noun · femininefifth declension
speciēs
speciēs f (genitive speciēī)
Classical[ˈspɛ.ki.eːs]Ecclesiastical[ˈspɛː.t͡ʃi.es]
№ 599 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- seeing, view, look
- spectacle, sight
- external appearance, looks; general outline or shape
Tumor ille locī permānsit, et altī collis habet speciem.
That elevation of the place remained and it has the appearance of a high hill. - semblance, pretence, pretense, pretext, outward show (per + genitive)
[...] neque enim speciē fāmāve movētur
And truly, [Dido] was no [longer] worried about [some false] pretense, nor by [any harm to her] reputation29 BCE – 19 BCE, Vergilius, Aeneis 4.170Per speciem honoris
By the pretext of honouring27 BCE – 25 BCE, Titus Livius, Ab urbe condita I.3 - show, display
- point of view, perspective
Sub specie aeternitatis no political system is perfect, and no political system final.
From the perspective of eternity, ....2021 August, Ross Douthat, “Catholic Ideas and Catholic Realities”, in First Things: - figurativelyvision, dream, apparition
- figurativelyhonor, reputation
- figurativelya kind, quality, type
- a special case
- New Latinin pluraltea blend
speciēs dīgestīvae
digestive tea
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
quod vidētur; fōrma reī.speciēs -ēī f — in Mille Verba, Colōrēs
fōrma externa, imāgōspeciēs -ēī (f) — in IVLIANVS II: Imperium, ch. 2
Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms
Figura · Forma · Species
Figura (from fingere, φέγγειν,) denotes shape altogether indifferently, in its mathematical relation, as far as it possesses a definite outline, like σχῆμα; whereas forma (φόριμος, φόρημα,) denotes it in an æsthetical relation, as far as it is a visible stamp and copy of an interior substance, to which it corresponds, like μορφή; lastly, species, in its physical relation, as far as it stands opposed to the inner invisible substance, which it covers as a mere outside, like εἶδος. Hence figurare means to shape, that is, to give a definite outline to a formless mass; whereas formare means to form, that is, to give the right shape to an unwrought mass; and lastly, speciem addere means to bedeck any thing, in the old sense of the word, that is, to give to a mass already formed an exterior that shall attract the eye. According to this explanation figura refers exclusively to the outline or lineaments, whilst forma, or at least species, involves color, size, and the like. (iii. 25.)
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | speciēs | speciēs |
| genitive | speciēī | fōrmārum speciērum |
| dative | speciēī | fōrmīs speciēbus |
| accusative | speciem | speciēs |
| ablative | speciē | fōrmīs speciēbus |
| vocative | speciēs | speciēs |
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- in speciem
- apparently; to look at.
- speciem prae se ferre
- to give the impression of...; have the outward aspect of...
- specie (De Amic. 13. 47)
- apparently; to look at.
- per speciem (alicuius rei)
- apparently; to look at.
- speciem alicuius rei habere
- to have the appearance of something.
- speciem alicuius rei praebere
- to give the impression of...; have the outward aspect of...
- species mihi dormienti oblata est
- I saw a vision in my dreams.
- in somnis videre aliquid or speciem
- to see something in a dream.
4 more phrases
- magnam doctrinae speciem prae se ferre
- to pass as a man of great learning.
- comprehensam quandam animo speciem (alicuius rei) habere
- to have formed an ideal notion of a thing.
- species optima or eximia, specimen, also simply species, forma
- an ideal.
- genus universum in species certas partiri et dividere (Or. 33. 117)
- to analyse a general division into its specific parts.
spĕcĭes, ēi (
I. gen. sing. specie or specii, Matius ap. Gell. 9, 14, 15; gen. and dat. plur. were not in use in Cicero's time, but formarum, formis were used instead; cf. Cic. Top. 7, 30.—At a later period were introduced:
specierum, Pall. Oct. 14, 15; Cod. Just. 1, 2, 10; Cael. Aur. Tard. 1, 5, § 151; cf. Charis. p. 18 P.; and Diom. p. 281 P.: speciebus, App. ad Asclep. p. 92, 25; Cod. Just. 11, 9, 1 al.; Dig. 28, 2, 29, § 10), f. specio. I. Act., a seeing, sight, look, view (rare; cf.
