Wednesday, February 25, 2026

02.07.26: Level 3(+) (review); weather (3); hot and cold running Romans [1]

The vocabulary listed here and in the next post is not confined to weather; some words are also used to convey people’s emotions e.g. burning with passion, or in specific contexts e.g. fire.

At this level you should begin to differentiate between literal / physical and figurative meaning. Compare:

  • She’s been out in the snow. She’s cold (literal / physical).
  • I don’t like her. She’s very cold (figurative) towards me.

[1]

algus, -ūs [4/m]: feeling of cold / coldness

algidus, -a, -um: cold

algeō, -ēre [2]: feel cold

algēscit: it’s getting cold

Verbs with the infix -sc- are known as inchoative or inceptive verbs denoting the beginning or intensification of an action, for example:

liquēre [2]: to be fluid / liquid > nix liquēscit: the snow is melting

https://adckl.blogspot.com/search/label/inchoative%20verbs

[2]

frīgus, -oris [3/n]: cold(ness)

frīgidus, -a, -um: cold

frīgidulus, -a, -um: a little cold; chilly

frīgeō, -ēre: be cold / chilly; freeze

frīgēscit: it’s getting cold

[3]

tepor, -ōris [3/m]: (gentle) warmth

tepidus, -a, -um: warm

tepeō, -ēre [2]: be warm / lukewarm / tepid

tepēscit: it’s getting (moderately) warm

[4]

calor, -ōris / caldor, -ōris [3] warmth; heat

calidus, -a, -um / caldus, -a, -um: hot

caleō, -ēre [2]: be warm / hot; glow

calēscit: it’s getting warm / hot

Hīc Sīrius alget, brūma tepet (Statius)

  • Here Sirius (the Dog Star) is cold, midwinter is warm.

Dum calet, dēvorārī decet iam (Plautus)

  • While he's warm, it’s now proper for him to be gobbled up

atque etiam maria agitāta ventīs … tepēscunt (Cicero)

  • and even the seas, stirred by the winds, grow warm

Per aestātem caelum merīdiānum sōle exoriente calēscit, merīdiē ārdet; item quod spectat ad occidentem, sōle exortō tepēscit, merīdiē calet, vespere fervet (Vitruvius)

  • During the summer the southern sky, when the sun rises, grows warm; at midday it burns. Likewise that which faces west, when the sun has risen, becomes warm; at midday it is hot; in the evening it is blazing.

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