mentior
Latin
Etymology
From Proto-Italic *mentjōr, denominal verb from mēns, mentis (“mind”). The meaning "to lie" stems from a semantic shift "to be inventive, have second thoughts" > "to lie, conjure up". Compare comminīscor also from this root and again with these meanings.
Pronunciation
- (Classical) IPA(key): /ˈmen.ti.or/, [ˈmɛn̪t̪iɔr]
- (Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /ˈmen.t͡si.or/, [ˈmɛnt̪͡s̪ior]
Verb
mentior (present infinitive mentīrī or mentīrier, perfect active mentītus sum); fourth conjugation, deponent
- (with dative) I lie, cheat, deceive
- Synonyms: ēmentior, dēcipiō, frūstror, fraudō, ēlūdō, dēstituō, fallō, circumdūcō, circumveniō, ingannō, indūcō
- Cur es ausus mentiri mihi?
- How dared you lie to me?
- c. 200 BCE – 190 BCE, Plautus, Captivi 3.5.46
- I pretend, feign
- Synonyms: fingō, simulō, ēmentior, affectō, dissimulō, praetendō
Conjugation
| Conjugation of mentior (fourth conjugation, deponent) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| indicative | singular | plural | |||||
| first | second | third | first | second | third | ||
| active | present | mentior | mentīris, mentīre | mentītur | mentīmur | mentīminī | mentiuntur |
| imperfect | mentiēbar | mentiēbāris, mentiēbāre | mentiēbātur | mentiēbāmur | mentiēbāminī | mentiēbantur | |
| future | mentiar | mentiēris, mentiēre | mentiētur | mentiēmur | mentiēminī | mentientur | |
| perfect | mentītus + present active indicative of sum | ||||||
| pluperfect | mentītus + imperfect active indicative of sum | ||||||
| future perfect | mentītus + future active indicative of sum | ||||||
| subjunctive | singular | plural | |||||
| first | second | third | first | second | third | ||
| active | present | mentiar | mentiāris, mentiāre | mentiātur | mentiāmur | mentiāminī | mentiantur |
| imperfect | mentīrer | mentīrēris, mentīrēre | mentīrētur | mentīrēmur | mentīrēminī | mentīrentur | |
| perfect | mentītus + present active subjunctive of sum | ||||||
| pluperfect | mentītus + imperfect active subjunctive of sum | ||||||
| imperative | singular | plural | |||||
| first | second | third | first | second | third | ||
| active | present | — | mentīre | — | — | mentīminī | — |
| future | — | mentītor | mentītor | — | — | mentiuntor | |
| non-finite forms | active | passive | |||||
| present | perfect | future | present | perfect | future | ||
| infinitives | mentīrī, mentīrier1 | mentītum esse | mentītūrum esse | — | — | — | |
| participles | mentiēns | mentītus | mentītūrus | — | — | mentiendus, mentiundus | |
| verbal nouns | gerund | supine | |||||
| genitive | dative | accusative | ablative | accusative | ablative | ||
| mentiendī | mentiendō | mentiendum | mentiendō | mentītum | mentītū | ||
1The present passive infinitive in -ier is a rare poetic form which is attested.
Related terms
- mentītus
Descendants
- Asturian: mentir
- Catalan: mentir
- French: mentir
- Friulian: mintî
- Galician: mentir
- Italian: mentire
- Occitan: mentir
- Portuguese: mentir
- Romanian: minți, mințire
- Spanish: mentir
- Venetian: mentir
See also
- mentiō
References
- “mentior”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- “mentior”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
- mentior in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette