maledico

mălĕdīco (or separately, mălĕ dīco;

rarely in reverse order: qui bonis dicunt male,

Plaut. Bacch. 1, 2, 10; cf. id. Trin. 4, 2, 79), xi. ctum, 3, v. n. and a. [male-dico], to speak ill of, to abuse, revile, slander, asperse; constr. absol., or with a dat. (so class.) or acc. (post-Aug.).

(α).

Absol.:

aliud est maledicere, aliud accusare,

Cic. Cael. 3, 6.—

(β).

With dat.:

optimo viro maledicere,

Cic. Deiot. 10, 28:

turpissime alicui,

id. N. D. 1, 33, 93:

petulanter alicui,

id. Cael. 3, 8:

utrique,

Hor. S. 2, 3, 140:

Christo,

Plin. Ep. 10, 97, 5; Sen. Contr. 1, 4, 1.— Impers. pass.:

indignis si maledicitur, maledictum id esse dico,

Plaut. Curc. 4, 2, 27; Ter. Hec. 4, 2, 14. —

(γ).

With acc.:

si me amas, maledic illam,

Petr. 96; v. id. 74.—

II.

Esp., to curse, utter a curse upon (eccl. Lat.):

populo huic,

Vulg. Num. 22, 6 al. —Hence,

A.

mălĕdī-cens, entis, P. a., evil - speaking, foulmouthed, abusive, scurrilous (syn. maledi cus):

maledicentes homines,

Plaut. Merc. 2, 3, 75.— Comp.:

maledicentior,

Plaut. Merc. 1, 2, 31.— Sup.:

in maledicentissimā civitate,

Cic. Fl. 3, 7:

carmina,

Suet. Caes. 23; Nep. Alc. 11, 1.—

B.

mălĕdictus, a, um, P. a., accursed (post-class. for exsecrabilis):

maledicte parricida,

Spart. Get. 3, 3:

maledictus es inter omnia animantia,

Vulg. Gen. 3, 14: omnes incesti, Mos. et Rom. Leg. Coll. 6, 7 praef.—Hence, as subst.: mălĕ-dictum, i, n., a foul or abusive word.

I.

In gen. (class.):

maledicta in aliquem dicere,

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

in vitam alicujus conicere,

id. Planc. 12, 31:

maledictis figere aliquem,

id. N. D. 1, 34, 93:

maledicta in aliquem conferre,

id. Att. 11, 8, 2:

quod crimen (i. e. majestatis) non solum facto, sed et verbis impiis ac maledictis maxime exacerbatur,

Paul. Sent. 5, 29, 1.—

II.

In partic., a curse, imprecation:

esse in maledictis jam antiquis strigem, convenit,

Plin. 11, 39, 95, § 232:

scribere maledicta,

Vulg. Num. 5, 23.—

B.

Transf., a cursed thing:

Christus factus pro nobis maledictum,

Vulg. Gal. 3, 13:

maledictum non erit amplius,

id. Apoc. 22, 3.