verbsecond conjugation
taceō
taceō (present infinitive tacēre, perfect active tacuī, supine tacitum)
Classical[ˈta.ke.oː]Ecclesiastical[ˈtaː.t͡ʃe.o]
№ 369 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- intransitiveto be silent, say nothing, shut up, hold one’s tongue
Aut tacē aut face.
Either shut up or do [it].Nōn tacēs? - Nōn taceō!
Hold your tongue, will you? - I will not!c. 190 BCE, Plautus, Curculio 5.3.5 - intransitiveto be still or at rest
- transitiveto leave unsaid, keep quiet, pass over or omit in silence, make no mention of
Tum demum Liscus oratione Caesaris adductus quod antea tacuerat proponit.
Then at length Liscus, moved by Caesar’s speech, discloses what he had hitherto kept secret.c. 52 BCE, Julius Caesar, Commentarii de bello Gallico 1.17Quisquis is est—nam nōmen adhūc utcumque tacēbō—
Whoever he is, for the name I am still going to omit, he forces my unaccustomed hands to take weapons.9 CE, Ovidius, Ibis 9–10
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
nōn loquor; tacē!taceō -ēre tacuī — in Mille Verba, Animus et Adfectūs
sileō, nōn loquortaceō -ēre — in Evangelium secundum Matthaeum, ch. 7, 13, 18
nihil dīcō, sileōtaceō -ēre — in Evangelium secundum Marcum, ch. 5
to be silent
taceō -ēre — in Viri Romae Facillimi, ch. 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 26
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
| form | present | imperfect | future | perfect | pluperfect | fut. perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | taceō | tacēbam | tacēbō | tacuī | tacueram | tacuerō |
| 2nd sg. | tacēs | tacēbās | tacēbis | tacuistī | tacuerās | tacueris |
| 3rd sg. | tacet | tacēbat | tacēbit | tacuit | tacuerat | tacuerit |
| 1st pl. | tacēmus | tacēbāmus | tacēbimus | tacuimus | tacuerāmus | tacuerimus |
| 2nd pl. | tacētis | tacēbātis | tacēbitis | tacuistis | tacuerātis | tacueritis |
| 3rd pl. | tacent | tacēbant | tacēbunt | tacuērunt tacuēre | tacuerant | tacuerint |
active subjunctive
| form | present | imperfect | perfect | pluperfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | taceam | tacērem | tacuerim | tacuissem |
| 2nd sg. | taceās | tacērēs | tacuerīs | tacuissēs |
| 3rd sg. | taceat | tacēret | tacuerit | tacuisset |
| 1st pl. | taceāmus | tacērēmus | tacuerīmus | tacuissēmus |
| 2nd pl. | taceātis | tacērētis | tacuerītis | tacuissētis |
| 3rd pl. | taceant | tacērent | tacuerint | tacuissent |
passive indicative
| form | present | imperfect | future |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | taceor | tacēbar | tacēbor |
| 2nd sg. | tacēris tacēre | tacēbāris tacēbāre | tacēberis tacēbere |
| 3rd sg. | tacētur | tacēbātur | tacēbitur |
| 1st pl. | tacēmur | tacēbāmur | tacēbimur |
| 2nd pl. | tacēminī | tacēbāminī | tacēbiminī |
| 3rd pl. | tacentur | tacēbantur | tacēbuntur |
passive subjunctive
| form | present | imperfect |
|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | tacear | tacērer |
| 2nd sg. | taceāris taceāre | tacērēris tacērēre |
| 3rd sg. | taceātur | tacērētur |
| 1st pl. | taceāmur | tacērēmur |
| 2nd pl. | taceāminī | tacērēminī |
| 3rd pl. | taceantur | tacērentur |
imperative
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| pres. 2nd sg. | tacē | tacēre |
| pres. 2nd pl. | tacēte | tacēminī |
| fut. 2nd sg. | tacētō | tacētor |
| fut. 3rd sg. | tacētō | tacētor |
| fut. 2nd pl. | tacētōte | — |
| fut. 3rd pl. | tacentō | tacentor |
infinitives & participles
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| present infinitive | tacēre | tacērī |
| perfect infinitive | tacuisse | tacitum esse |
| future infinitive | tacitūrum esse | tacitum īrī |
| present participle | tacēns | — |
| perfect participle | — | tacitus tacita, tacitā, tacitae, tacitam, tacitārum, tacitās, tacite, tacitī, tacitīs, tacitō, tacitōrum, tacitōs |
| future participle | tacitūrus tacitūra, tacitūrā, tacitūrae, tacitūram, tacitūrārum, tacitūrās, tacitūre, tacitūrī, tacitūrīs, tacitūrō, tacitūrōrum, tacitūrōs, tacitūrum | tacendus |
gerundtacendī, tacendō, tacendumsupinetacitum, tacitū
tăcĕo, cŭi, cĭtum, 2, v. n. and a.
