D / dicto
verb frequentative transitive

dicto

2nd PP dictāre · 3rd PP dictāvi · 4th PP dictātum · conj. 1st
to say often; to pronounce, declare; assert repeatedly
to say often; to pronounce, declare, or assert repeatedly.
(very rare): rogarem te, ut diceres pro me tu idem, qui illis orationem… in general •
In gen. (very rare): rogarem te, ut diceres pro me tu idem, qui illis orationem dictavisses, Cic. Fin. 4, 22 fin.: mercemur servum qui dictet nomina, Hor. Ep. 1, 6, 50; cf. Gell. 4, 1, 2.—Far more freq. and class.,
in particular
To dictate •
To dictate to one for writing: quod non modo Tironi dictare, sed ne ipse quidem audere scribere, Cic. Att. 13, 9; 7, 13 b. fin.; 2, 23; Quint. 2, 4, 12; 10, 3, 18; Plin. Ep. 9, 36, 2; Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 49 et saep. So of the dictating of teachers (common for want of books): memini quae mihi parvo Orbilium dictare, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 71; cf. id. Sat. 1, 10, 75.—
to express in written language, make, compose by extension ••
Transf. As the practice of dictating came, in the course of time, to be very general (v. Gesner upon Quint. 10, 3, 18), dictare, since the Aug. per., acquired the signif. to express in written language, make, compose: elegidia, Pers. 1, 52; so, ducentos versus, Hor. S. 1, 4, 10: carmina (for which, shortly before and after, scribere), id. Ep. 2, 1, 110: codicillos, to draw up, make, Suet. Tib. 22; cf. testamentum, id. Ner. 32; hence also, summas, i. e. to dispose of by will, Dig. 32, 95; and in the pass.: non unus tibi rivalis dictabitur heres, appointed, designated, Juv. 6, 218; so, actionem, to draw up a declaration, Suet. Rhet. 2; and among jurists in gen., to bring an action, go to law, Dig. 15, 1, 50; also, judicium, ib. 9, 4, 22; 49, 9, 3 al.—
To prescribe, recommend, order, dictate •
To prescribe, recommend, order, dictate (cf. 2. dico, no. I. B. 10; in this sense the primitive of dictator, although no ante-Aug. examples occur): sportulam, Quint. 11, 3, 131: dictataque jurant Sacramenta deis, Sil. 10, 448.—
no by extension •
Transf., of abstract subjects: ita videtur ratio dictare, Quint. 3, 4, 11; cf. Dig. 1, 2, § 11: quibus sordet omne, quod natura dictavit, Quint. 8 prooem. § 8; so with acc., id. 1, 3, 16; 2, 15, 6; Plin. 26, 4, 9, § 20.—Hence, dictāta, ōrum, n. (acc. to no. II. A.).
Things dictated; lessons, exercises, rules
Things dictated by the master to his scholars, i. e. lessons, exercises, rules, Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 1, 4; id. Fin. 4, 4, 10; id. N. D. 1, 26; id. Tusc. 2, 11, 96; Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 55; 1, 18, 13; Pers. 1, 29 al.—Also, in gen.,
Precepts, rules •
Precepts, rules, e. g. for gladiators, Suet. Caes. 26; for mimes, Juv. 5, 122.