moror

Latin

Etymology 1

From mora (“delay”) +‎ -or (deponent verb-forming suffix).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈmo.ror/, [ˈmɔrɔr]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈmo.ror/, [ˈmɔːror]

Verb

moror (present infinitive morārī or morārier, perfect active morātus sum); first conjugation, deponent

1. (intransitive) to linger, loiter

   Synonyms: habitō, cōnsistō

2. (transitive) to delay, hinder

   Synonyms: dētineō, cūnctor, retardō, prōtrahō, tardō, dubitō, trahō, differō

   Antonyms: ruō, currō, accurrō, trepidō, festīnō, prōvolō, properō, corripiō, affluō, mātūrō

3. to impede, detain, cause to wait, hinder, hold back, stay

   Synonyms: supprimō, arceō, refrēnō, obstō, cūnctor, contineō, retineō, cohibeō, intersaepiō, inclūdō, perimō, obstō, coerceō, officiō, reprimō, saepiō, comprimō

   Antonyms: līberō, eximō, absolvō, excipiō, exonerō, ēmittō

   • 29 BCE – 19 BCE, Virgil, Aeneid 4.235–236:

     “Quid struit, aut quā spē inimīcā in gente morātur,
     nec prōlem Ausoniam et Lāvīnia respicit arva?”

     “What does Aeneas intend, or what hope detains him among hostile people, such that he disregards his Ausonian children and the Lavinian fields?”

Conjugation

Conjugation of moror (first conjugation, deponent)
indicative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	moror	morāris, morāre	morātur	morāmur	morāminī	morantur
	imperfect	morābar	morābāris, morābāre	morābātur	morābāmur	morābāminī	morābantur
	future	morābor	morāberis, morābere	morābitur	morābimur	morābiminī	morābuntur
	perfect	morātus + present active indicative of sum
	pluperfect	morātus + imperfect active indicative of sum
	future perfect	morātus + future active indicative of sum
subjunctive		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	morer	morēris, morēre	morētur	morēmur	morēminī	morentur
	imperfect	morārer	morārēris, morārēre	morārētur	morārēmur	morārēminī	morārentur
	perfect	morātus + present active subjunctive of sum
	pluperfect	morātus + imperfect active subjunctive of sum
imperative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	—	morāre	—	—	morāminī	—
	future	—	morātor	morātor	—	—	morantor
non-finite forms		active			passive
		present	perfect	future	present	perfect	future
infinitives		morārī, morārier1	morātum esse	morātūrum esse	—	—	—
participles		morāns	morātus	morātūrus	—	—	morandus
verbal nouns		gerund				supine
		genitive	dative	accusative	ablative	accusative	ablative
		morandī	morandō	morandum	morandō	morātum	morātū

¹The present passive infinitive in -ier is a rare poetic form which is attested.

Derived terms

• commoror
• dēmoror
• immoror
• remoror

 

Descendants

• Italian: muorarsi (dialect of Lucca)
• → Old French: morer
• → Old Galician-Portuguese: morar
  • Galician: morar
  • Portuguese: morar
• → Old Spanish: morar
  • Ladino: morar
  • Spanish: morar

References

• Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002) “morari”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, volumes 6/3: Mobilis–Myxa, page 124

Etymology 2

From Ancient Greek μωρός (mōrós, “dull, slow”). Coined by Nero most likely. A pun based on the resemblance to its homograph.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈmoː.ror/, [ˈmoːrɔr]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈmo.ror/, [ˈmɔːror]

Verb

mōror (present infinitive mōrārī); first conjugation, deponent, no perfect or supine stem

1. (hapax) to be a fool
   • c. 69 CE – 122 CE, Suetonius, De vita Caesarum VI 33:

     Certē omnibus rērum verbōrumque contumēliīs mortuum īnsectātus est, modo stultitiae modo saevitiae arguēns; nam et mōrārī eum dēsīsse inter hominēs prōductā prīmā syllabā iocābātur multaque dēcrēta et cōnstitūta, ut īnsipientis atque dēlīrī, prō irritīs habuit.

     He certainly blamed the dead one [Claudius] with all insults, of deeds and of words, sometimes reproving his stupidity, other times his cruelty; for he jested about him having ceased to be a fool among people (with a lengthened first syllable) as well as having nullified many decrees and edicts of his, as those of an unwise and crazy one.

Conjugation

Conjugation of mōror (first conjugation, no supine stem, deponent, no perfect stem)
indicative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	mōror	mōrāris, mōrāre	mōrātur	mōrāmur	mōrāminī	mōrantur
	imperfect	mōrābar	mōrābāris, mōrābāre	mōrābātur	mōrābāmur	mōrābāminī	mōrābantur
	future	mōrābor	mōrāberis, mōrābere	mōrābitur	mōrābimur	mōrābiminī	mōrābuntur
subjunctive		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	mōrer	mōrēris, mōrēre	mōrētur	mōrēmur	mōrēminī	mōrentur
	imperfect	mōrārer	mōrārēris, mōrārēre	mōrārētur	mōrārēmur	mōrārēminī	mōrārentur
imperative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	—	mōrāre	—	—	mōrāminī	—
	future	—	mōrātor	mōrātor	—	—	mōrantor
non-finite forms		active			passive
		present	perfect	future	present	perfect	future
infinitives		mōrārī	—	—	—	—	—
participles		mōrāns	—	—	—	—	mōrandus
verbal nouns		gerund				supine
		genitive	dative	accusative	ablative	accusative	ablative
		mōrandī	mōrandō	mōrandum	mōrandō	—	—

References

• “moror”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “moror”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• moror in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• moror in Ramminger, Johann (2016 July 16 (last accessed)) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎^[1], pre-publication website, 2005-2016