intellĕgo (less correctly intellĭgo), exi, ectum (intellexti for intellexisti, Ter. Eun. 768; Cic. Att. 13, 32, 3: intellexes for intellexisses, Plaut. Cist. 2, 3, 81; subj. perf.: intellegerint, Sall. H. Fragm. 1, 41, 23 Dietsch), 3, v. a. [inter-lego], to see into, perceive, understand.
I Lit.
A To perceive , understand , comprehend : qualem autem deum intellegere nos possumus nulla virtute praeditum, Cic. N. D. 3, 15, 38 Schoemann ad loc.: haec dumtaxat in Graecis intellego, quae ipsi, qui scripserunt, voluerunt a vulgo intellegi, Cic. de Or. 2, 14: puderet me dicere non intellegere, si vos ipsi intellegeretis, qui ista defenditis, id. N. D. 1, 39: corpus quid sit intellego, id. ib. 1, 26: quare autem in his vis deorum insit, tum intellegam cum cognovero, id. ib. 3, 24: quam sis audax hinc omnes intellegere potuerunt, quod, id. Rosc. Am. 31: magna ex parvis, id. Off. 1, 41: intellexi ex tuis litteris, te audisse, id. Att. 6, 9: de gestu intellego, quid respondeas, id. Vatin. 15: intellegere et sapere plus quam ceteros, id. Off. 2, 14: cernere aliquid animo atque intellegere, id. Top. 5: facile intellectu est, Nep. Dion. 9: intellegi necesse est: esse deos, Cic. N. D. 1, 17; id. Tusc. 3, 5: quocirca intellegi necesse est, in ipsis rebus invitamenta inesse, id. Fin. 5, 11.—In answers, intellego corresponds to our I understand , go on , very well , Plaut. Ep. 2, 2, 63; Ter. Phorm. 440.— Abl. absol. : intellecto; with rel. clause : quidam bonorum caesi, postquam, intellecto in quos saeviretur, pessimi quoque arma rapuerant, Tac. A. 1, 49; intellecto quantum bellum suscitaret, Just. 38, 3, 6.—
B In partic., to have an accurate knowledge of or skill in a thing, to be a connoisseur : faciunt intellegendo ut nihil intellegant, Ter. And. 17: tametsi non multum in istis rebus intellego, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 43, § 94: hoc nugatorium sciebam esse, ista intellegere, id. ib. 2, 4, 14, § 33: quoniam non intellexerunt in operibus domini, Lact. 4, 13, 18: illi qui linguam ejus intellegebant, Petr. S. 73, 3; Sen. Apoc. 5, 2.—
C To distinguish : oraculorum praestigias profani a veritate intellegere non possunt, Lact. 2, 16.—
D To see , perceive , observe by the understanding: vehementer nunc mihi est irata: sentio atque intellego, Plaut. Truc. 2, 6, 64: ubi neque cohortationes suas neque preces audiri intellegit, Caes. B. C. 2, 42: illi, ante inito, ut intellectum est, consilio, id. B. G. 2, 33: intellego, quid loquar, Cic. Lig. 5.—
E Of persons, to understand , comprehend , judge rightly (post-Aug.): quod Catonem aetas sua parum intellexisset, Sen. de Const. Sap. 1: quando Socrates ab hominibus sui temporis parum intellegebatur, Quint. 11, 1, 10; Vell. 2, 114, 5; Tac. A. 3, 3: quem legatum tribunus ita et intellexit et cepit, ut, etc., Plin. Ep. 8, 23, 5. —
F To understand a language: isti qui linguam avium intellegunt, Pac. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 57, 131 (Trag. v. 83 Rib.): in iis linguis quas non intellegimus, Cic. Tusc. 5, 40, 116: quantum ego Graece scripta intellegere possum, id. de Or. 2, 13, 55: linguam ejus, Sen. Apocol. 5, 2; Petr. 73.—
G To understand by any thing, to take a thing to mean.
1 With in or sub aliqua re, or per aliquid: illa est εὐταξία, in qua intellegitur ordinis conservatio, Cic. Off. 1, 40, 142: sub hoc themate intellegere non hoc, sed, etc., Sen. Contr. 9, 28, 10: intellego sub hoc verbo multa, id. ib. 1, 2, 15: per nemo homo, Donat. ad Ter. Eun. 549: solem sub appellatione Jovis, Macr. S. 1, 23, 5: per sagittas vim radiorum, id. ib. 1, 17, 12. —
2 With two acc. : non habeo quod intellegam bonum illud, Cic. Tusc. 3, 18, 41. —
3 With acc. and abl.: consuetudo omnibus his nominibus Argesten intellegi, Plin. 2, 47, 46, § 121.—
II Transf., to perceive , discern by the senses; to see , feel , notice. Alcumenam ante aedis stare saturam intellego, Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 35: Si. Statum vide hominis, Callipho.... Ca. Bene confidenterque astitisse intellego, id. Ps. 1, 5, 41: illa quidem primo nullos intellegit ignes, Ov. M. 9, 456: frigus, Col. Arbor. 13: vestigia hominum intellegi a feris, Plin. 8, 16, 21, § 58; 28, 4, 14, § 55.— Hence, in-tellĕgens , entis, P. a., that has understanding or that understands a thing; intelligent , acquainted with.
A In gen.: semperne vulgi judicium cum intellegentium judicio congruit? Cic. Brut. 49, 183: intellegens dicendi existimator, id. ib. 54, 200: judicium, id. Opt. Gen. Or. 4: vir, id. Fin. 3, 5.—With gen.: cujusvis generis ejus intellegens, id. ib. 2, 20.— Comp. : aliquid intellegentiore mente discutere, Aug. Retract. 1, 19.—
B In partic.
1 Intellegens alicujus, that understands a person , rightly estimates his character : intellegens principis nostri, cujus videbam hanc esse laudem, Plin. Ep. 6, 27, 2 Döring ad loc.—
2 Well skilled in matters of taste , a connoisseur : signa pulcherrima quae non modo istum hominem, ingeniosum atque intellegentem, verum etiam quemvis nostrum, quos iste idiotas appellat, delectare possent, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 2, § 4: ut putetur in istis rebus intellegens esse, id. ib. 2, 4, 15, § 33.—Adv.: intellĕgenter , intelligently : ut amice, ut intelligenter, ut attente audiamur, Cic. Part. 8, 28: lectitare, Plin. Ep. 5, 16, 3.