ălo, ălŭi, altum, and ălĭtum, 3, v. a. (the ante-class. and class. form of the part. perf. from Plautus until after Livy is altus (in Cic. four times); alitus seems to have been first used in the post-Aug. per. to distinguish it from altus, the adj. Altus is found in Plaut. Rud. 3, 4, 36; Varr. ap. Non. 237, 15; Cic. Planc. 33, 81; id. Brut. 10, 39; id. N. D. 2, 46, 118; id. Fam. 6, 1; Sall. J. 63, 3; on the contrary, alitus, Liv. 30, 28; Curt. 8, 10, 8; Val. Max. 3, 4, 4; 5, 4, 7; 7, 4, 1; 9, 3, 8; Sen. Contr. 3, praef. 10; Just. 44, 4, 12; Dig. 27, 3, 1; cf. Prisc. 897; Diom. 371; Charis. 220 P.; Wund. ad Cic. Planc. p. 201) [cf.: ἄν-αλτος = insatiable, ἄλσος = growth (of wood), 1. ad-oleo, ad-olesco, elementum; Goth. alan = to bring up; Germ. alt = old; Engl. old, eld, elder, and alderman], to feed, to nourish, support, sustain, maintain (in gen. without designating the means, while nutrire denotes sustenance by animal food; cf. Herz. ad Caes. B. G. 1, 18; 7, 32; Doed. Syn. II. p. 99).
I Lit.: quem ego nefrendem alui, Liv. And. ap. Fest. s. v. nefrendes, p. 163 Müll. (Trag. Rel. p. 5 Rib.): Athenis natus altusque, Plaut. Rud. 3, 4, 36: alebat eos, Vulg. Gen. 47, 12: esurientes alebat, ib. Tob. 1, 20.—With natus, educatus, or a similar word, several times: Alui, educavi, Att. ap. Non. 422, 14 (Trag. Rel. p. 150 Rib.): cum Hannibale alto atque educato inter arma, Liv. 30, 28 (cf. II. infra): aut equos Alere aut canes ad venandum, Ter. And. 57; id. Hec. 671: alere nolunt hominem edacem, id. Phorm. 335: quoniam cibus auget corpus alitque, Lucr. 1, 859; 5, 221 al.: quae etiam aleret adulescentes, Cic. Cael. 38: milites, id. Verr. 2, 5, 80: nautas, id. ib. 5, 87: exercitum, id. Deiot. 24: magnum numerum equitatus, Caes. B. G. 1, 18: cum agellus eum non satis aleret, Cic. N. D. 1, 26, 72; so Nep. Phoc. 1, 4: locus ille, ubi altus aut doctus est, Cic. Planc. 33, 81: quibus animantes aluntur, id. N. D. 2, 19: (animus) aletur et sustentabitur isdem rebus, quibus astra sustentantur et aluntur, id. Tusc. 1, 19, 43 al.: latrociniis se suosque alebat, Caes. B. G. 8, 47; 1, 18: quos manus aut lingua perjurio aut sanguine civili alebat, Sall. C. 14, 3; cf. Kritz ad Sall. C. 37, 3; Nep. Arist. 3 fin. : ut nepotem elephantos alere prohiberet, Cic. Phil. 9, 4: canes, id. Sex. Rosc. 56: quod alerentur regiones eorum ab illo, Vulg. Act. 12, 20: velut amnis imbres Quem super notas aluere ripas, have swollen , Hor. C. 4, 2, 5: rhombos aequora alebant, id. S. 2, 2, 48 al.; Ov. M. 9, 339; 3, 411; and in a paradoxical phrase: infelix minuendo corpus alebat, and sustained his body by consuming it , i. e. nourished himself by his own flesh , id. ib. 8, 878 al.—Hence in pass. with the abl. = vesci, to be nourished or sustained with or by something , to live or feed upon : panico vetere atque hordeo corrupto omnes alebantur, Caes. B. C. 2, 22: quia viperinis carnibus alantur, Plin. 7, 2, 2, § 27: locustis eos ali, etc., id. 7, 2, 2, § 29: hoc cibo aliti sunt, Vulg. Exod. 16, 35.—
II Fig., to nourish , cherish , promote , increase , strengthen : honos alit artes, Cic. Tusc. 1, 2, 4: in eā ipsā urbe, in quā et nata et alta sit eloquentia, id. Brut. 10, 39: hominis mens alitur discendo et cogitando, id. Off. 1, 30: haec studia adulescentiam alunt, id. Arch. 7, 16; cf. Ochsn. Eclog. 134 al.: civitas, quam ipse semper aluisset, i. e. whose prosperity he had always promoted , Caes. B. G. 7, 33: vires, id. ib. 4, 1: nolo meis impensis illorum ali augerique luxuriam, Nep. Phoc. 1 fin. : alere morbum, id. Att. 21 fin. : insita hominibus libido alendi de industriā rumores, Liv. 28, 24: regina Vulnus alit venis, Verg. A. 4, 2: divitiis alitur luxuriosus amor, Ov. R. Am. 746: alitur diutius controversia, Caes. B. G. 7, 32: quid alat formetque poëtam, Hor. A. P. 307 al.—Hence, altus, a, um.