_litteris mandare_ or _consignare aliquid_ (Acad. 2. 1. 2)—to put down
in writing.
_litteris persequi_ (_vid._ sect. VIII. 2, note _persequi..._)
_aliquid_—to treat in writing.
_scriptor_ (not _auctor_ = guarantor)—the writer, author.
_scribere_—to take to writing, become an author.
_ad scribendum_ or _ad scribendi studium se conferre_—to become a
writer, embrace a literary career.
_animum ad scribendum appellere, applicare_—to become a writer,
embrace a literary career.
_librum scribere, conscribere_—to write a book.
_librum conficere, componere_ (De Sen. 1. 2)—to compose, compile a book.
_librum edere_ (Div. 1. 3. 6)—to publish a book.
_librum evolvere, volvere_—to open a book.
_volumen explicare_—to open a book.
_librum mittere ad aliquem_ (Fin. 1. 3. 8)—to dedicate a book to some
one.
_index, inscriptio_[1] _libri_—the title of a book.
_liber inscribitur_[2] _Laelius_ (Off. 2. 9. 30)—the book is entitled
"Laelius".
_Cicero dicit in Laelio (suo)_ or _in eo_ (not _suo_) _libro, qui
inscribitur Laelius_—Cicero says in his "Laelius."
_est liber de..._—there exists a book on...
_exstat liber_ (notice the order of the words)—the book is still extant.
_liber intercidit, periit_—the book has been lost.
_liber deperditus_—a book which has been entirely lost sight of.
_liber perditus_—a lost book of which fragments (_relliquiae_, not
_fragmenta_) remain.
_liber qui fertur alicuius_—a book which is attributed to some one.
_nescio quis_—an anonymous writer.
_liber refertur ad nescio quem auctorem_—the book is attributed to an
unknown writer.
_hic liber est de amicitia_ (not _agit_) or _hoc libro agitur de
am._—the book treats of friendship.
_libro continetur aliquid_—the book contains something... (not
_continet aliquid_).
_libro scriptor complexus est aliquid_—the book contains something...
(not _continet aliquid_).
_in extremo libro_ (Q. Fr. 2. 7. 1)—at the end of the book.
_liber mihi est in manibus_—to be engaged on a book.
_librum in manibus habere_ (Acad. 1. 1. 2)—to be engaged on a book.
_liber, oratio in manibus est_—the book, speech can easily be obtained.
_librum in manus sumere_—to take up a book in one's hands.
_librum de manibus ponere_[3]—to lay down a book (_vid._ sect. XII. 3,
note _vestem deponere..._).
_perpolire, limare diligenter librum, opus_—to polish, finish a work
with the greatest care.
_extrema manus accēdit operi_ (active _extremam manum imponere
operi_)—to put the finishing touch to a work.
_liber accurate, diligenter scriptus_—a carefully written book.
_aliquid, multa ex Ciceronis libris excerpere_ (not _excerpere
librum_)—to make extracts from Cicero's writings.
_aliquid in commentarios suos referre_ (Tusc. 3. 22. 54)—to enter a
thing in one's note-book.
_librum annotare, interpolare, distinguere_—to furnish a book with
notes, additional extracts, marks of punctuation.
_se abdere in bibliothecam suam_—to bury oneself in one's library.
_Platonem legere, lectitare_—to read Plato.
_locum Platonis afferre, proferre_ (not _citare_)—to quote a passage
of Plato.
_scriptor hoc loco dicit_—our (not _noster_) author tells us at this
point.
_Cicero loco quodam haec dicit_—Cicero says this somewhere.
_Platonem legere et cognoscere_—to study Plato.
_legendo percurrere aliquid_—to read cursorily.
_apud Platonem scriptum videmus,_[4] _scriptum est_ or simply _est_—we
read in Plato.
_in Platonis Phaedone scriptum est_—in Plato's "Phaedo" we read.
_verba, oratio, exemplum scriptoris_—the text of the author (not
_textus_).
_legentes, ii qui legunt_[5]—the reader.
_languorem, molestiam legentium animis afferre_—to weary, bore the
reader.
_liber plenus delectationis_—a very charming book.
_alicuius mens in scriptis spirat_—a man's soul breathes through his
writings.
_mendum (scripturae)_ (Fam. 6. 7. 1)—a clerical error, copyist's
mistake.
_mendose scriptum_—full of orthographical errors.
_labi in scribendo_—to make a mistake in writing.
_mendosum esse_ (Verr. 2. 4. 77)—(1) to make frequent mistakes in
writing; (2) to be full of mistakes (speaking of a passage).
_inducere verbum_ (Phil. 13. 19. 43)—to strike out, delete a word.
[1] Not _titulus_ which means—(1) an inscription on a tomb, monument;
(2) public notice, e.g. an advertisement of a sale, _sub titulum misit
lares_ (Ov.); (3) metaph. title, honour, e.g. _consulatus, coniugis_.
It is only in very late writers that it = a title of a book.
[2] The perfect _inscriptus est_ is only used when the writer himself
is speaking of his book, e.g. _de senectute disputavi eo libro, qui
Cato maior inscriptus est_, "...which I have entitled _Cato maior_."
[3] Distinguish the two verbs _ponere_ = to set down for a moment
temporarily, and _deponere_ to lay aside, abandon altogether. Cf.
_vincere_ and _devincere_, _perdere_ and _deperdere_.
[4] _legere_ in this connection only in the perfect.
[5] Not _lector_, which means a professional reader, cf. De Or. 2. 55.
223. Similarly "audience" = _ii qui audiunt_ or _audientes_ (usually
in oblique cases). Words in _-tor_ and _-trix_ always denote those who
do something habitually or for some permanent object. Thus of
functionaries—_censor, dictator, quaestor_; of artisans—_fictor_
sculptor, _institor_ retail dealer, _mercator_ wholesale merchant,
_structor_ mason; of people who are always showing some distinguishing
quality or defect—_calumniator, ratiocinator_; of those who have
performed a feat so remarkable as to confer on them a durable
characteristic—_creator urbis_ (Romulus), _servator Graeciae_
(Themistocles), _Cimbrorum victor_ (Marius), etc.