incertus

incertus , a, um: (adj.), uncertain, 2.740; wavering; fickle, 2.39; doubtful, 3.7; undistinguished, base, 11.341.

incertus, a, um (archaic gen. plur. incertūm, Pac. ap. Non. 495, 27), adj. [2. incertus; hence, acc. to certus].

• I Object., of things whose (external or internal) qualities are not firmly established, uncertain, unsettled, doubtful, untrustworthy, not fast, not firm (class.): amicus certus in re incerta cernitur, Enn. ap. Cic. Lael. 17, 64 (Trag. v. 428 Vahl.); cf. id. ap. Non. 166, 22 (Trag. v. 12 Vahl.): incerti socii an hostes essent, Liv. 30, 35, 9: incertus (infans) masculus an femina esset, id. 31, 12, 6; cf. Sall. J. 49, 5: cum incerta bellum an pax cum Celtiberis essent, Liv. 34, 19, 8 Weissenb.: spe incerta certum mihi laborem sustuli, Ter. Hec. 17; id. And. 390: nuptiae, id. ib. 830: aetas (puerilis) maxime lubrica atque incerta, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 52, § 137: itinera, Caes. B. G. 5, 37 fin.: dominatus, Cic. Rep. 1, 17: status, id. ib. 1, 26: sedes, Sall. C. 6, 1: ambiguae testis incertaeque rei, Juv. 8, 81: comarum Anulus incertā non bene fixus acu, not fast, Mart. 2, 66, 2: colligere incertos et in ordine ponere crines, dishevelled, Ov. Am. 1, 11, 1: per incertam lunam sub luce maligna, not clearly visible, dim, Verg. A. 6, 270: soles, id. ib. 3, 203: securis, that did not strike with a sure blow, id. ib. 2, 224: vultus, disturbed, uneasy, Sall. J. 106, 2: ille vitam suam ad incertissimam spem reservavit, Cic. Sest. 22, 50: arbori incertae nullam prudentia cani Rectoris cum ferret opem, the ship uncertain in her course, because no longer obeying the helm, Juv. 12, 32 Halm. — In neutr. ellipt.: clauserant portas incertum vi an voluntate, Liv. 31, 41, 2; 31, 43, 7 al. — Neutr. as adv. (poet.): incertum vigilans, Ov. H. 10, 9; Stat. Th. 5, 212. —
• II Subject., as respects one's perceptions or convictions, not firmly established, uncertain, undetermined, doubtful, dubious (so most freq. in prose and poetry): nihil est incertius vulgo, Cic. Mur. 17, 36: casus, id. Or. 28, 98: ut alia certa, alia incerta esse dicunt, id. Off. 2, 2, 7; cf.: est igitur ridiculum, quod est dubium, id relinquere incertum, id. Mur. 32, 68; and: incerta atque dubia, Plin. 17, 1, 1, § 9 fin.: ut incertis temporibus diversisque itineribus iretur, Caes. B. G. 7, 16 fin.; so, eventus reliqui temporis, Cic. Quint. 26, 83: exitus pugnarum, id. Mil. 21, 56: adulterium, Quint. 7, 2, 52: auctor, id. 5, 11, 41: cujus ora puellares faciunt incerta capilli, make the sex doubtful, Juv. 15, 137: incerta persona heres institui non potest, Ulp. Fragm. 22, 4; Gai. Inst. 2, 242; cf. 2, 238.—
• • • • • β With rel. or interrog.-clause: nunc mihi incertumst, abeam an maneam, Plaut. Aul. 4, 9, 19 (731): moriendum certe est, et id incertum, an hoc ipso die, Cic. Sen. 20, 74; cf. Quint. 1, 6, 27: (Gallus) avem, an gentem, an nomen, an fortunam corporis significet, incertum est, id. 7, 9, 2: confessus est quidem sed incertum, utrum quia verum erat, an quia, etc., Plin. Ep. 4, 11, 5: neque plane occultati humilitate arborum et tamen incerti, quidnam esset, Sall. J. 49, 5 Kritz.—Abl. absol.: multi annantes navibus incerto prae tenebris, quid aut peterent aut vitarent, foede interierunt, Liv. 28, 36, 12.—
    • 2 Subst.: incertum, i, n., an uncertainty: quicquid incerti mihi in animo prius aut ambiguum fuit, Nunc liquet, nunc defaecatum est, Plaut. Ps. 2, 4, 69 (762): ne cujus incerti vanique auctor esset, Liv. 4, 13, 9: incerta maris et tempestatum, Tac. A. 3, 54: incerta fortunae experiri, Plin. Ep. 3, 19, 4: incerta belli, Liv. 30, 2: bona, fortunae possessionesque omnium in dubium incertumque revocabuntur, Cic. Caecin. 27, 76; cf. id. ib. 13, 38: Minucius praefectus annonae in incertum creatus, for an indefinite time, Liv. 4, 13, 7: postremo fugere an manere tutius foret, in incerto erat, Sall. J. 38, 5: Allobroges diu in incerto habuere, quidnam consilii caperent, id. C. 41, 1; cf. id. J. 46, 8: imperia ducum in incerto reliquerat, Tac. H. 2, 33 fin.—
  • B Transf., of a person who is in a state of uncertainty respecting any thing, uncertain, in uncertainty, hesitating, doubtful: quo ego ope mea Pro incertis certos compotesque consili Dimitto, Enn. ap. Cic. de Or. 1, 45, 199 (Trag. v. 188 Vahl.): nolo suspensam et incertam plebem Romanam obscura spe et caeca exspectatione pendere, Cic. Agr. 2, 25, 66; so, varius incertusque agitabat, Sall. J. 74, 1; Plaut. Ep. 3, 4, 3 (439): ego certe me incerto scio hoc daturum nemini homini, id. As. 2, 4, 60 (466).—
  • • • • β With rel.-clause: quid dicam hisce, incertus sum, Ter. Hec. 450: cum incertus essem, ubi esses, Cic. Att. 1, 9, 1: incerti ignarique, quid potissimum facerent, Sall. J. 67, 1: incerti quidnam esset, id. ib. 49, 5: incertus, quonam modo aciem instrueret, id. ib. 101, 2: incerti, quo fata ferant, ubi sistere detur, Verg. A. 3, 7: incertus, Geniumne loci famulumne parentis Esse putet, id. ib. 5, 95: faber, incertus scamnum faceretne Priapum, Hor. S. 1, 8, 2.—
        • γ With gen. (not in Cic.): summarum rerum incerti, Enn. ap. Cic. de Or. 1, 45, 199 (Trag. v. 187 Vahl.): incertusque meae paene salutis eram, Ov. Tr. 3, 3, 4: sententiae, Liv. 4, 57, 3: veri, id. 4, 23, 3; 1, 27, 6: rerum, id. 24, 24, 9: ultionis, Tac. A. 2, 75: sui, Stat. Th. 5, 525: naves incertae locorum, Auct. B. Afr. 7: mox incertus animi, fesso corpore, etc., Tac. A. 6, 46; id. H. 3, 55 fin.: futurorum, Plin. Ep. 9, 13, 11: consilii, Curt. 8, 10, 27.—
        • δ With abl.: incerti metu, Val. Fl. 3, 602.—
        • ε With de and abl.: incertus de salute alicujus, Plin. Ep. 6, 20, 10.—Hence, adv. in two forms: incertē and incerto (both ante-class.), uncertainly, not certainly, dubiously: incerte errat animus, Enn. ap. Gell. 19, 10, 12 (Trag. v. 259 Vahl.): vagat exsul, Pac. ap. Non. 467, 25 (Trag. Rel. p. 87 Rib.): ubi Habitet dum incerto scio, Plaut. Ep. 3, 4, 69 (505): incerto scio, id. Ps. 4, 2, 7 (962): incerto autumo, id. Ep. 4, 1, 18 (543).

