[ˈliː.bɛr], [ˈliː.ber]
OrigoFrom Old Latin loeber, from Proto-Italic *louðeros, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁léwdʰeros, from *h₁lewdʰ- (“people”).
Cognate with Ancient Greek ἐλεύθερος (eleútheros), Sanskrit रोधति (ródhati), Dutch lieden, German Leute, Russian лю́ди (ljúdi, “people”).
- adjective, declension-1, declension-2free, independent, unrestricted, unchecked, unrestrained, licentious
“Nēmō līber est quī corporī servit.” — No one is free who is a slave to his body.
- adjective, declension-1, declension-2freeman, freewoman
“Haud istūc rogō. Fuistin līber? — Fuī.” — That isn’t what I’m asking about. Were you a freeman? — I was.
“DĀVUS: Vērum! Vīdī Cantharam / suffarcinātam! MȲSĪS: Dīs Pol habeō grātiam / quom in pariundō aliquot adfuērunt līberae!” — DAVUS: It’s true! I saw Canthara bundling [the baby]!
MYSIS (sarcastically): By Pollux, I thank heaven that there were some freewomen present at the birth!
(The only mention of “Canthara” implies that
- adjective, declension-1, declension-2open (not decided or settled)
- adjective, declension-1, declension-2unbiased (pertains to lawyers)
- adjective, declension-1, declension-2exempt, void
- declension-2, form-of, singularsingular of līberī: son; child (to a parent)
“Quanto alios praestat affectus diligere vitae, lucis auctorem! Liberi ac parentis non alius mihi videtur affectus quam quo rerum natura, quo mundus ipse constrictus est.” — (please add an English translation of this quotation)
- declension-2, masculinebook
“Parvē — nec invideō — sine mē, liber, ībis in urbem,
eī mihi, quod dominō nōn licet īre tuō!
Little book – I don’t begrudge [you] – without me you will go to the city: Going from me, because it is not” — (The exiled poet addresses his book as if it is a servant he will send to Rome.)
“Distringit librōrum multitūdō; itaque cum legere nōn possīs quantum habuerīs, satis est habēre quantum lēgās.” — [A reader is only] distracted by a multitude of books; so, since you are unable to read as many as you have, it is enough to possess as many as you can read.
- declension-2, masculinethe inner bark of a tree
- first-person, form-of, passive, present, singularfirst-person singular present passive subjunctive of lībō
- declension-2An Italic deity of planting and fruiting; associated with the Greek Bacchus.
Formaelīber(canonical) · lībera(feminine) · līberum(neuter) · līberior(comparative) · līberrimus(superlative) · līberē(adverb) · in -er(masculine, nominative, singular) · līber(masculine, nominative, singular) · lībera(feminine, nominative, singular) · līberum(neuter, nominative, singular) · līberī(masculine, nominative, plural) · līberae(feminine, nominative, plural) · lībera(neuter, nominative, plural) · līberī(genitive, masculine, singular) · līberae(feminine, genitive, singular) · līberī(genitive, neuter, singular) · līberōrum(genitive, masculine, plural) · līberārum(feminine, genitive, plural) · līberōrum(genitive, neuter, plural) · līberō(dative, masculine, singular)