dī-lĭgo, lexi, lectum, 3, v. a. [2. lego]. Prop., to distinguish one by selecting him from others; hence, in gen., to value or esteem highly, to love (v. amo init., and cf. faveo, studeo, foveo, cupio; very freq. and class.).
I Prop.: nihil est enim virtute amabilius, nihil quod magis alliciat ad diligendum: quippe cum propter virtutem et probitatem etiam eos, quos numquam vidimus, quodam modo diligamus, Cic. Lael. 8, 28; cf. id. ib. 9, 29 sq.; 14, 50; id. Rep. 1, 10 fin. ; 1, 12 et saep. (cf. also the passages with diligo which are cited under amo, 1. and 1. colo, II. 2. b.); Caes. B. G. 6, 19 fin. ; id. B. C. 1, 61, 3; Suet. Caes. 67; Verg. A. 9, 430; Hor. C. 2, 20, 7 et saep.: satin habes, si feminarum nulla'st, quam aeque diligam? Plaut. Am. 1, 3, 11; cf. id. ib. 3, 3, 18; Verg. A. 1, 344; Hor. C. 2, 5, 17; Suet. Caes. 50; 52; id. Aug. 62 al.: te in germani fratris dilexi loco, Ter. And. 292; cf. Verg. A. 4, 31; Suet. Calig. 24 al.: quem di diligunt, whom the gods favor , denoting a fortunate person, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 7, 18; Ter. And. 973; id. Phorm. 854. —Prov.: diligitur nemo, nisi cui fortuna secunda est, Ov. P. 2, 3, 23.
II Transf.
A Of inanimate objects: fidem est complexus, observantiamque dilexit, Cic. Balb. 28; cf.: Caesaris consilia in re publica, id. Prov. Cons. 10 fin. : benevolentiam, diligentiam, prudentiam mirifice, id. Att. 12, 34 fin. : aviae memoriam, Suet. Vesp. 2: auream mediocritatem, Hor. C. 2, 10, 6: Cypron, id. ib. 1, 30, 2 et saep. —
B Very rarely, of inanimate subjects, to love, choose, affect : montes amant cedrus, larix, etc.... montes et valles diligit abies, Plin. 16, 18, 30, § 73 sq.—*
C With inf. for amare, to do willingly or habitually, to be fond of doing: pira nasci tali solo maxime diligunt, Pall. Febr. 25, 1.—Hence,
1 dī-lĭgens , entis, P. a., prop. esteeming, loving; hence, in respect to an inanimate object, careful, assiduous, attentive, diligent, accurate with regard to it, opp. negligens (very freq. and class.).
A In gen.
α With praepp. : qui in re adventitia atque hereditaria tam diligens, tam attentus esset, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 48; so, in rebus omnibus, id. Lael. 17, 62: in exquirendis temporibus, id. Rep. 2, 14 fin. : in ostentis animadvertendis, id. Div. 1, 42 fin. : in compositione, Quint. 10, 1, 79: in philosophia, id. ib. 129: in eloquendo, id. ib. 63: in symmetria, Plin. 34, 8, 19, § 58 al.: ad custodiendum aliquem diligentissimus, Cic. Cat. 1, 8, 19; so, ad reportandum, id. Verr. 2, 4, 3, § 6: ad cetera, Quint. 1, 1, 7: diligentes circa hoc, Plin. 31, 5, 30, § 56: circa aerarium, Eutr. 8, 7.—
β With gen.: omnis officii diligentissimus, Cic. Cael. 30, 73: veritatis, Nep. Epam. 3: imperii, id. Con. 1, 2: disciplinae, Vell. 1, 6; cf.: litterarum veterum, Gell. 4, 11, 4: compositionis, Quint. 9, 4, 77: aliarum rerum quae vitam instruunt, Sen. Vit. Beat. 3, 3: temperamenti, Plin. Pan. 79, 5: naturae, attentively investigating it , Plin. 13, 4, 7, § 31; so, medicinae, id. 32, 3, 13, § 26 et saep.—*
γ With dat.: Corinthios video publicis equis assignandis et alendis, orborum et viduarum tributis fuisse quondam diligentes, Cic. Rep. 2, 20, 32.—
δ Absol. : experientissimus ac diligentissimus orator, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 21: pro cauto ac diligente, Caes. Fragm. ap. Charis. p. 101 P.; for which: ut a diligenti curiosus distat, Quint. 8, 3, 55; cf. id. 1, 4, 24; 2, 15, 10 et saep.—
B Transf., of inanimate subjects: assidua ac diligens scriptura, Cic. de Or. 1, 33, 150; cf.: diligentior notitia, Plin. 6, 22, 24, § 84: stilus, Tac. Or. 39: remedia, Sen. Ep. 95; Plin. 3, 5, 6, § 45; Vell. 1, 4.—
C In partic., with reference to domestic affairs, frugal, thrifty, economical (cf. its opp. negligens = prodigus, and Ruhnk. Rutil. Lup. p. 95, a, ed. Frotsch.): homo frugi ac diligens, qui sua servare vellet, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 18; Plin. Ep. 2, 6, 1; cf. opp. negligens, ib. 4, 13, 8; and c. c. parcus and opp. luxuriosus, Auct. Her. 4, 34: cum te pro illiberali diligentem (appelles), Quint. 9, 3, 65: ex re familiari, cujus diligentissimus erat, Suet. Gramm. 23.
XIV —Hence, dīlĭgenter , adv. (acc. to II. A.), carefully, attentively, diligently : accurate agatur, docte et diligenter, Plaut. Capt. 2, 1, 30; id. Men. 5, 6, 3; Ter. Eun. 207; 339 al.; Cic. Phil. 1, 15 fin. ; id. Fam. 6, 5; id. Att. 16, 16 A. fin. ; Caes. B. G. 2, 5 al.— Comp. , Cic. Rep. 1, 22; id. Brut. 22, 86; Caes. B. G. 3, 16 fin. ; id. B. C. 3, 8, 4; Vulg. Act. 22, 30 al.— Sup. , Cic. Lael. 2, 7; id. Rep. 2, 3; Caes. B. G. 2, 28 fin. ; id. B. C. 3, 81 al.—
2 dīlectus , a, um, P. a., loved, beloved, dear (rare).—With dat.: pueri dilecti Superis, Ov. M. 10, 153; so id. ib. 5, 395; 8, 758.—In sup. , Stat. Th. 8, 99; Vulg. Heb. 6, 9.— Absol. : luce mihi carior dilectior fili, Macr. Somn. Scip. 2, 1 init. ; Claud. Rapt. Pros. 3, 74 al.—Subst.: dīlectus , i, m., = ὁ ἐρώμενος, a favorite , Suet. Aug. 98.