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cūr (old orthog. quor ; cf. Vel. Long. p. 2236 P.; and in MSS. sometimes cor , v. Lachm. ad Lucr. II. p. 171 sq.), adv. contr. from quare; cf. Vel. Long. p. 2231 P. and the letter C; acc. to Voss, Etym. s. h. v.; Analog. 4, 21, and Hand, Turs. II. p. 175, from cui rei; cf.: “quoi rei,” Plaut. Poen. 2, 33, = quam ob rem,
I.for what reason, wherefore, why, to what purpose, from what motive.
I. Rel.: “duae causae sunt, cur tu frequentior in isto officio esse debeas quam nos,” Cic. Fam. 15, 20, 2; so, “causae, cur,” Quint. 11, 3, 16; and: “ea causa, cur,” id. 2, 3, 11: “non fuit causa, cur,” Cic. Rosc. Com. 16, 49; cf. id. Clu. 61, 169; so, “causa non esset, cur,” id. N. D. 3, 4, 9: “causa nulla est, cur,” id. Rosc. Am. 50, 146; id. de Or. 2, 45, 189: “nihil est causae, cur,” Quint. 11, 3, 59: “quae causa est, cur? etc.,” Cic. Lael. 13, 48: “quid est causae, cur, etc.,” id. Fl. 2, 5; id. de Or. 3, 48, 185; id. Fam. 2, 13, 2: “negare et adferre rationem cur negarent,” id. ib. 6, 8, 1: “id satis magnum esse argumentum dixisti, cur esse deos confiteremur,” id. N. D. 1, 23, 62; “so after argumenta,” id. ib. 3, 4, 10; id. Div. 1, 3, 5: “est vero cur quis Junonem laedere nolit,” Ov. M. 2, 518; “and with a negative: neque est, cur, etc.,” Plaut. Stich. 1, 1, 51: “non tamen est, cur,” Ov. H. 10, 144.- -And in dependent questions: “quid est, cur tu in isto loco sedeas?” Cic. Clu. 53, 147; id. Fin. 1, 10, 34; Liv. 21, 43, 12 et saep.: “ne cui sit vestrum mirum, cur, etc.,” Ter. Heaut. prol. 1 al.: “miror, cur me accusas,” Cic. Fam. 7, 27, 1; 5, 12, 30; id. Phil. 2, 20, 49 (v. miror, admiror, etc.): “quā in re primum illud reprehendo et accuso, cur, etc.,” Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 7, § 16: “quod me saepe accusas, cur hunc meum casum tam graviter feram,” id. Att. 3, 13, 2; 3, 12, 1; id. Sest. 37, 80; Hor. C. 1, 33, 3: “consules invasit, cur silerent,” Tac. A. 6, 4.—
B. Pregn., = cujus causā, propter quod, on account of which, by reason of which: “quid ergo accidit, cur consilium mutarem?” Cic. Fam. 2, 16, 10: “quid obstat, cur non verae fiant,” Ter. And. 1, 1, 76: “fecerit aliquid Philippus, cur adversus eum ... hoc decerneremus: quid Perseus meruit... cur soli omnium hostes ei simus?” Liv. 41, 24, 11 Weissenb. ad loc.: “Caedicius negare, se commissurum, cur sibi ... quisquam imperium finiret,” id. 5, 46, 6; 10, 18, 14; Suet. Calig. 15; Ov. Am. 1, 3, 2: “quid Aristides commisisset, cur tantā poenā dignus duceretur,” Nep. Arist. 1, 3: “multa quidem dixi, cur excusatus abirem,” Hor. Ep. 1, 9, 7.—
II. Interrog.: Ag. Quor mi haec irata est? Mi. Quor haec irata est tibi? Quor ego id curem? Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 143 sq.: “quor perdis adulescentem nobis? quor amat? Quor potat?” Ter. Ad. 1, 1, 36 sq.; cf.: “quid agis? quor te is perditum?” id. And. 1, 1, 107: “quor non introëo in nostram domum?” Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 253; Cic. Fam. 2, 18, 3: “quorsum tan dem, aut cur ista quaeris?” id. Leg. 1, 1, 4: Er. Jube tibi agnum huc adferri propere pinguem. He. Quor? Er. Ut sacrufices, Plaut. Capt. 4, 2, 82: Me. Non possum. Ch. Quor non? Ter. Heaut. 1, 1, 111: “cur ego plebeios magistratus ... video, etc.,” Liv. 2, 34, 9; 6, 15, 12.—In the poets sometimes placed after one or more words of a clause: “stratege noster, quor hic cessat cantharus?” Plaut. Stich. 5, 4, 28: “obsequium ventris mihi perniciosius est cur?” Hor. S. 2, 7, 104; 2, 3, 187.—
