I. In gen.
A. Lit., to mark out or appoint to one, to assign; hence also, to distribute, allot, give by assigning, as t. t. of the division of public lands to the colonists (cf. assignatio; “syn.: ascribo, attribuo): uti agrum eis militibus, legioni Martiae et legioni quartae ita darent, adsignarent, ut quibus militibus amplissime dati, adsignati essent,” Cic. Phil. 5, 19 fin.; so id. ib. 2, 17, 43; id. Agr. 3, 3, 12: “qui (triumviri) ad agrum venerant adsignandum,” Liv. 21, 25; 26, 21; Sic. Fl. p. 18 Goes.—
B. Transf., to assign something to some one, to confer upon: “mihi ex agro tuo tantum adsignes, quantum corpore meo occupari potest,” Cic. Att. 3, 19, 3: munus humanum adsignatum a deo, id. Rep. 6, 15 fin.: “apparitores a praetore adsignati,” Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 25: “ordines,” id. Pis. 36, 88: “quem cuique ordinem adsignari e re publicā esset, eum adsignare,” Liv. 42, 33: “equum publicum,” id. 39, 19; so id. 5, 7: “equiti certus numerus aeris est adsignatus,” id. ib.: aspera bella componunt, agros adsignant, oppida condunt, to assign dwellingplaces to those roaming about (with ref. to I. A.), * Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 8: “natura avibus caelum adsignavit,” appointed, allotted, Plin. 10, 50, 72, § 141: “de adsignandis libertis,” Dig. 38, 4. 1 sq.: adsignavit eam vivam, παρέστησεν, he presented her, Vulg. Act. 9, 41 al.—
C. Trop., to ascribe, attribute, impute to one as a crime, or to reckon as a service (in the last sense not before the Aug. period; in Cic. only in the first signification).
a. In mal. part.: “nec vero id homini tum quisquam, sed tempori adsignandum putavit,” Cic. Rab. Post. 10, 27: “haec si minus apta videntur huic sermoni, Attico adsigna, qui etc.,” id. Brut. 19, 74: “ne hoc improbitati et sceleri meo potius quam imprudentiae miseriaeque adsignes,” id. ad Q. Fr. 1, 4; so id. Fam. 6, 7, 3; id. Att. 6, 1, 11; 10, 4, 6; Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 18, 2: “petit, ne unius amentiam civitati adsignarent,” Liv. 35, 31' permixtum vehiculis agmen ac pleraque fortuita fraudi suae adsignantes, Tac. H. 2, 60; Nigid. ap. Gell. 4, 9, 2; and without dat.: me culpam fortunae adsignare, calamitatem crimini dare; “me amissionem classis obicere, etc.,” Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 50 Zumpt.—
b. In bon. part.: nos omnia, quae prospera tibi evenere, tuo consilio adsignare; “adversa casibus incertis belli et fortunae delegare,” Liv. 28, 42, 7: “Cypri devictae nulli adsignanda gloria est,” Vell. 2, 38: “sua fortia facta gloriae principis,” Tac. G. 14: “hoc sibi gloriae,” Gell. 9, 9 fin.: “si haec infinitas naturae omnium artifici possit adsignari,” Plin. 2, 1, 1, § 3: “inventionem ejus (molyos) Mercurio adsignat,” id. 25, 4, 8, § 26 al.—
II. Esp.
A. With the access. idea of object, design, to commit, consign, give over a thing to one to keep or take care of (rare, mostly post - Aug.): “quibus deportanda Romam Regina Juno adsignata erat,” Liv. 5, 22' Eumenem adsignari custodibus praecepit, Just. 14, 4 fin.; Dig. 18, 1, 62; 4, 9, 1.—Trop.: “bonos juvenes adsignare famae,” Plin. Ep. 6, 23, 2; so Sen. Ep. 110.—
B. To make a mark upon something, to seal it (post-Aug.): “adsigna, Marce, tabellas,” Pers. 5, 81: “subscribente et adsignante domino,” Dig. 45, 1, 126; 26, 8, 20: cum adsignavero iis fructum hunc, shall have sealed and sent, Vulg. Rom. 15, 28.—Trop.: “verbum in clausulā positum adsignatur auditori et infigitur,” is impressed upon, Quint. 9, 4, 29.
