sal, sălis (neutr. collat. form of the nom. sălĕ, Enn. ap. Gell. 2, 26, or Ann. v. 378 Vahl.; Varr. ap. Non. 223, 17; also, in the regular form sometimes neutr. in sing., v. infra, I.; but plur. always sales, m.; cf. Neue, Formenl. 1, 697 sq.; dat. plur.: infusis salis, Fabian. ap. Charis. p. 82 P.), m. [root sal-, to stream, flow; cf. ἅλς; perh. also found in insula, salix].
I Lit., salt.
a Sing.
α Masc. : ex sale, qui apud Carthaginienses fit, Cato ap. Prisc. p. 659 P.: salem candidum sic facito, id. R. R. 88; Varr. R. R. 1, 7, 8; Col. 6, 17, 7; 8, 6 Schneid. N. cr.; 12, 6, 2; 12, 21, 2 al.; Plin. 31, 7, 39, § 73; Plaut. Merc. 1, 2, 95; id. Curc. 4, 4, 6; id. Pers. 3, 3, 25; Sall. Fragm. ap. Charis. p. 82 P., and ap. Prisc. p. 644 ib.; Hor. S. 1, 5, 46 et saep.—Prov.: salem cum pane edit, Plin. 31, 8, 41, § 89.—
β Neutr. : nunc vides in conviviis ita poni et sal et mel, Varr. ap. Charis. p. 82 P.; so, aliud, Fabian. ib. p. 82 P.; tritum, Veg. 2, 24, 4 al.; v. also infra, II.—
γ Doubtful gen.: multos modios salis, Cic. Lael. 19, 67: (caseum) parco sale reponunt, Verg. G. 3, 403; Caes. B. C. 2, 37: salis vendendi arbitrium, Liv. 29, 6; 45, 29; Hor. S. 1, 3, 14; 2, 2, 17; 2, 4, 74; Col. 7, 8, 5; Cels. 2, 24; Plin. 31, 7, 42, § 91.—
b Plur. : quin aspergi solent sales: melior fossilis quam marinus, Varr. R. R. 2, 11, 6; Col. 7, 4, 8; 8, 6, 1; Pall. 9, 2 Mai; id. Nov. 19; Fabian. ap. Charis. p. 82 P.; Ov. M. 15, 286.—
B Meton.
1 Poet., the salt water , brine , sea.
a Sing. , Enn. 1. 1.: supra rorem salis edita pars est remorum, Lucr. 4, 438: et sale tabentes artus in litore ponunt, Verg. A. 1, 173; 1, 35; 3, 385; 5, 848; 5, 866; 6, 697; 10, 214; Ov. P. 1, 1, 70; Val. Fl. 4, 722.—
b Plur. : sales amari, Ov. M. 15, 286: aequorei, Luc. 10, 257.—
2 A speck on precious stones shaped like a grain of salt. — Sing. : sal, Plin. 37, 6, 22, § 83; 37, 8, 37, § 117; 37, 2, 10, § 28.— Plur. : sales, Plin. 37, 2, 8, § 22.—
II Trop.
A Intellectual acuteness , good sense , shrewdness , cunning , wit , facetiousness , sarcasm , a witticism , witty saying (class. in sing. and plur.; syn.: lepos, facetiae, festivitas): (sal) adeo necessarium elementum est, ut transierit intellectus ad voluptates animi quoque. Nam ita sales appellantur, omnisque vitae lepos et summa hilaritas laborumque requies non alio magis vocabulo constat, Plin. 31, 7, 41, § 88.
a Sing. : qui habet salem, quod in te est, Ter. Eun. 400; cf.: nulla venustas, Nulla in tam magno est corpore mica salis, Cat. 86, 4: Caesar inusitatum nostris oratoribus leporem quendam et salem est consecutus, Cic. de Or. 2, 23, 98; cf. id. N. D. 2, 29, 74: sale vero et facetiis Caesar vicit omnis, id. Off. 1, 37, 133: (litterae) tum humanitatis sparsae sale, id. Att. 1, 13, 1: qui (versus) dum denique habent salem ac leporem, Cat. 16, 7: P. Scipio omnes sale facetiisque superabat, Cic. Brut. 34, 128; cf.: argutiae facetissimi salis, Plin. 35, 10, 37, § 117: salis satis est, sannionum parum, Cic. Fam. 9, 16, 10: in quo mihi videtur specimen fuisse humanitatis, salis, suavitatis, leporis, id. Tusc. 5, 19, 55: (Lucilius) sale multo Urbem defricuit, Hor. S. 1, 10, 3; cf. of the same: acerbitas et abundantia salis, Quint. 10, 1, 94: hic delectatur iambis, Ille Bioneïs sermonibus et sale nigro, i. e. biting wit , sarcasm , Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 60; Cat. 13, 5: qui plurimum in scribendo et salis haberet et fellis nec candoris minus, Plin. Ep. 3, 21, 1. —
β Neutr. (ante-class.): quicquid loquitur, sal merum est, Afran. ap. Prisc. p. 659 P.; so, (puella) Χαρίτων μία, tota merum sal, Lucr. 4, 1162.—
b Plur. : Romani veteres atque urbani sales, Cic. Fam. 9, 15, 2: vestri proavi Plautinos Laudavere sales, Hor. A. P. 271; Sen. Vit. Beat. 27, 2: periculosi sales, id. Tranq. 1, 4: libaboque tuos, scite Menandre, sales, Prop. 3 (4), 21, 28: huic generi orationis aspergentur etiam sales, qui in dicendo minimum quantum valent: quorum duo genera sunt, unum facetiarum, alterum dicacitatis, Cic. Or. 26, 87; cf. Quint. 6, 3, 15; 10, 1, 117: (Ciceronem) in salibus aliquando frigidum, id. 12, 10, 12: a salibus suffusis felle refugi, Ov. Tr. 2, 565: protervi sales, Stat. S. 1, 6, 6: salibus vehemens intra pomoeria natis, Juv. 9, 11.—*
B (Borrowed from the use of salt as a relish.) Good taste , elegance : tectum antiquitus constitutum plus salis quam sumptūs habebat, Nep. Att. 13, 2.—
C Sharpness , pungency , stimulus , incentive : quae (sc. calor, sanguis) aviditatem naturali sale augent, Plin. 10, 72, 93, § 198.