I. [etym. dub.; perh. root tak-, tvak-, to be or make quiet, content; Sanscr. tucyati, to satisfy; v. Fick, Vergl. Wört. s. v. § 73; 362].
I. Neutr., to be silent, i. e. not to speak, to say nothing, hold one's peace (therefore more limited in signif. than silere, to be still, to make no noise): qui dicta loquive tacereve possit, Enn. ap. Gell. 12, 4 (Ann. v. 255 Vahl.); so, tacere ac fabulari, id. ap. Non. 475, 2 (Trag. v. 182 ib.): Ag. Ne obturba ac tace. Mil. Taceo. Ag. Si tacuisses, jam istuc taceo non natum foret, Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 49 sq.:
silete et tacete, id. ib. prol. 3; cf. id. Capt. 3, 1, 19: taceamne an praedicem, Ter. Eun. 4, 4, 54; 5, 2, 60; id. And. 2, 3, 25: ea lingulaca est nobis, nam numquam tacet, Plaut. Cas. 2, 8, 62: ad loquendum atque ad tacendum tute habeas portisculum, id. As. 3, 1, 15: tacendo loqui videbantur, Cic. Sest. 18, 40: hic Abdera, non tacente me, id. Att. 4, 17, 3 B. and K.: nobis tacentibus, id. Ac. 2, 32, 101: an me taciturum tantis de rebus existimavistis? Cic. Verr. 1, 9, 27: taceamus, Liv. 40, 9, 5: tacere nondum volumus, Sid. Ep. 8, 16.—Impers. pass.: taceri si vis, vera dicito, Ter. Eun. 1, 2, 26: ut doceam Rullum posthac in iis saltem tacere rebus, in quibus de se et de suis factis taceri velit, Cic. Agr. 3, 2, 4.—B. Transf., for silere, of animals and things, concr. and abstr., to be still, noiseless, quiet, at rest (mostly poet.):
canis ipse tacet, Tib. 2, 4, 34; cf.: vere prius volucres taceant, aestate cicadae, Ov. A. A. 1, 271: nox erat ... Cum tacet omnis ager pecudes pictaeque volucres, Verg. A. 4, 525; cf. nox, Cat. 7, 7: nec diu taceat procax locutio, id. 61, 126: non oculi tacuere tui, Ov. Am. 2, 5, 17: plectra dolore tacent; muta dolore lyra est, id. H. 15, 198: tacet stridor litui, Sen. Thyest. 575: essedo tacente, noiseless, Mart. 4, 64, 19: Ister tacens, i. e. standing still, frozen, id. 7, 84, 3: solitudo et tacentes loci, hushed, still, Tac. H. 3, 85: loca tacentia, the under world, the silent land, Verg. A. 6, 265: aquae tacentes, Prop. 4 (5), 4, 49. tacere indolem illam Romanam, i. e. did not show itself, had disappeared, Liv. 9, 6, 12: blanditiae taceant, Ov. Am. 1, 4, 66.— II. Act., to pass over in silence, be silent respecting a thing (rare but class.):
et tu hoc taceto, Plaut. Pers. 2, 2, 64: quae vera audivi, taceo et contineo, Ter. Eun. 1, 2, 23; Plaut. Ep. 5, 1, 44: enuntiabo ... quod adhuc semper tacui et tacendum putavi, Cic. de Or. 1, 26, 119: quid dixit aut quid tacuit? Hor. Epod. 5, 49: commissa tacere Qui nequit, id. S. 1, 4, 84: ut alios taceam, not to speak of others, Ov. M. 13, 177; so, Narcissum, Verg. G. 4, 123: novercas, Sen. Hippol. 558 et saep.: tacebimus, quid in ipso homine prosit homini? Plin. 28, 1, 1, § 1.—Pass.: ignotumst, tacitumst, creditumst, Ter. Ad. 3, 4, 28: aureus in medio Marte tacetur Amor, Ov. Am. 2, 18, 36: vir Celtiberis non tacende gentibus, Mart. 1, 50, 1. — Hence, subst.: tăcenda, ōrum, n., things not to be uttered: dicenda tacenda locutus, ῥητὰ καὶ ἄρρητα, things fit and unfit to be spoken, Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 72; cf.: gravis est culpa tacenda loqui, Ov. A. A. 2, 604.—Hence, tă-cĭtus, a, um, P. a. A. Pass., that is passed over in silence, not spoken of, kept secret, unmentioned:
