delinquo

dē-linquo, līqui, lictum, 3 ( perf. delinquerunt, Liv. 1, 32 codd.), v. n. and a., to fail, be wanting.

I.

Lit., to fail, be lacking, for the usual deficere (cf. 1. deliquium, = defectus—very rare): delinquere frumentum, Cael. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 4, 390: delinquat aut superet aliquid tibi, Tubero ib.—

II.

Trop. (class.), to fail, be wanting in one's duty; to commit a fault, to do wrong, transgress, offend; and, delinquere aliquid, to commit, do something wrong.

(α).

Absol.:

QVOD POPVLVS HERMVNDVLVS HOMINESQVE POPVLI HERMVNDVLI ADVERSVS POPVLVM ROMANVM BELLVM FECERE DELIQVERVNTQVE, etc., an old formula used in declaring war,

Gell. 16, 4; cf. id. ap. Liv. 1, 32:

an quia non delinquunt viri?

Ter. Hec. 4, 4, 41:

ut condemnaretur filius aut nepos, si pater aut avus deliquisset?

Cic. N. D. 3, 38:

mercede delinquere (opp. gratis recte facere),

Sall. Hist. Fragm. 3, 61, 5 Dietsch:

in vita,

Cic. Tusc. 2, 4 fin.; cf.:

in bello miles,

id. Clu. 46; and:

hac quoque in re,

id. Inv. 2, 10, 33:

in ancilla,

Ov. M. 2, 8, 9:

deliquere homines adulescentuli per ambitionem,

Sall. C. 52, 26:

paulum deliquit amicus,

Hor. S. 1, 3, 84:

multo jam ut praestet laxitate delinquere,

Plin. 17, 12, 19, § 94.—Of errors in language, Quint. 1, 5, 49.—

(β).

With acc. respect.:

dum caveatur praeter aequum ne quid delinquat,

Plaut. Bacch. 3, 3, 14; so,

quid,

id. Men. 5, 2, 30; id. Ps. 4, 7, 129; Cic. Agr. 2, 36 fin.; Sall. C. 51, 12:

quae,

id. J. 28, 4:

quid erga aliquem,

Plaut. Ep. 3, 3, 9:

quid ego tibi deliqui?

id. Am. 2, 2, 185.—With object. acc.:

flagitia,

Tac. A. 12, 54 fin.; cf.:

multo majora deliquit,

Vulg. 2 Par. 33, 23.— Pass.:

adulterium quod pubertate delinquitur,

Dig. 48, 5, 38; cf. delictum.— Pass. impers.:

ut nihil a me adhuc delictum putem,

Cic. Att. 9, 10 fin.; Gell. 5, 4, 2.