1486. Many verbs have only passive inflections, but with the meaning of
active inflections. Such verbs are called _Deponents_.
1487. In many deponents, a reflexive, passive, or reciprocal action is
still clearly to be seen: as,
#nāscor#, _am born_; #moror#, _delay myself_, _get delayed_; #ūtor#,
_avail myself_; #amplectimur#, _hug each other_; #fābulāmur#, _talk
together_; #partīmur#, _share with one another_.
1488. Some verbs have both active and deponent inflections: as,
#adsentiō#, _agree_, more commonly #adsentior#. #mereō#, _earn_, and
#mereor#, _deserve_. See also in the dictionary #altercor#, #auguror#,
#comitor#, #cōnflīctor#, #fabricor#, #faeneror#, #mūneror#, #ōscitor#,
#palpor#, #populor#, #revertor#. The following have active inflections
in the present system and deponent inflections in the perfect system:
#audeō#, #cōnfīdō# and #diffīdō#, #gaudeō#, #soleō#: see also 801.
1489. In old Latin especially, many verbs which afterwards became fixed
as deponents occur with active inflections also: as, #adūlō#, #arbitrō#,
#aucupō#, #auspicō#, #lūctō#, #lūdificō#, #morō#, #partiō#, #venerō#,
&c., &c.
1490. Verbs which are usually deponent are rarely found with a passive
meaning: as, #Sūllānās rēs dēfendere crīminor#, _LAgr._ 3, 13, _I am
charged with defending Sulla’s policy_.
1491. When it is desirable to express the passive of a deponent,
a synonyme is sometimes used: thus, the passive of #mīror#, _admire_,
may sometimes be represented by #laudor#, _am praised_. Or some
circumlocution: as, #habet venerātiōnem quidquid excellit#, _DN._ 1, 45,
_anything best in its kind is looked on with respect_, as passive of
#veneror#. #familia in suspīciōnem est vocāta#, _V._ 5, 10, _the
household was suspected_, as passive of #suspicor#.
1492. The perfect participle of deponents is sometimes used with a
passive meaning. Some of the commonest of these participles are:
#adeptus#, #commentus#, #complexus#, #cōnfessus#, #ēmentītus#,
#expertus#, #meditātus#, #opīnātus#, #pactus#, #partītus#, #testātus#,
&c., &c.