aspectus): speciem quo vortimus, Lucr. 4, 242; so id. 4, 236 (for which, a little before, visus); 5, 707; 5, 724; Vitr. 3, 2 fin.; 5, 9: si tantis intervallis nostra species potest id animadvertere, id. 9, 4: qui sensus nostros specie primā acerrime commovent, Cic. de Or. 3, 25, 98: qui doloris speciem ferre non possunt, id. Tusc. 2, 23, 54.—II. Pass., prop. that which is seen in a thing, i. e. the outward appearance, outside, exterior; shape, form, figure, mien, etc. (freq. and class.; syn. forma).
A. Lit.:
praeter speciem stultus, Plaut. Most. 4, 2, 49: quod speciem ac formam similem gerit ejus imago, Lucr. 4, 52; cf.: quae species formaque pugnae, qui motus hominum non ita expictus est, ut, etc., outlines, contours, Cic. Tusc. 5, 39, 114: esse aliquem humanā specie et figurā, id. Rosc. Am. 22, 63: hominis esse specie deos confitendum est, id. N. D. 1, 18, 48: edepol specie lepida mulier! Plaut. Rud. 2, 4, 2; cf.: bellan' videtur specie mulier? id. Bacch. 4, 7, 40; id. Most. 1, 3, 23; id. Mil. 4, 2, 10; 4, 6, 20: urbis speciem vidi, id. Pers. 4, 4, 2; so, species praeclara oppidi, Cic. Rep. 3, 32, 44; Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 58, § 129: sphaerae (Archimedeae), etc., id. Rep. 1, 14, 21: navium, Caes. B. G. 4, 25; cf.: nova atque inusitata, id. ib. 2, 31: horribilis, id. ib. 7, 36: agro bene culto nihil potest esse specie ornatius, Cic. Sen. 16, 57: horum hominum species est honestissima, id. Cat. 2, 8, 18: ad speciem magnifico ornatu, as to outward appearance, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 22, § 58: populi, id. Rep. 3, 33, 45: nec ulla deformior species est civitatis, quam illa, in quā opulentissimi optimi putantur, id. Rep. 1, 34, 51: speciem honesti habere, the look or semblance of what is right, id. Off. 3, 2, 7: turba majorem quam pro numero speciem ferens, Curt. 3, 2, 3; cf.: fallaces sunt rerum species, quibus credimus, Sen. Ben. 4, 34, 1.—2. Something seen, a spectacle, sight, appearance:
ponite itaque ante oculos miseram quidem illam ac flebilem speciem, Cic. Phil. 11, 3: non tulit hanc speciem furiatā mente Coroebus, Verg. A. 2, 407 (cf. I. supra).—3. Trop., that which is seen by the mind, an idea, notion: hanc illi ἰδέαν appellabant:
nos recte speciem possumus dicere, Cic. Ac. 1, 8, 30; cf. id. Top. 7, 30: insidebat in ejus mente species eloquentiae, id. Or. 5, 18: excellentis eloquentiae speciem et formam adumbrabimus, id. ib. 14, 43: species, forma et notio viri boni, id. Off. 3, 20, 81; cf.: prima sit haec forma et species et origo tyranni, id. Rep. 2, 29, 51: qui species alias veri scelerisque capiet, Hor. S. 2, 3, 208: utinam non inanes species anxio animo figuraret, Curt. 7, 1, 36.—B. In partic.
1. A look, show, seeming, appearance, semblance, pretence, cloak, color, pretext, etc. (opp. that which is real, actual, etc.).
