festivus

festīvus, a, um, adj. [1. festus; lit., feast-like, belonging to a feast; hence], lively, gay, festive, joyous, gladsome, merry (syn.: lepidus, urbanus, salsus, facetus).

I.

Lit. (ante- and post-class.): festivum festinant diem, Enn. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 9, 401 (Trag. v. 434 ed. Vahl.):

ludi,

Plaut. Cas. 4, 1, 3; cf.

alea,

Gell. 18, 13, 1:

locus,

Plaut. Capt. 2, 1, 5; id. Poen. 5, 1, 9:

facinus lepidum et festivum,

id. ib. 1, 2, 95:

hospitium in lepido loco,

id. ib. 3, 3, 82; cf.:

festivissimum convivium,

Just. 38, 8 fin. —

* B.

Subst.: festīvum, i, n., festive jollity, festivity:

in vindemiarum festivo,

Lampr. Heliog. 11.—

II.

Transf.

A.

In gen., agreeable, pleasing, handsome, pretty:

luculenta atque festiva femina,

Plaut. Mil. 4, 1, 12; cf. id. Ep. 5, 1, 17:

nonne igitur sunt ista festiva?

Cic. Par. 5, 2, 38:

aedes festivissimae,

Plaut. Curc. 1, 1, 93:

area parvula sed festiva,

Plin. Ep. 2, 17, 4:

copia librorum,

Cic. Att. 2, 6, 1:

opera,

Plaut. Mil. 2, 6, 108. —

B.

In partic.

1.

Of behavior, character, etc., jovial, jocose, agreeable, dear:

quod te isti facilem et festivum putant,

Ter. Ad. 5, 9, 29:

puer,

Cic. Att. 1, 12 fin.; cf.:

quibus (pueris) nihil potest esse festivius,

id. Fam. 6, 4, 3:

filius,

id. Fl. 36, 91:

homo,

id. Phil. 5, 5, 13; id. de Or. 2, 68, 277. —

2.

As a term of endearment:

o mi pater festivissime!

Ter. Ad. 5, 9, 26; so,

festivum caput!

id. ib. 2, 3, 8.—

3.

Of speech, humorous, pleasant, witty:

dulcis et facetus festivique sermonis,

Cic. Off. 1, 30, 108:

poëma facit ita festivum, ita concinnum, ita elegans, nihil ut fieri possit argutius,

id. Pis. 29, 70:

oratio,

id. de Or. 3, 25, 100:

acroama,

id. Verr. 2, 4, 22, § 49; Quint. 6, 3, 39.— Hence, adv., in two forms, festīve (class.) and festīvĭter (ante- and post-class.).

* 1.

Joyously, gayly, cheerfully:

loco in festivo sumus festive accepti,

Plaut. Ps. 5, 1, 9.—

2.

Transf.

* a.

Agreeably, pleasantly, delightfully: o domus parata pulchrae familiae festiviter! Naev. ap. Non. 510, 16. —

b.

Humorously, facetiously, wittily.

(α).

Form festive:

agere fabellam,

Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 16, 3:

crimen contexere,

id. Deiot. 6, 19:

dissolvere argumentum,

id. Div. 2, 15, 35:

aliquid odorari,

id. Att. 4, 14, 2:

tradere elementa loquendi,

id. Ac. 2, 28, 92. As a particle of assent:

quare bene et praeclare quamvis nobis saepe dicatur: belle et festive nimium saepe nolo,

Cic. de Or. 3, 26, 101.—

(β).

Form festiviter: Epictetus severe simul ac festiviter sejunxit a vero Stoico, qui esset akôlutos, Gell. 1, 2, 7:

respondere,

id. 1, 22, 6.— Sup.: decorare festum festivissime, Poët. ap. Charis. 2, p. 180 P. (Rib. Fragm. Trag. Inc. 223).