quinquagesimusquintus

Theme for this week: Fighting verbs

In Latin literature, fighting sorts of words are found a lot, whether it is in De Bello Gallico of Caesar or the struggling winds of Aeolus in the Aeneid by Vergil. And so, this week highlights those sorts of words. A note: the very first word of the day, profligo, also belongs in this category and is available on the website. I found this rather rare word when I ran out of words I knew which meant "to defeat" two years ago while writing an essay about Pompey the Great for the CAV's Latin essay contest (it would have been good for me to have known the words from this week's theme then!).

ambigo, ambigere, -, -

Definition: To dispute, quarrel, contend; to be undecided or uncertain, doubt; (tr) to call in question, argue about; (esp. pass.) to be at issue, be uncertain; (impers pass.) there is(was) a doubt or dispute

Sententia: Ambigitur cur accurate Augustus Ovidium in exsilium pepulerit: modo scimus causam fuisse "carmen et error."

It is uncertain why exactly Augustus drove Ovid into exile: only we know that the reason was "a poem/song and a mistake."

And another sentence which actually uses "ambigo" as a "fighting verb":

Canis et feles in via ob frustum ambigunt.

The cat and the dog quarrel in the street for the sake of a scrap.

The definition today again comes from the Oxford Latin Dictionary, having been consulted in a library and duly copied (and now cited!). Though this is a somewhat rare word, I believe only appearing 54 times according to Perseus.