a. In gen.:
obiciuntur saepe formae, quae reapse nullae sunt, speciem autem offerunt, Cic. Div. 1, 37, 81: ista securitas specie quidem blanda sed reapse, etc., id. Lael. 13, 47: cujus rei species erat acceptio frumenti, Sall. J. 29, 4: fraudi imponere aliquam speciem juris, Liv. 9, 11: specie liberā ... re verā, etc., id. 35, 31; cf.: litteras inanis vanā specie libertatis adumbratas esse, id. 33, 31, 2 Weissenb. ad loc.: plurimi ibi a fallaci equitum specie agasonibusque excepti sunt, id. 7, 15, 7: si dux primam speciem adpropinquantis terroris sustinuisset, id. 44, 6, 6 Weissenb. ad loc.: quae (nomina) primā specie admirationem, re explicatā risum movent, Cic. Fin. 4, 22, 61: quaedam humanitatis habent primam speciem ut misericordia, id. Tusc. 4, 14, 32: similitudinem quandam speciemque sapientium gerere, id. Off. 3, 4, 16: si speciem utilitatis voluptas habere dicetur, id. ib. 3, 33, 120.— Hence, b. Esp. with gen. of that which is assumed or pretended, under pretext of, under pretence of, etc.
(b). With sub:
sub specie tutelae liberūm ejus invasisse regnum, Curt. 9, 2, 7; 10, 6, 21; Liv. 44, 24, 4.— (g). With per:
per speciem celebrandarum cantu epularum, Liv. 9, 30, 8: per speciem auxilii Byzantiis ferendi, re ipsā, etc., id. 39, 35, 4; 40, 13, 8; 42, 52, 8.—(d). With in:
si quis in speciem refectionis (viae) deteriorem viam facit, Dig. 43, 11, 1, § 2.—Adverb.: in speciem, for a show, as a pretence: haud dubio in speciem consensu fit ad Poenos deditio, Liv. 24, 1, 8: dilatā in speciem actione, re ipsā sublatā, id. 3, 9, 13; so, ad speciem tabernaculis relictis, Caes. B. C. 2, 35 fin.; id. B. G. 1, 51; Quint. Cic. Pet. Cons. 5, 18 al.—2. Also with gen.: in speciem, after the manner, in the fashion, like (cf. tamquam; poet.):
inque chori ludunt speciem, Ov. M. 3, 685: in montis speciem curvari, id. ib. 15, 509; cf.: scorpiones vermiculos ovorum specie pariunt, Plin. 11, 25, 30, § 86.—3. Pregn., like the Engl. show, for ornament, display, splendor, beauty (cf.:
dignitas, venustas): ut in usum boni sint et in speciem populo, Plaut. Most. 1, 2, 42: fuit pompa, fuit species, fuit incessus saltem Seplasiā dignus et Capuā, Cic. Pis. 11, 24: adhibere quandam in dicendo speciem atque pompam, id. de Or. 2, 72, 294: speciem candoremque caeli, id. Tusc. 1, 28, 68; cf. id. N. D. 2, 37; 2, 39: specie et motu capere homines, id. Brut. 62, 224: triumpho praebere speciem, Liv. 34, 52, 10: addere speciem, id. 37, 40; 9, 40: si fortunatum species et gratia praestat, Hor. Ep. 1, 6, 49; cf. id. ib. 2, 2, 203: ducit te species, id. S. 2, 2, 35: speciem Saturnia vaccae probat, Ov. M. 1, 612: juvenis, Juv. 10, 310: corporis, Curt. 7, 9, 19; Vitr. 3, 2.—C. Transf.
