incertus

incertus, a, um (archaic gen. plur. incertūm, Pac. ap. Non. 495, 27), adj. [2. incertus; hence, acc. to certus].

I.

Object., of things whose (external or internal) qualities are not firmly established, uncertain, unsettled, doubtful, untrustworthy, not fast, not firm (class.): amicus certus in re incerta cernitur, Enn. ap. Cic. Lael. 17, 64 (Trag. v. 428 Vahl.); cf. id. ap. Non. 166, 22 (Trag. v. 12 Vahl.):

incerti socii an hostes essent,

Liv. 30, 35, 9:

incertus (infans) masculus an femina esset,

id. 31, 12, 6; cf. Sall. J. 49, 5:

cum incerta bellum an pax cum Celtiberis essent,

Liv. 34, 19, 8 Weissenb.: spe incerta certum mihi laborem sustuli, Ter. Hec. prol. alt. 9; id. And. 2, 3, 16:

nuptiae,

id. ib. 5, 1, 11:

aetas (puerilis) maxime lubrica atque incerta,

Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 52, § 137:

itinera,

Caes. B. G. 5, 37 fin.:

dominatus,

Cic. Rep. 1, 17:

status,

id. ib. 1, 26:

sedes,

Sall. C. 6, 1:

ambiguae testis incertaeque rei,

Juv. 8, 81:

comarum Anulus incertā non bene fixus acu,

not fast, Mart. 2, 66, 2:

colligere incertos et in ordine ponere crines,

dishevelled, Ov. Am. 1, 11, 1:

per incertam lunam sub luce maligna,

not clearly visible, dim, Verg. A. 6, 270:

soles,

id. ib. 3, 203:

securis,

that did not strike with a sure blow, id. ib. 2, 224:

vultus,

disturbed, uneasy, Sall. J. 106, 2:

ille vitam suam ad incertissimam spem reservavit,

Cic. Sest. 22, 50: arbori incertae nullam prudentia cani Rectoris cum ferret opem, the ship uncertain in her course, because no longer obeying the helm, Juv. 12, 32 Halm. — In neutr. ellipt.:

clauserant portas incertum vi an voluntate,

Liv. 31, 41, 2; 31, 43, 7 al. — Neutr. as adv. ( poet. ):

incertum vigilans,

Ov. H. 10, 9; Stat. Th. 5, 212. —

II.

Subject., as respects one's perceptions or convictions, not firmly established, uncertain, undetermined, doubtful, dubious (so most freq. in prose and poetry):

nihil est incertius vulgo,

Cic. Mur. 17, 36:

casus,

id. Or. 28, 98:

ut alia certa, alia incerta esse dicunt,

id. Off. 2, 2, 7; cf.: est igitur ridiculum, quod est dubium, id relinquere incertum, id. Mur. 32, 68; and:

incerta atque dubia,

Plin. 17, 1, 1, § 9 fin.:

ut incertis temporibus diversisque itineribus iretur,

Caes. B. G. 7, 16 fin.; so,

eventus reliqui temporis,

Cic. Quint. 26, 83:

exitus pugnarum,

id. Mil. 21, 56:

adulterium,

Quint. 7, 2, 52:

auctor,

id. 5, 11, 41:

cujus ora puellares faciunt incerta capilli,

make the sex doubtful, Juv. 15, 137:

incerta persona heres institui non potest,

Ulp. Fragm. 22, 4; Gai. Inst. 2, 242; cf. 2, 238.—

(β).

With rel. or interrog.-clause:

nunc mihi incertumst, abeam an maneam,

Plaut. Aul. 4, 9, 19:

moriendum certe est, et id incertum, an hoc ipso die,

Cic. Sen. 20, 74; cf. Quint. 1, 6, 27:

(Gallus) avem, an gentem, an nomen, an fortunam corporis significet, incertum est,

id. 7, 9, 2:

confessus est quidem sed incertum, utrum quia verum erat, an quia, etc.,

Plin. Ep. 4, 11, 5:

neque plane occultati humilitate arborum et tamen incerti, quidnam esset,

Sall. J. 49, 5 Kritz.— Abl. absol.:

multi annantes navibus incerto prae tenebris, quid aut peterent aut vitarent, foede interierunt,

Liv. 28, 36, 12.—

2.