in-certus, a, um, ungewiß (Ggstz. certus), I) objektiv = ungewiß, unzuverlässig, unbestimmt, A) im allg.: iter, Caes.: casus, Cic.: responsum, Liv.: rumor, Suet., rumores, Caes.: clamores, wirre Durcheinanderrufe, Liv.: aetas (puerilis) lubrica et incerta, Cic.: honos ille instabilis et inc., Lact.: res inc. (Ggstz. res stabilis), Sen.: nihil incertius vulgo, Cic.: spes incertissima, Cic.: amicus certus in re incerta cenitur, in der Not, Enn. fr. scen. 210. – neutr. pl. subst., stabiliora (meliora) incertis, Cic. top. 70. – B) insbes.: a) noch nicht recht od. völlig sichtbar, trübe, düster, dunkel, sol (Frühlingssonne), Ov.: luna, Verg.: tres soles, Verg. – b) unsicher treffend, unsicher, securis, Verg. Aen. 2, 224. – c) unsicher = ohne festen Halt, acus, Mart.: crines, unordentlich, Ov.: vultus, verstörte Mienen, Cic. – II) subjektiv: A) unbestimmt = worüber man keine Gewißheit hat, a) adi.: nuptiae, Ter.: os, lallend, unverständlich, Ov. – m. folg. indir. Fragesatz, incertus (unentschieden) infans, mas an femina esset, Liv.: u. so incerti socii an hostes essent, Liv.: Alexander, incertum, quā fide culturus, si perinde cetera processissent, pacem cum Romanis fecit, Liv. 8, 17, 10: cofessus est quidem, sed incertum utrum quia verum erat, an quia graviora metuebat, si negasset, Plin. ep.: u. im Abl. absol., multi annantes navibus, incerto prae tenebris, quid aut peterent aut vitarent, foede perierunt, Liv. – b) subst., incertum, ī, n., das Ungewisse, die Ungewißheit, ne cuius incerti auctor esset, Liv.: in incerto esse, Sall., Liv. u. Tac., od. habere, Sall., in U. sein: ad od. in incertum revocare, in U. setzen, Cic.: in incerto relinquere, Tac. hist. 2, 33.: Plur. incerta belli, die Wechselfälle des Kr., Liv.: fortunae, Liv. u. Plin. ep.: incerta casuum, Liv.: incerta Oceani vitare, die unsichere Fahrt auf dem Ozean, Tac.: per incerta (Zufälligkeiten) maris et tempestatum cotidie volvi, Tac.: Ggstz. certa amittimus, dum incerta petimus, Plaut. – B) übtr. auf die Person, in Ungewißheit, ungewiß, schwankend, m. folg. indir. Fragesatz, cum inc. essem, ubi esses, Cic.: inc. sum, quid dicam, Ter.: incerti, quidnam esset, Sall.: diu quid ageret incertus, Suet. – m. Genet., inc. animi, Ter., Sall. fr. u.a. (s. Heräus Tac. hist. 3, 55, 15, wozu noch Ter. Hec. 121): consilii, Ter.: sententiae (in seiner Ansicht), Tac.: inc. ultionis, ob er sich rächen sollte, Tac.: rerum summarum, Enn.: rerum omnium u. bl. omnium, Liv.: futurorum, Plin. ep.: inc. rerum suarum, über seine Lage, Liv.: inc. locorum, in der G. nicht gehörig orientiert, Auct. b. Afr.: patris (in betreff des V.), Pacat pan. – m. Abl., incerti metu, Val. Flacc. 3, 602. – absol., me incerto, ohne mein Wissen, Plaut.: ne incertus siem, Ter.: ne me suspensum incertumque dimittas, Plin. ep. – ➳ Genet. Plur. incertûm, Pacuv. tr. 43.

