adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective
spurcus
spurcus (feminine spurca, neuter spurcum, comparative spurcior, superlative spurcissimus)
Classical[ˈspʊr.kʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈspur.kus]
Meaning
- adjectivedirty, foul, unclean
- adjectivefigurativelymorally-polluted, base, mean
Declension
| form | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | spurcus | spurca | spurcum |
| genitive | spurcī | spurcae | spurcī |
| dative | spurcō | spurcae | spurcō |
| accusative | spurcum | spurcam | spurcum |
| ablative | spurcō | spurcā | spurcō |
| vocative | spurce | spurca | spurcum |
| form | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | spurcī | spurcae | spurca |
| genitive | spurcōrum | spurcārum | spurcōrum |
| dative | spurcīs | spurcīs | spurcīs |
| accusative | spurcōs | spurcās | spurca |
| ablative | spurcīs | spurcīs | spurcīs |
| vocative | spurcī | spurcae | spurca |
spurcus, a, um, adj. cf. spargo,
I. dirty, unclean, impure (class.; syn.: immundus, impurus, obscenus).
I. Lit.:
res, Lucr. 6, 782; cf.: rem spurcissimam gustare, Varr. ap. Non. 394, 11: quaeque aspectu sunt spurca et odore, Lucil. ib. 394, 25: saliva, Cat. 78, 8; 99, 10: ager, Col. 1, praef. § 25: spurcum atque pollutum vas, Gell. 17, 19, 4; App. M. 1, p. 108, 21: si quid est urinā spurcius, Gell. 17, 19, 4: tempestas spurcissima, Cic. Fragm. ap. Non. 394, 9: spurcatissimis tempestatibus, Suet. Caes. 60: spurcum vinum est, quod sacris adhiberi non licet, ut ait Labeo Antistius, cui aqua admixta est defrutumve aut igne tactum est, mustumve antequam defervescat, Fest. p. 348 Müll.; cf. Isid. Orig. 20, 3.—Of obscene defilement: noctes, Plaut. As. 4, 1, 62; cf. lupae, Mart. 1, 35, 8.—II. Trop., of character or condition, foul, base, low, mean, common: Samnis, spurcus homo, Lucil. ap. Cic. Tusc. 2, 17, 41: lictor, Varr. ap. Non. 394 5:
Dama, Hor. S. 2, 5, 18: QVAESTVS, i. e. lenocinium, Inscr. Murat. 1773, 8.—Comp.: nihil est te spurcius uno, Mart. 4, 56, 3.—Sup.: capita taeterrima et spurcissima, Cic. Phil. 11, 1, 1: homo avarissime et spurcissime, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 37, § 94: homo spurcissimae vitae ac defamatissimae, Gell. 14, 2, 10: praeferendam esse spurcissimam mortem servituti mundissimae, Sen. Ep. 70, 21: spurca ingenii vestigia, Afran. ap. Non. 393, 27.—Hence, adv.: spurcē, dirtily, impurely. 1. Lit.:
sus in pabulatione spurce versatur, Col. 7, 9, 14.—2. Trop., basely, meanly, villanously:
spurce factum, Auct. Her. 1, 5, 8: qui in illam miseram tam spurce, tam impie dixeris, i. e. hast charged her with unchastity, Cic. Phil. 2, 38, 99 fin.—Comp.: spurcius nos quam alios opicos appellatione foedant, Cato ap. Plin. 29, 1, 7, § 14.—Sup.: perscribere spurcissime, Cic. Att. 11, 13, 2.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
spurcus adj. with comp. and sup.
SPARC-, unclean, impure, foul, base, low : homo: Dama, H.: lex spurcior linguā suā: capita spurcissima: homo spurcissime!
Origins
From Proto-Italic *sporkos, from Proto-Indo-European *spr̥ḱós, perhaps from *sper- (“to scatter”) (originally "contaminated", "polluted"). Perhaps related to spargō, spurius, parcus, spernō, Ancient Greek σπείρω (speírō), English spurn, spread, spare.
Balkano-Romance
- Romanianspurc
Italo-Dalmatian
- Italiansporco
- Greekσπόρκοςfrom Italian sporco
- Siciliansporcu
- Venetanspórco
Borrowings
- Portugueseespurco
Rhaeto-Romance
- Friuliansporc