Lemma 1ōrātĭō

nounfeminine

speech, oration; eloquence; prayer

Morphology2 analyses

nominative singularoratio · regular

vocative singularoratio · regular

Lewis & Short

key · oratioFull entry

ōrātĭo, ōnis, f. [oro]

I.a speaking, speech, discourse, language.

II.In gen., the connection of words to express thought.

1.Speech, the power or faculty of speech, the habit or use of language.

2.Speech, language, utterance; opp. to fact, action, etc.: qualis homo ipse esset, talem ejus esse orationem.

3.Hence, a mode of speaking; a kind, manner, style of speech; language: nam opulenti cum loquuntur pariter atque ignobiles, eadem dicta eademque oratio aequa non aeque valet, Enn. ap.: quam tibi ex ore orationem duriter dictis dedit, id. ap.: Creta est profecto horum hominum oratio, quam orationem hanc aures dulce devorant. — Esp. (in gram.): oratio obliqua, indirect speech, the use of dependent clauses in citing the language of others. — Hence.

4.Mode of speech, language, use of language, style.

5.Esp., the language of any people or nation.

III.In partic., formal language, artificial discourse, set speech (opp. to sermo, ordinary speech, conversational language) — Hence.

B.A set speech, harangue, discourse, oration.

IV.Transf.

A.The power of oratory, eloquence.

B.Prose (opp. to poetry).

C.(In gram.) A sentence, a clause expressing a complete sense: defectio litterae, et syllabae, et dictionis, et orationis.

D.(Under the empire.) An imperial message, rescript.

E.A prayer, an address to the Deity (eccl. Lat.). — Also absol., prayer, the habit or practice of prayer.