argŭo, ŭi, ūtum (ŭĭtum, hence arguiturus, Sall. Fragm. ap. Prisc. p. 882 P.), 3, v. a. [cf. ἀργής, white; ἀργός, bright; Sanscr. árgunas, bright; ragatas, white; and rag, to shine (v. argentum and argilla); after the same analogy we have clarus, bright; and claro, to make bright, to make evident; and the Engl. clear, adj., and to clear = to make clear; v. Curt. p. 171].
I.A In gen., to make clear , to show , prove , make known , declare , assert , μηνύειν: arguo Eam me vidisse intus, Plaut. Mil. 2, 3, 66: non ex auditu arguo, id. Bacch. 3, 3, 65: M. Valerius Laevinus ... speculatores, non legatos, venisse arguebat, Liv. 30, 23: degeneres animos timor arguit, Verg. A. 4, 13: amantem et languor et silentium Arguit, Hor. Epod. 11, 9; id. C. 1, 13, 7.— Pass. , in a mid. signif.: apparet virtus arguiturque malis, makes itself known , Ov. Tr. 4, 3, 80: laudibus arguitur vini vinosus Homerus, betrays himself , Hor. Ep. 1, 19, 6.—
B Esp.
a With aliquem, to attempt to show something, in one's case , against him , to accuse , reprove , censure , charge with : Indicāsse est detulisse; arguisse accusāsse et convicisse, Dig. 50, 16, 197 (cf. Fest. p. 22: Argutum iri in discrimen vocari): tu delinquis, ego arguar pro malefactis? Enn. (as transl. of Eurip. Iphig. Aul. 384: Εἶτʼ ἐγὼ δίκην δῶ σῶν κακῶν ὁ μὴ σφαλείς) ap. Rufin. § 37: servos ipsos neque accuso neque arguo neque purgo, Cic. Rosc. Am. 41, 120: Pergin, sceleste, intendere hanc arguere? Plaut. Mil. 2, 4, 27; 2, 2, 32: hae tabellae te arguunt, id. Bacch. 4, 6, 10: an hunc porro tactum sapor arguet oris? Lucr. 4, 487: quod adjeci, non ut arguerem, sed ne arguerer, Vell. 2, 53, 4: coram aliquem arguere, Liv. 43, 5: apud praefectum, Tac. A. 14, 41: (Deus) arguit te heri, Vulg. Gen. 31, 42; ib. Lev. 19, 17; ib. 2 Tim. 4, 2; ib. Apoc. 3, 19 al.—
b With the cause of complaint in the gen.; abl. with or without de; with in with abl.; with acc.; with a clause as object; or with ut (cf. Ramsh. p. 326; Zumpt, § 446).
α With gen.: malorum facinorum, Plaut. Ps. 2, 4, 56 (cf. infra, argutus, B. 2.): aliquem probri, Stupri, dedecoris, id. Am. 3, 2, 2: viros mortuos summi sceleris, Cic. Rab. Perd. 9, 26: aliquem tanti facinoris, id. Cael. 1: criminis, Tac. H. 1, 48: furti me arguent, Vulg. Gen. 30, 33; ib. Eccl. 11, 8: repetundarum, Tac. A. 3, 33: occupandae rei publicae, id. ib. 6, 10: neglegentiae, Suet. Caes. 53: noxae, id. Aug. 67: veneni in se comparati, id. Tib. 49: socordiae, id. Claud. 3: mendacii, id. Oth. 10: timoris, Verg. A. 11, 384: sceleris arguemur, Vulg. 4 Reg. 7, 9; ib. Act. 19, 40 al.—
β With abl.: te hoc crimine non arguo, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 18; Nep. Paus. 3 fin. —
γ With de : de eo crimine, quo de arguatur, Cic. Inv. 2, 11, 37: de quibus quoniam verbo arguit, etc., id. Rosc. Am. 29 fin. : Quis arguet me de peccato? Vulg. Joan. 8, 46; 16, 8.—
δ With in with abl. (eccl. Lat.): non in sacrificiis tuis arguam te, Vulg. Psa. 49, 8.—
ε With acc.: quid undas Arguit et liquidam molem camposque natantīs? of what does he impeach the waves? etc., quid being here equivalent to cujus or de quo, Lucr. 6, 405 Munro.—
ζ With an inf.-clause as object : quae (mulier) me arguit Hanc domo ab se subripuisse, Plaut. Men. 5, 2, 62; id. Mil. 2, 4, 36: occidisse patrem Sex. Roscius arguitur, Cic. Rosc. Am. 13, 37: auctor illius injuriae fuisse arguebatur? id. Verr. 2, 1, 33: qui sibimet vim ferro intulisse arguebatur, Suet. Claud. 16; id. Ner. 33; id. Galb. 7: me Arguit incepto rerum accessisse labori, Ov. M. 13, 297; 15, 504.—
η With ut , as in Gr. ὡς (post-Aug. and rare), Suet. Ner. 7: hunc ut dominum et tyrannum, illum ut proditorem arguentes, as being master and tyrant , Just. 22, 3.—
II Transf. to the thing.