B. Esp.
1. Pregn.
a. Implying censure, indignation, remonstrance, etc.: “quor id aussu's facere?” Plaut. Ps. 1, 3, 114: “cur es ausus subigitare, etc.,” id. Mil. 5, 9; id. Men. 3, 2, 28: “sed quid ego? quor me excrucio? quor me macero?” Ter. And. 5, 3, 15: “cur imperium illi, aut cur illo modo prorogatum est,” Cic. Att. 7, 3, 4; id. Div. 2, 30, 65: “cur me querelis exanimas tuis?” Hor. C. 2, 17, 1.—
b. Implying grief, sorrow, and, with negatives, desire, etc.: eheu me miserum, quor non aut istaec mihi Aetas et formast, etc., Ter. Hec. 1, 1, 17: “heu me miserum, cur senatum cogor reprehendere?” Cic. Phil. 7, 4, 14; id. Fam. 2, 7, 5; id. Att. 2, 19, 1: “cur ego tecum non sum?” id. ib. 16, 6, 2.—
c. With potential subj., in excusing, deprecating censure, etc.: “quor ego apud te mentiar?” Plaut. Poen. 1, 1, 24; id. Most. 2, 2, 24: “cur hunc tam temere quisquam ab officio discessurum judicaret?” Caes. B. G. 1, 40: pro urbis salute, cur non omnibus facultatibus, quas habemus, utamur, Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 23, 15; Cic. Cael. 29, 68 al.—
2. Emphatic after si, cum, etc., implying a logical conclusion: “tum id si falsum fuerat, filius quor non refellit?” Ter. Phorm. 2, 3, 53: “nam, si res publica defenditur, cur ea consule isto ipso defensa non est?” Cic. Att. 7, 3, 4; cf.: “fac esse distentam ... cur tam multos deos nihil agere patitur?” id. N. D. 3, 39, 93: “cur autem quidquam ignoraret animus hominis, si esset deus?” id. ib. 1, 11, 28; Nep. Eum. 11, 4; Ov. F. 1, 257.—
3. Strengthened by particles of inference: nam, enim, igitur, etc.: Am. Pestis te tenet. So. Nam quor istuc Dicis? Plaut. Am. 2, 1, 31: “nam cur me miseram verberas?” id. Aul. 1, 1, 3: “quor simulas igitur?” Ter. And. 1, 1, 21: “cur enim, inquies, etc.,” Cic. Ac. 2, 17, 55; Suet. Calig. 34; id. Claud. 4; v. Hand, Turs. II. pp. 175- 183.
A Latin Dictionary. Founded on Andrews' edition of Freund's Latin dictionary. revised, enlarged, and in great part rewritten by. Charlton T. Lewis, Ph.D. and. Charles Short, LL.D. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1879.

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hide References (56 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (56):
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 15.20.2
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 2.13.2
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 2.18.3
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 7.27.1
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 2.19.1
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 3.13.2
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 7.3.4
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 1.40
    • Cicero, For Marcus Caelius, 29.68
    • Cicero, Philippics, 2.20.49
    • Cicero, Philippics, 7.4.14
    • Cicero, Against Verres, 2.3.16
    • Cicero, For Quintus Roscius the Actor, 16.49
    • Cicero, For Sextus Roscius of Ameria, 50.146
    • Cicero, For Aulus Cluentius, 53.147
    • Cicero, For Aulus Cluentius, 61.169
    • Cicero, For Sestius, 37.80
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 10, 18.14
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 2.518
    • Plautus, Amphitruo, 1.1
    • Plautus, Aulularia, 1.1
    • Plautus, Menaechmi, 3.2
    • Plautus, Mostellaria, 2.2
    • Plautus, Poenulus, 1.1
    • Plautus, Poenulus, 1.2
    • Plautus, Stichus, 1.1
    • Suetonius, Caligula, 34
    • Suetonius, Divus Claudius, 4
    • Horace, Satires, 2.7.104
    • Tacitus, Annales, 6.4
    • Plautus, Amphitruo, 2.1
    • Plautus, Captivi, 4.2
    • Plautus, Pseudolus, 1.3
    • Plautus, Stichus, 5.4
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 2.45
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 3.48
    • Suetonius, Caligula, 15
    • Cornelius Nepos, Aristides, 1.3
    • Cornelius Nepos, Eumenes, 11.4
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 41, 24.11
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 21, 43
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 2, 34.9
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 6, 15.12
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 5, 46.6
    • Cicero, De Legibus, 1.1
    • Cicero, De Divinatione, 2.30
    • Cicero, de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum, 1.10
    • Cicero, de Natura Deorum, 1.23
    • Cicero, de Natura Deorum, 3.39
    • Cicero, de Natura Deorum, 3.4
    • Cicero, De Amicitia, 13
    • Cicero, De Divinatione, 1.3
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 2, 3.11
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 11, 3.16
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 11, 3.59
    • Ovid, Fasti, 1
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