noun · masculinefourth declension
vultus
vultus m (genitive vultūs)
Classical[ˈwʊɫ.tʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈvul.tus]
№ 209 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- masculinea facial expression, look, countenance
dīligenter agnōsce vultum pecoris tuī tuōsque gregēs cōnsīderā
Translation by Douay-Rheims Bible Be diligent to know the countenance of thy cattle, and consider thy own flocksc. 347 CE – 420 CE, Hieronymus, Vulgate Proverbs 27:23 - masculinethe expression appropriate to a type of person or situation; a visage, mien, demeanor
- in pluralmasculineoftenthe front of the head, face
- masculinethe face as involved in looking; the view, gaze
- masculinethe distinctive appearance, looks, features
- masculinethe outward appearance, face, aspect
Ante mare et terrās et quod tegit omnia caelum ūnus erat tōtō nātūrae vultus in orbe, quem dīxēre chaos: […]
Before the sea and the lands and the sky that covers over all things, there was one face of nature in the whole world, which they called chaos: […]8 CE, Ovidius, Metamorphoses 1.5–7
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
faciēs quā animus vidētur: laetus, trīstis, īrātus vultus.vultus -ūs m — in Mille Verba, Animus et Adfectūs
faciēs, speciēsvultus -ūs (m) — in Metamorphoses I, ch. 1
face
vultus — in Seneca, ch. XVII
Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms
Facies · Os · Vultus · Oculi
Facies (from species) and oculi (from ὄκκος) denote the face and eyes only in a physical point of view, as the natural physiognomy and the organs of sight; but os and vultus with a moral reference, as making known the temporary, and even the habitual state of the mind by the looks and eyes; os (from ὄθομαι), by the glance of the eye, and the corresponding expression of the mouth; vultus (from ἑλικτός), by the motion of the eye, and the simultaneous expression of the parts nearest to it, the serene and the darkened brow. Tac. Agr. 44. Nihil metus in vultu; gratia oris supererat. (iv. 318.)
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | vultus | vultūs volta, vulta |
| genitive | vultūs voltī, vultī | vultuum voltōrum, voltuum, vultōrum |
| dative | vultuī voltō, voltuī, vultō | vultibus voltibus, voltīs, vultīs |
| accusative | vultum | vultūs volta, vulta |
| ablative | vultū voltō, voltū, vultō | vultibus voltibus, voltīs, vultīs |
| vocative | vultus | vultūs volta, vulta |
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- vultum fingere
- to dissemble, disguise one's feelings.
- vultum non mutare
- to keep one's countenance, remain impassive.
- vultus ficti simulatique
- a feigned expression.
- vultum componere ad severitatem
- to put on a stern air.
- oculi in vultu alicuius habitant
- his eyes are always fixed on some one's face.
vultus (volt-), ūs, m. (
I. neutr. collat. form, plur. volta, Enn. ap. Non. p. 230, 15, or Ann. v. 536 Vahl.; Lucr. 4, 1213) [etym. dub.; cf. Goth. vulthus, glory], an expression of countenance, the countenance, visage, as to features and expression; hence, often to be translated by features, looks, air, mien, expression, aspect (syn. aspectus).
I. Lit.
A. In gen., sing.: nam et oculi nimis arguti, quemadmodum animo affecti sumus, loquuntur, et is qui appellatur vultus, qui nullo in animante esse praeter hominem potest, indicat:
cujus vim Graeci norunt. nomen omnino non habent, Cic. Leg. 1, 9, 27: imago animi vultus est, indices oculi, id. de Or. 3, 59, 221: ea, quae nobis non possumus fingere, facies, voltus, sonus, id. ib. 1, 28, 127: oculi, supercilia, frons, vultus denique totus, qui sermo quidam tacitus mentis est, hic in fraudem homines impulit, id. Pis. 1, 1: vultus atque nutus, id. Lael. 25, 93: acer in hostem, Hor. C. 1, 2, 40: torvus, id. Ep. 1, 19, 12: maestus, id. A. P. 106: tali vultu gemens, Ov. Tr. 3, 4, 37: qui spiritus illi, Qui voltus, Verg. A. 5, 649; cf.: voltus tuus, cui regendum me tradidi, Sen. Ben. 6, 7, 1.— Plur.: vultus mehercule tuos mihi expressit omnes, Cic. Fam. 12, 30, 3: ficti simulatique vultus, id. Clu. 26, 72: non modo severitatem illorum, sed ne vultus quidem ferre possemus, id. Planc. 18, 45: tenere vultus mutantem Protea, Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 90: super omnia vultus Accessere boni, kindly, Ov. M. 8, 677: vultus modo sumit acerbos, id. Tr. 5, 8, 17.—B. In partic., an angry countenance, stern look, grim visage (poet. and in post-Aug. prose):
(justum virum) Non vultus instantis tyranni Mente quatit solidā, Hor. C. 3, 3, 3; id. S. 1, 6, 121; 2, 7, 44; Tac. A. 1, 12; Vulg. Psa. 20, 10; 33, 17. —II. Transf.
1. In gen., the face (syn.: facies, os): simiae vultum subire, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 12, 2:
bracchia et vultum teretesque suras laudo, Hor. C. 2, 4, 21: petamque vultus umbra curvis unguibus, id. Epod. 5, 93; so in the plur., Ov. M. 5, 59; 5, 217; 5, 292; 6, 630; Mart. 1, 32, 5; Plin. 26, 1, 2, § 2 al.—2. In partic., a painted face, portrait, likeness:
vultus Epicurios per cubicula gestant, Plin. 35, 2, 2, § 5; Vop. Prob. 23; Treb. Poll. Claud. 14.— 3. The face, look, appearance (poet.):
vultus capit illa priores, Ov. M. 1, 738: inque nitentem Inachidos vultus mutaverat ille juvencam, id. ib. 1, 611.—Of things: unus erat toto naturae vultus in orbe, Ov. M. 1, 6: salis placidi, Verg. A. 5, 848.Origins
Proto-Indo-European *wel-der. Proto-Indo-European *wél-tu-s ~ *wl̥-téw-s Proto-Italic *woltus Latin voltus Latin vultus From earlier voltus (the standard spelling into the 1st century CE) with regular /ol → ul/ before consonants, from Proto-Italic *woltus, from Proto-Indo-European *wel- (“to see”), probably e-grade with regular /el → ol/. Cognate to Welsh gweld, Tocharian B yel- (“to examine”) and Gothic 𐍅𐌿𐌻𐌸𐌿𐍃 (wulþus, “glory”) (from zero-grade).
Descendants
- Italianvolto
- Occitanvòltfrom Old Occitan volt
- Portuguesevulto
- Spanishbulto
- Spanishvulto
- Galicianvulto
- Old Frenchvolt
In English words that came into English from vultus
- volleyvolta
- invultuationinvultare