mendax

Latin

Etymology

Derived from Proto-Indo-European *mend- (to fault), whence also mendum and menda. Original meaning was "faulty" and was shifted towards "deceitful" under the influence of mentior (I lie).

Pronunciation

Adjective

mendāx (genitive mendācis, comparative mendācior, superlative mendācissimus, adverb mendāciter); third-declension one-termination adjective

  1. deceitful, lying, deceptive, untruthful, false, mendacious, feigned, not real.

Declension

Note that mendāce is an alternative form for the ablative singular mendācī

Third-declension one-termination adjective.

Number Singular Plural
Case / Gender Masc./Fem. Neuter Masc./Fem. Neuter
Nominative mendāx mendācēs mendācia
Genitive mendācis mendācium
Dative mendācī mendācibus
Accusative mendācem mendāx mendācēs mendācia
Ablative mendācī mendācibus
Vocative mendāx mendācēs mendācia

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

Descendants

  • English: mendacious
  • Italian: mendace
  • Portuguese: mendace, mendaz
  • Spanish: mendaz

Noun

mendāx m (genitive mendācis); third declension

  1. liar

Declension

Third-declension noun.

Case Singular Plural
Nominative mendāx mendācēs
Genitive mendācis mendācum
Dative mendācī mendācibus
Accusative mendācem mendācēs
Ablative mendāce mendācibus
Vocative mendāx mendācēs

References

  • mendax”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • mendax”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • mendax in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
  • Julius Pokorny (1959), Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, in 3 vols, Bern, München: Francke Verlag
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