Subst.: incer-tum, i, n., an uncertainty:

quicquid incerti mihi in animo prius aut ambiguum fuit, Nunc liquet, nunc defaecatum est,

Plaut. Ps. 2, 4, 69:

ne cujus incerti vanique auctor esset,

Liv. 4, 13, 9:

incerta maris et tempestatum,

Tac. A. 3, 54:

incerta fortunae experiri,

Plin. Ep. 3, 19, 4:

incerta belli,

Liv. 30, 2:

bona, fortunae possessionesque omnium in dubium incertumque revocabuntur,

Cic. Caecin. 27, 76; cf. id. ib. 13, 38:

Minucius praefectus annonae in incertum creatus,

for an indefinite time, Liv. 4, 13, 7:

postremo fugere an manere tutius foret, in incerto erat,

Sall. J. 38, 5:

Allobroges diu in incerto habuere, quidnam consilii caperent,

id. C. 41, 1; cf. id. J. 46, 8:

imperia ducum in incerto reliquerat,

Tac. H. 2, 33 fin. —

B.

Transf., of a person who is in a state of uncertainty respecting any thing, uncertain, in uncertainty, hesitating, doubtful: quo ego ope mea Pro incertis certos compotesque consili Dimitto, Enn. ap. Cic. de Or. 1, 45, 199 (Trag. v. 188 Vahl.):

nolo suspensam et incertam plebem Romanam obscura spe et caeca exspectatione pendere,

Cic. Agr. 2, 25, 66; so,

varius incertusque agitabat,

Sall. J. 74, 1; Plaut. Ep. 3, 4, 3:

ego certe me incerto scio hoc daturum nemini homini,

id. As. 2, 4, 60.—

(β).

With rel.-clause:

quid dicam hisce, incertus sum,

Ter. Hec. 3, 4, 36:

cum incertus essem, ubi esses,

Cic. Att. 1, 9, 1:

incerti ignarique, quid potissimum facerent,

Sall. J. 67, 1:

incerti quidnam esset,

id. ib. 49, 5:

incertus, quonam modo aciem instrueret,

id. ib. 101, 2:

incerti, quo fata ferant, ubi sistere detur,

Verg. A. 3, 7:

incertus, Geniumne loci famulumne parentis Esse putet,

id. ib. 5, 95:

faber, incertus scamnum faceretne Priapum,

Hor. S. 1, 8, 2.—

(γ).

With gen. (not in Cic.): summarum rerum incerti, Enn. ap. Cic. de Or. 1, 45, 199 (Trag. v. 187 Vahl.):

incertusque meae paene salutis eram,

Ov. Tr. 3, 3, 4:

sententiae,

Liv. 4, 57, 3:

veri,

id. 4, 23, 3; 1, 27, 6:

rerum,

id. 24, 24, 9:

ultionis,

Tac. A. 2, 75:

sui,

Stat. Th. 5, 525:

naves incertae locorum, Auct. B. Afr. 7: mox incertus animi, fesso corpore, etc.,

Tac. A. 6, 46; id. H. 3, 55 fin.:

futurorum,

Plin. Ep. 9, 13, 11:

consilii,

Curt. 8, 10, 27.—

(δ).

With abl.:

incerti metu,

Val. Fl. 3, 602.—

(ε).

With de and abl.:

incertus de salute alicujus,

Plin. Ep. 6, 20, 10.—Hence, adv. in two forms: incertē and incerto (both ante-class.), uncertainly, not certainly, dubiously: incerte errat animus, Enn. ap. Gell. 19, 10, 12 (Trag. v. 259 Vahl.): vagat exsul, Pac. ap. Non. 467, 25 (Trag. Rel. p. 87 Rib.):

ubi Habitet dum incerto scio,

Plaut. Ep. 3, 4, 69:

incerto scio,

id. Ps. 4, 2, 7:

incerto autumo,

id. Ep. 4, 1, 18.