incertus [CL] 1 that cannot be known beforehand, subject to chance, unpredictable; b (w. ref. to time of death). 749 (12c) pro ~a temporum vicissitudine CS 140; †1026 (12c) cum mundi cursus vario ~oque discrimine tendat ad calcem CD 763; eventum belli prestolabat ~um Osb. Clar. V. Ed. Conf. 27.  b unus ex sodalibus pontificis nostri, lapidem ‥ emittens, fronte perforata usque ad cerebrum magi exprobrantis illisit, quem ‥ mors ~a praevenit Eddi 13; eo quod certus sibi exitus sed ~a ejusdem exitus esset hora futura Bede HE III 19; †903 (c950, 12c) ~a est hora unicuique nostrum quando revertatur pulvis in pulverem CS 894; nihil ‥ ~ius hora mortis (Lit.) M. Rievaulx 63; 1429 (v. incertitudo 1). 2 not specified or defined. 1170 qui monuerat ut ei Parisius occurreret in ~um [on a day not fixed] J. Sal. Ep. 295 (297); singulis secundum certum vel ~um numerum distinctis Balsh. AD 90; 1201 de ~o termino non fit aliqua disrationatio CurR II 12. 3 not dependable, unsure, unsafe; b (as sb. n., in ~o divitiarum, w. ref. to I Tim. vi 17). nec suae statum fragilitatis ac vitae temporalis ~um perpendere curat Bede Ep. Cath. 35; ne tam periculosam, tam laboriosam, tam ~am peregrinationem adire deberent Id. HE I 23; hactenus incerto mea stamine vita pependit Alcuin SS Ebor 174.  b noli ‥ sperare in ~o divitiarum Gildas EB 32; non omnem divitem dicit sed eum qui confidit in ~o divitiarum Bede Ep. Cath. 13; s1139 eum mihi videtur Deus exemplum divitibus pro volubilitate rerum exhibuisse, ne sperent in ~o divitiarum, quas quidam, ut ait apostolus [cf. I Tim. i 19], appetentes a fide naufragaverunt W. Malm. HN 481 p. 37; de sollicitudine divitum et ~o divitiarum Neckam NR II 187 tit.. 4 not clearly ascertained, doubtful. cum ille qui praefatas apostolorum passiones scripsit ipse se certissime ~a et falsa scripsisse prodiderit Bede Retract. 997; videndum erit igitur utrum certum dixerint vel ~um, clarum vel obscurum Bracton 186; si corpora interjacencia sunt secundum totum et partem equaliter ~a, numquam ex ipsis certificabitur ~a distancia. ergo necesse est in ea aliquid certum reperire, cujus quantitatis noticia per experimentum sit nota, ad quod totum spacium resolvatur Peckham Persp. I 64 (67). 5 about which nothing certain is known; b (w. ref. to parentage). qui tam praeclarus et manifestus a sanctis prophetis venturus praenuntiatus est, ut tam occultus et ~us veniret, me ad credendum nullus cogere ‥ potest Eccl. & Synag. 109; de generosa matre et fortunata sobole ‥ quorum dubii exitus michi adhuc ~i sunt Ord. Vit. XI 5 p. 190; virtuosus ille et famosus, quem baculum Jesu vocant, ‥ cujus tam ~us est ortus quam certissima virtus Gir. TH III 34.  b spurius incerto Creta genitore creatus Aldh. Aen. 28 (Minotaurus) 4; prolem ~am vel evidenter alienam Gir. Æthelb. 4. 6 (n. sg. in impers. use, ~um est, ~um habeo or habetur) uncertain, impossible to decide or determine: a (w. indir. qu.); b (w. utrum ‥ an ‥ or an ‥ an ‥ or sim.); c (w. si). a quando de Moysi contentionem cum diabolo Michahel habuerit ~um habemus Bede Ep. Cath. 126; a1073 ~um habeo quo judicio omnipotentis Dei factus sum ‥ speculator multorum populorum Lanfr. Ep. 1.  b Bede HE IV 3 (v. dum 6); utrum ibi obierit an in sede propria vitam finierit ~um habeo W. Malm. GR I 25; ~um est an timore vel industria vacuum incolis sit demissum Ord. Vit. IX 4 p. 483; ~um habetur an totius expers confugii discesserit an ad disquirendum ‥ adjutorium discurrerit Ib. IX 9 p. 541; ~um habeo utrum comes S. Egidii sic deviaverit per ignorantiam an ‥ per malevolentiam Ib. X 20 p. 126; J. Sal. Pol. 503A (v. deportatio 1a); Balsh. AD 99 (v. defectio c); 1274 (v. espercaria b).  c parva ibi admodum basilica, quam Meildulfum edificasse antiquitas ~um si fabulabatur W. Malm. GP V 197. 7 (n. sg. in phr. in ~o) in uncertainty, unable to decide or determine. ne cor meum ulterius fluctuet in ~o P. Blois Ep. 128. 381B. 8 (in active sense) having no certain knowledge, uninformed. variis involvimur undis, / incerti qualem mereamur tangere portum Alcuin SS Ebor 1591; quoniam nox tenebrosa erat, incertam ~i viam tenuerunt Ord. Vit. IX 8 p. 507 (v. 5 supra). 9 not certain what to think or do, hesitant, irresolute. ~us quid agerem, quo verterem gressum Bede HE V 12 p. 306; 1220 justiciarii ~i fuerunt de duello illo, scilicet utrum deberet procedere necne CurR IX 94.