prima duo capita epistulae tuae tacita mihi quodammodo relinquenda sunt, Cic. Fam. 3, 8, 2: aliquid tacitum tenere, id. de Or. 3, 17, 64; cf.: quod cum ab antiquis tacitum praetermissumque sit, Liv. 6, 12, 3; Verg. A. 6, 841: tacitum erit, Plaut. Pers. 2, 2, 64: suspendas potins me, quam tacita tu haec auferas, i. e. without my speaking of it, uncontradicted by me, id. As. 4, 2, 7; cf.: cetera si reprehenderis, non feres tacitum, Cic. Att. 2, 3, 2: ne id quidem ab Turno tulisse tacitum ferunt: dixisse enim, etc., Liv. 1, 50, 9; so, too, tacitum ferre. id. 3, 45, 6: non patientibus tacitum tribunis, quod, etc., id. 7, 1, 5: tacere nequeo misera, quod tacito usus est, silence, Plaut. Cist. 1, 2, 7. — 2. Transf.
a. In jurid. lang., that is done without words, assumed as a matter of course, silent, implied, tacit:
non omnia scriptis, sed quaedam, quae perspicua sint, tacitis exceptionibus caveri, Cic. Inv. 2, 47, 140: conventio, Dig. 20, 2, 3: condicio, ib. 23, 3, 68: jus, ib. 29, 2, 66: substitutio, ib. 28, 5, 25: indutiae, Liv. 2, 18; 2, 64; 23, 46: fideicommissum, Quint. 9, 2, 74.—b. That is done or exists in silence; silent, secret, hidden, concealed:
senatus decrevit, ut tacitum judicium ante comitia fierit, Cic. Att. 4, 17, 3 Bait.: aures ipsae tacito eum (modum) sensu sine arte definiunt, id. Or. 60, 203: omnes enim tacito quodam sensu sine ullā arte aut ratione quae sint ... recta ac prava dijudicant, id. de Or. 3, 50, 195: ob tacitas cum Marcello offensiones, Vell. 2, 93, 2: tacitum vivit sub pectore vulnus, Verg. A. 4, 67; so, affectus, Ov. M. 7, 147: pudor, id. ib. 7, 743: ira, id. ib. 6, 623: dissimulare sperasti, tacitusque meā decedere terrā, secretly, unobserved, Verg. A. 4, 306.—Subst.: tăcĭtum, i, n., a secret: taciti vulgator, Ov. Am. 3, 7, 51. — B. Act. or neutr., that does not speak, not uttering a sound, silent, still, quiet, noiseless, mute:
quod boni est, id tacitus taceas tute tecum et gaudeas, Plaut. Ep. 5, 1, 44: tacitus tace modo, id. Poen. 4, 2, 84: mulier, id. Rud. 4, 4, 70; cf.: lacrumans tacitus auscultabat, quae ego loquebar, id. Bacch. 4, 9, 59: quid exspectas auctoritatem loquentium, quorum voluntatem tacitorum perspicis? Cic. Cat. 1, 8, 20; 3, 11, 26: vos me jam hoc tacito intellegetis, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 73, § 180: quae (patria) tecum tacita loquitur, id. Cat. 1, 7, 18: voluntas; quae si tacitis nobis intellegi posset, verbis omnino non uteremur, id. Caecin. 