthens out , O.— A walking, walk, promenade, turn, course : duobus spatiis tribusve factis: septem spatiis circo meruere coronam, O.— A space for recreation, walk, promenade, public place, square : urbs distincta spatiis communibus: spatia silvestria: Academiae nobilitata spatia: locus planis Porrectus spatiis, in levels , H.: Curvatis fertur spatiis, V.— A prescribed path, race-course, track : quasi decurso spatio ad carceres a calce revocari: amat spatiis obstantia rumpere claustra, H.: Addunt in spatia, V.: tritum, O.: Phocus in interius spatium Cecropidas ducit, the interior , O. —Fig., a path, course, race, track : eadem: Prope iam excurso spatio, T.: Te mea quem spatiis propioribus aetas Insequitur, V.: in spatio Q. Hortensium ipsius vestigiis persecuti: vitae, O.— A portion of time, space, interval, period : spatia omnis temporis non numero dierum sed noctium finiunt, Cs.: spatium praeteriti temporis: diei, the length , Cs.: dierum triginta: spatio brevi, H.: me ex constituto spatio defensionis in semihorae curriculum coëgisti: trochaeus, qui est eodem spatio quo choreus, i. e. of the same metrical length : spatia annorum, Pr.: spatio pugnae defatigati, Cs.— Space, time, leisure, opportunity : neque, ut celari posset, tempus spatium ullum dabat, T.: irae suae spatium et consilio tempus dare, L.: Ne properes, oro; spatium pro munere posco, O.: cum erit spatium, praestabo, etc.: illi spatium ad sese conligendum dedisse: sex dics ad eam rem conficien<*> dam spati postulant, Cs.: Ut ne esset spatium cogitandi, T.: pila coniciendi, Cs.: Spatium adparandis nuptiis dabitur, T.
Origins
Uncertain. Possibly from Proto-Indo-European *sph₁-to- (“extended”), an extension of *speh₁- (“to prosper, succeed”), based on a presumed semantic development of "prospered" > "extended".
Descendants
- Catalanespai
- Catalanespaci
- Catalanespau
- Englishspacefrom Old French espace
- Frenchespacefrom Old French espace
- GermanSpatium
- Italianspazio
- Italianspazzo
- Occitanespaci
- Portugueseespaço