incertus, (7) a, um, ¶ 1 qui nʼest pas précis, pas fixé, pas déterminé, incertain : ætas (puerilis) lubrica et incerta Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 137, (enfance) âge encore mal assuré et trébuchant ; spes incertissima Cic. Sest. 50, espoir très incertain ; incertis ordinibus Cæs. G. 4, 32, 5, les rangs étant flottants, les soldats nʼétant pas dans les rangs ; nihil incertius vulgo Cic. Mur. 36, rien de plus incertain que la foule || incerta securis Virg. En. 2, 224, hache mal assurée (dont le coup a été mal assuré) || incerti crines Ov. Am. 1, 11, 1, cheveux en désordre || incertus vultus Cic. Clu. 54, mine troublée, inquiète ¶ 2 sur quoi on nʼest pas fixé, sur quoi on nʼa pas de certitude : Italici, incerti socii an hostes essent Liv. 30, 35, 9, les Italiens, dont on ne savait pas sʼils étaient des alliés ou des ennemis, cf. Liv. 27, 37, 5 ; 31, 12, 6 ; Sall. J. 49, 5 || [n. incertum employé en parenth.] : clauserant portas, incertum vi an voluntate Liv. 31, 41, 2, ils avaient fermé leurs portes, contraints ou de bon gré, on ne sait, cf. Liv. 31, 43, 7 ; 37, 11, 2 ; Sen. Marc. 18, 8 ; Tac. Agr. 7 ; H. 4, 6, etc. ; [qqf. abl. abs. n. incerto = cum incertum esset ] Liv. 28, 36, 12 || incertum an Cic. CM 74, peut-être [mais Tac. H. 1, 2, 3, etc., on ne sait pas si] ; v. an ¶ 3 n. pris subst^t , incertum, lʼincertitude, lʼincertain : ne cujus incerti auctor esset Liv. 4, 13, 9, pour ne pas se porter garant de qqch. dʼincertain ; ad incertum ou in incertum revocari Cic. Cæc. 38 ; 76, être mis dans lʼincertitude, soumis aux contestations ; in incertum Liv. 43, 12, 2, en considération de lʼincertitude ; in incerto est Sall. J. 38, 5, ou in incerto habetur Sall. J. 46, 8, on ne sait pas ; incertum habeo Sall. J. 95, 4, je ne sais pas || incerta belli Liv. 30, 2, 6, les hasards de la guerre ; incerta fortunæ Plin. Min. Ep. 3, 19, 4, les vicissitudes de la fortune ¶ 4 qui ne sait pas dʼune façon certaine, incertain : quid dicam, incertus sum Ter. Hec. 450, je ne sais pas ce que je dois dire, cf. Phorm. 660 ; cum incertus essem, ubi esses Cic. Att. 1, 9, 1, ne sachant pas bien où tu étais, cf. Sall. J. 67, 1 ; 101, 2 ; Virg. En. 3, 7 ; 5, 95 ; nolo suspensam et incertam plebem Romanam... pendere Cic. Agr. 2, 66, je ne veux pas que le peuple de Rome flotte en suspens dans lʼincertitude || [avec gén.] incertain de : Enn. d. Cic. de Or. 1, 199 ; Liv. 4, 57, 3 ; 24, 24, 9, etc.

