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There are many words, which are translated as quick. My initial search showed

  • celer: swift , quick, rapid; in a bad sense, hasty, rash
  • celox: swift , quick; f. as subst. a swift vessel, yacht
  • citus: quick, speedy
  • velox: quick, rapid, swift

according the the Notre Dame English-Latin dictionary. Did I miss any important word for quick?

They all seem pretty the same. Is there any difference between those words? Or can they be used fully interchangeably?

Joel Derfner
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marmistrz
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1 Answers1

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From an entry (which includes references here omitted) in Döderlein's Hand-book of Latin Synonymes:

Citus; Celer; Velox; Pernix; Properus; Festinus. 1. Citus and celer denote swiftness, merely as quick motion, in opp. to tardus, ... velox and pernix, nimbleness, as bodily strength and activity, in opp. to lentus; properus and festinus, haste, as the will to reach a certain point in the shortest time, in opp. to segnis ... 2. Citus denotes a swift and lively motion, approaching to vegetus; celer, an eager and impetuous motion, approaching to rapidus. 3. Pernicitas is, in general, dexterity and activity in all bodily movements, in hopping, climbing, and vaulting; but velocitas, especially in running, flying, and swimming, and so forth. ... 4. Properus, properare, denote the haste which, from energy, sets out rapidly to reach a certain point, in opp. to cessare; whereas festinus, festinare, denote the haste which springs from impatience, and borders upon precipitation. ...

fpsvogel
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