disco, dĭdĭci, 3 (part. fut.: sic disciturum, etc., App. ap. Prisc. p. 887 P.), v. a. [from the root da-, Gr. δεδαώς, δαῆναι; dak-, cf. doceo, doctus, Gr. διδάσκω],
I to learn, to learn to know, to become acquainted with , etc. (for syn. cf.: capio, percipio, concipio, comprehendo, intellego, cognosco, nosco, agnosco, animadverto, calleo, scio—very freq. in all periods and sorts of writing).
α With acc.: litteras Graecas senex didici, Cic. de Sen. 8, 26; id. Tusc. 1, 13, 29: so, litteras, Plaut. Truc. 4, 2, 22: jus civile, Cic. Mur. 9, 19; 10, 23: litteras apud aliquem, Cic. Fam. 9, 10, 2: dialectica ab aliquo, id. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 30, 98: artem ab aliquo, Quint. 3, 1, 10 et saep.: aliquid de aliquo, Ter. Eun. 262: virtutem ex me, fortunam ex aliis, Verg. A. 12, 435; cf. Quint. 12, 8, 6 al.: fabularum similia, Cic. Rep. 1, 36: artes, id. ib. 2, 21: palaestram, Quint. 5, 10, 121: affectum, id. 1, 11, 2: inde vocabula prima, Lucr. 5, 1042: elementa prima, Hor. S. 1, 1, 26: dulces querelas, Lucr. 5, 1384; cf. preces, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 133 et saep.: me peritus Discet Iber, Hor. C. 2, 20, 20; cf.: quem (Augustum) didicere Vindelici, id. ib. 4, 14, 8: omnes crimine ab uno, Verg. A. 2, 66 et saep.— Pass. : dum est, unde jus civile discatur, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 45; cf. jus, Quint. 12, 3, 9: Crassus, quod disci potuit de jure didicit, Cic. de Or. 2, 33, 143: tot artibus discendis, Quint. 12, 11, 9 et saep.—
β With inf. or acc. and inf.: pueri qui nare discunt, Plaut. Aul. 4, 1, 9: rapere et clepere, Cic. Rep. 4, 5 (ap. Non. 20, 15): Latine loqui, Sall. J. 101, 6: nobis ignoscere, Quint. 11, 2, 45: assem in partes diducere, Hor. A. P. 326: bene ferre magnam fortunam, id. C. 3, 27, 75 et saep.: bene ubi quod consilium discimus accidisse, etc., Plaut. Ps. 2, 3, 15: discit, Litavicum ad sollicitandos Haeduos profectum, Caes. B. G. 7, 54: animadverti et didici ex tuis litteris te omnibus in rebus habuisse rationem, ut, etc., Cic. Fam. 3, 5; id. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 30 fin. : deos didici securum agere aevum, Hor. S. 1, 5, 101 et saep.—
γ With relat. clause : plures discent, quemadmodum haec fiant, quam quemadmodum his resistatur, Cic. Lael. 12, 41: quantum in Etruria belli esset, Liv. 10, 25: patriae quid debeat, etc., Hor. A. P. 312 et saep.—
δ Absol. : disces tu quidem a principe hujus aetatis philosophorum, et disces quamdiu voles, Cic. Off. 1, 1, 2: didicit, i. e. oratory , id. Brut. 71, 249; Caes. B. G. 6, 14, 4; Quint. 1, 12, 14 al.: discendi aut visendi causa maria transmittere, Cic. Rep. 1, 3; so, discendi causa, id. ib. 1, 10; id. Off. 2, 1, 4; Caes. B. G. 6, 13 fin. al.: se ita a patribus majoribusque suis didicisse, ut, etc., Caes. B. G. 1, 13, 6. —Ellipt.: discebant fidibus antiqui, sc. canere, Cic. de Sen. 8, 26 (cf.: docere fidibus, Cic. Fam. 9, 22, 3: scire fidibus, Ter. Eun. 133).—
b Transf., of inanimate subjects: manus, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 159: nec varios discet mentiri lana colores, Verg. E. 4, 42: arbores, Plin. H. N. 16 prooem.—
c To teach = docere (late Lat., cf. μανθάνειν, and Eng. learn): falsa discentes, Amm. 14, 1.