➳ gén. pl. arch. incertum Pac. d. Non. 495, 27.

incertus , a, um. adj. c. s.
不定者。疑惑者。

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in-certus adj.

• with comp.and sup.—Of things, not fixed, unsettled, undetermined: consilia, T.: cum incerta bellum an pax essent, L.: securis, ill-aimed, V.—Ablabsol.: incerto quid peterent, L.—Of persons, irresolute, hesitating, undecided, doubtful, at a loss: Incertior sum multo quam dudum, T.: plebes: varius incertusque agitabat, S.: quid dicam incertus sum, T.: animi incertus, anne, etc., T.: quid potissumum facerent, S.: summarum rerum: consili, T.—Unascertained, unproved, doubtful, uncertain: alia certa, alia incerta esse dicunt: eventus reliqui temporis: ambiguae testis Incertaeque rei, Iu.: incertus masculus an femina esset, L.: victoria, Cs.: moriendum certe est, et id incertum, an, etc.: Quis deus, incertum est, V.: cuius Ora puellares faciunt incerta capilli (i. e. make the sex doubtful), Iu.: incertum habeo, pudeat an pigeat magis, cannot decide, S.: clauserant portas, incertum vi an voluntate, L.—Of persons, uninformed, not assured, doubtful, uncertain: cum incertus sum, ubi esses: Incerti quo fata ferant, V.: sententiae, L.: rerum multitudo, L.—Vague, indefinite, unsettled, obscure, dim: spes, T.: ut incertis temporibus iretur, unexpected, Cs.: luna sub luce malignā, V.: voltus, disturbed, S.—Fig., untrustworthy, inconsistent, fickle: aetas (puerilis): nihil est incertius volgo: menses, V.: Filiam dare in incertas nuptias, hazardous, T.: arbor, the unsteady ship, Iu.