1 To accuse , censure , blame : ea culpa, quam arguo, Liv. 1, 28: peccata coram omnibus argue, Vulg. 1 Tim. 5, 20: tribuni plebis dum arguunt in C. Caesare regni voluntatem, Vell. 2, 68; Suet. Tit. 5 fin. : taciturnitatem pudoremque quorumdam pro tristitiā et malignitate arguens, id. Ner. 23; id. Caes. 75: arguebat et perperam editos census, he accused of giving a false statement of property , census , id. Calig. 38: primusque animalia mensis Arguit imponi, censured , taught that it was wrong , Ov. M. 15, 73: ut non arguantur opera ejus, Vulg. Joan. 3, 20.—
2 Trop., to denounce as false : quod et ipsum Fenestella arguit, Suet. Vit. Ter. p. 292 Roth.—With reference to the person, to refute , confute : aliquem, Suet. Calig. 8.
XV —Hence, argūtus , a, um, P. a.
A Of physical objects, clear.
1 To the sight, bright , glancing , lively : manus autem minus arguta, digitis subsequens verba, non exprimens, not too much in motion , Cic. de Or. 3, 59, 220 (cf. id. Or. 18, 59: nullae argutiae digitorum, and Quint. 11, 3, 119-123): manus inter agendum argutae admodum et gestuosae, Gell. 1, 5, 2: et oculi nimis arguti, quem ad modum animo affecti sumus, loquuntur, Cic. Leg. 1, 9, 27: ocelli, Ov. Am. 3, 3, 9; 3, 2, 83: argutum caput, a head graceful in motion , Verg. G. 3, 80 (breve, Servius, but this idea is too prosaic): aures breves et argutae, ears that move quickly (not stiff, rigid), Pall. 4, 13, 2: argutā in soleā, in the neat sandal , Cat. 68, 72.—
2.a To the hearing, clear , penetrating , piercing , both of pleasant and disagreeable sounds, clear-sounding , sharp , noisy , rustling , whizzing , rattling , clashing , etc. (mostly poet.): linguae, Naev. ap. Non. p. 9, 24: aves, Prop. 1, 18, 30: hirundo, chirping , Verg. G. 1, 377: olores, tuneful , id. E. 9, 36: ilex, murmuring , rustling (as moved by the wind), id. ib. 7, 1: nemus, id. ib. 8, 22 al.—Hence, a poet. epithet of the musician and poet, clear-sounding , melodious : Neaera, Hor. C. 3, 14, 21: poëtae, id. Ep. 2, 2, 90: fama est arguti Nemesis formosa Tibullus, Mart. 8, 73, 7: forum, full of bustle or din , noisy , Ov. A. A. 1, 80: serra, grating , Verg. G. 1, 143: pecten, rattling , id. ib. 1, 294; id. A. 7, 14 (cf. in Gr. κερκὶς ἀοιδός, Aristoph. Ranae, v. 1316) al.—Hence, of rattling , prating , verbose discourse: sine virtute argutum civem mihi habeam pro preaeficā, etc., Plaut. Truc. 2, 6, 14: [Neque mendaciloquom neque adeo argutum magis], id. Trin. 1, 2, 163 Ritschl.—
b Trop., of written communications, rattling , wordy , verbose : obviam mihi litteras quam argutissimas de omnibus rebus crebro mittas, Cic. Att. 6, 5: vereor, ne tibi nimium arguta haec sedulitas videatur, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 1. —Transf. to omens, clear , distinct , conclusive , clearly indicative , etc.: sunt qui vel argutissima haec exta esse dicant, Cic. Div. 2, 12 fin. : non tibi candidus argutum sternuit omen Amor? Prop. 2, 3, 24.—
3 To the smell; sharp , pungent : odor argutior, Plin. 15, 3, 4, § 18.—
4 To the taste; sharp , keen , pungent : sapor, Pall. 3, 25, 4; 4, 10, 26.—
B Of mental qualities.
1 In a good sense, bright , acute , sagacious , witty : quis illo (sc. Catone) acerbior in vituperando? in sententiis argutior? Cic. Brut. 17, 65: orator, id. ib. 70, 247: poëma facit ita festivum, ita concinnum, ita elegans, nihil ut fieri possit argutius, id. Pis. 29; so, dicta argutissima, id. de Or. 2, 61, 250: sententiae, id. Opt. Gen. 2: acumen, Hor. A. P. 364: arguto ficta dolore queri, dexterously-feigned pain , Prop. 1, 18, 26 al.—
2 In a bad sense, sly , artful , cunning : meretrix, Hor. S. 1, 10, 40: calo. id. Ep. 1, 14, 42: milites, Veg. Mil. 3, 6.—As a pun: ecquid argutus est? is he cunning? Ch. Malorum facinorum saepissime (i.e. has been accused of ), Plaut. Ps. 2, 4, 56 (v. supra, I. B. a.).—Hence, adv.: argūtē (only in the signif. of B.).
a Subtly , acutely : respondere, Cic. Cael. 8: conicere, id. Brut. 14, 53: dicere, id. Or. 28, 98.— Comp. : dicere, Cic. Brut. 11, 42.— Sup. : de re argutissime disputare, Cic. de Or. 2, 4, 18.—
b Craftily : obrepere, Plaut. Trin. 4, 2, 132; Arn. 5, p. 181.