1. Concr. (for simulacrum, i. q. εἴδωγον).
a. An appearance in sleep, a vision, apparition (mostly poet.), Lucr. 1, 125:
repetit quietis Ipsa suae speciem, Ov. M. 9, 473: voce suā specieque viri turbata soporem Excutit, id. ib. 11, 677: in quiete utrique consuli eadem dicitur visa species viri, etc., Liv. 8, 6: per nocturnas species, id. 26, 19; cf.: mirabundi velut ad somni vanam speciem, id. 33, 32, 7; Sil. 13, 394; Curt. 3, 6, 7.—b. A likeness, image, statue: tum species ex aere vetus concidit ... Et divum simulacra peremit fulminis ardor ... Sancta Jovis species ... Haec tardata diu species tandem celsā in sede locata, Cic. poët. Div. 1, 12, 21.—
2. Reputation, honor:
o speciem dignitatemque populi Romani, quam reges pertimescant, Cic. Dom. 33, 89.—3. The particular thing among many to which the looks are turned; hence, a particular sort, kind, or quality, a species:
species pars est generis, App. Asclep. p. 78, 26: harum singula genera minimum in binas species dividi possunt, etc., Varr. R. R. 3, 3, 3; cf.: genus est id, quod sui similes communione quādam, specie autem differentes, duas aut plures complectitur partes, Cic. de Or. 1, 42, 189: primum illud genus quaerimus, ex quo ceterae species suspensae sunt ... Homo species est, ut Aristoteles ait, canis species: commune his vinculum animal, Sen. Ep. 58, 7; Varr. R. R. 1, 9, 4; id. L. L. 10, § 18; Cic. Inv. 1, 27, 40; id. Or. 10, 33; id. Top. 18, 68; Quint. 3, 6, 26; 3, 10, 2; 5, 10, 90 al.: codicillis multas species vestis, argenti specialiter reliquit, many kinds or sorts, Dig. 34, 2, 19; cf. ib. 41, 1, 7.—b. In later jurid. lang., a special case:
proponitur apud eum species talis: Sutor puero discenti cervicem percussit, etc., Dig. 9, 2, 5 fin.; 31, 1, 85.—c. In late Lat., goods, wares (that are classed together; cf. assortment);
publicae, Cod. Just. 1, 2, 10: annonariae, ib. 11, 73, 3: vendenda sit species, i. e. wine, Pall. Oct. 14, 3.—Esp., spices, drugs, etc., Macr. S. 7, 8 med.; Dig. 39, 4, 16, § 7; Pall. Oct. 14 fin.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
speciēs —, acc. em, abl. ē, f
SPEC-, a sight, look, view, appearance, aspect, mien : quae sensūs nostros specie primā acerrime commovent: doloris speciem ferre: navium, Cs.: hominum honestissima: ad speciem magnifico ornatu, as to outward appearance : speciem habere honesti, the look of what is right : turba maiorem quam pro numero speciem ferens, Cu.— A spectacle, sight, appearance : ponite ante oculos miseram illam speciem. —Fig., a mental appearance, idea, notion : insidebat in eius mente species eloquentiae: viri boni: Qui species alias veris scelerisque capiet, H.: inanīs species anxio animo figurare, Cu.— A look, show, seeming, appearance, semblance, pretence, cloak, color, pretext : formae, quae reapse nullae sunt, speciem autem offerunt: cuius rei species erat acceptio frumenti, S.: aliquam fraudi speciem iuris imponere, L.: similitudinem quandam gerebant speciemque sapientium: per speciem celebrandarum cantu epularum, L.: haud dubio in speciem consensu fit ad Poenos deditio, as a pretence , L.: ad speciem tabernaculis relictis, Cs.— A resemblance, likeness ; only in the phrase, in speciem, after the manner, in the fashion, like : Inque chori ludunt speciem, O.: In montis speciem curvari, O.— Show, ornament, display, splendor, beauty : species eius (virtutis) et pulchritudo: praebere speciem triumpho, L.: Ducit te species, H.: speciem Saturnia vaccae probat, O.: corporis, Cu.— An appearance in sleep, vision, apparition : repetit quietis Ipsa suae speciem, O.: in quiete utrique consuli eadem dicitur visa species viri, etc., L.— A likeness, image, statue : ex aere vetus, Enn. ap. C.— Reputation, honor : populi R.— A particular sort, kind, quality, species : (opp. genus).
Origins
From speciō (“to see”) + -iēs. (kind): Compare typologically Bulgarian вид (vid), Russian вид (vid), разнови́дность (raznovídnostʹ) (akin to ви́деть (vídetʹ)).
Descendants
- Catalanespècie
- Englishspecies
- Frenchespèce
- GermanSpezies
- Italianspezie
- Italianspecie
- Frenchépicefrom Old French espice
- Englishspicefrom Old French espice
- Portugueseespécie
- Romanianspecie
In English words that came into English from speciēs
- speciesspeciēs
- spicespeciēs
- specialspeciālis
- specificspecificus
- speciousspeciōsus
- specifyspecificō
- speciespeciē
- especialspecialis
- speciosityspeciōsitās
- specificalspecificus
- transpeciatespeciēs