18, 53; Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 16, § 41: nihil me mutum delectare potest, nihil tacitum, id. Cat. 3, 11, 26: si quam conjecturam adfert hominibus tacita corporis figura, id. Rosc. Com. 7, 20: tacita vestra exspectatio, id. Clu. 23, 63: assensiones nec tacitae nec occultae, implied, tacit, id. Mil. 5, 12: si mori tacitum oportet, taceamus, i. e. without making a defence, Liv. 40, 9, 5: contumeliam tacitus tulit, id. 35, 19, 1: ut forte legentem Aut tacitum impellat, i. e. meditating, Hor. S. 1, 3, 65: pro sollicitis non tacitus reis, eloquent, outspoken, id. C. 4, 1, 14: tacitus pasci si posset corvus, id. Ep. 1, 17, 50: tacitā fistula cum lyrā, id. C. 3, 19, 20: totum pererrat Luminibus tacitis, with silent glances, Verg. A. 4, 364: fulmen, i. e. without thunder, Luc. 1, 533 et saep.: per tacitum nemus ire, still, silent, quiet, Verg. A. 6, 386; so, unda, id. ib. 8, 87: caelum, id. ib. 3, 515: aër, Mart. 8, 32, 1: domus, id. 9, 62, 12: limen, Verg. A. 7, 343: nox, Ov. H. 18, 78; id. F. 2, 552.—Subst.: tăcĭtum, i, n., silence: septem surgens sedatis amnibus altus Per tacitum Ganges, in its silent course, flowing silently, Verg. A. 9, 31; cf.: trahitur Gangesque Padusque Per tacitum mundi, i. e. through subterranean passages, Luc. 10, 253: somnus per tacitum allapsus, silently, in silence, Sil. 10, 354: erumpunt sub casside fusae Per tacitum lacrimae, id. 12, 554; 17, 216.—C. As proper name: Tă-cĭta, ae, f., = Muta, the goddess of Silence:
ecce anus in mediis residens annosa puellis Sacra facit Tacitae, Ov. F. 2, 572; v. also 2. Tacitus.—Adv.: tăcĭtē, silently, in silence, secretly (class.): auscultemus, Plaut. As. 3, 2, 42: tacite rogare, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 5, 13: tacite dat ipsa lex potestatem defendendi, id. Mil. 4, 11: perire tacite obscureque, id. Quint. 15, 50: non tulit verecundiam senatus, Liv. 5, 28, 1: exsecrari praetereuntem, id. 2, 58, 8: annus labens, Ov. F. 1, 65; Just. 15, 2; Plin. Ep. 5, 17, 2; Val. Max. 6, 5, 2.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
taceō cuī, citus, ēre
TAC-, to be silent, not speak, say nothing, hold one's peace : praedicemne an taceam? T.: tacendo loqui videbantur: nobis tacentibus: taceamus, L.: in iis rebus, in quibus, etc.: Vere prius volucres taceant, aestate cicadae, O.: Cum tacet omnis ager, V.: Plectra dolore tacent, O.: loca tacentia, the silent land , V.— To pass over in silence, keep quiet, leave unsaid, not speak : Quae vera audivi, taceo, T.: multa: quid tacuit? H.: Ut alios taceam, not to speak of others , O.: Ignotumst, tacitumst, creditumst, T.: in medio Marte tacetur Amor, O.: quoquo pacto tacitost opus, it must be kept quiet , T.
Origins
From Proto-Italic *takēō, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *teh₂k- (“to be silent”), formerly reconstructed as *tak-. Akin to Gothic 𐌸𐌰𐌷𐌰𐌽 (þahan), Old Norse þegja (Danish tie and Icelandic þegja), Old High German dagen.
Descendants
- Englishtacit
- Frenchtaire
- Italiantacere
- Romaniantăcea
- Romaniantăcere
- Spanishtacer
- Aromaniantac
- Aromaniantãtseari
- Corsicantacia
- Dalmatiantacar
In English words that came into English from taceō
- tacittacitus
- reticentreticēns
- reticencereticentia
- taciturntaciturnitās
- taciturnitytaciturnitās
- tacendatacenda
- taciturnoustaciturnus
- conticentconticens