difficilis

Latin

Etymology

From dis- +‎ facilis (“easy”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [dɪfˈfɪ.kɪ.lɪs]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [d̪ifˈfiː.t͡ʃi.lis]

Adjective

difficilis (neuter difficile, comparative difficilior, superlative difficillimus, adverb difficulter or difficile or difficiliter); third-declension two-termination adjective

1. difficult, hard, troublesome

   Antonyms: facilis, prōmptus

   • 166 BCE, Publius Terentius Afer, Andria 380–381:

     [...] PAMPHILUS: Quidvīs patiar. DĀVUS: Pater est, Pamphile: / difficile est. [...].

     PAMPHILUS: I’ll endure anything you wish. DAVUS: He’s your father, Pamphilus: it’s difficult.
     (In context: The problem is “difficult” to resolve in part because Pamphilus’ father is “difficult” or obstinate.)

2. (of character) obstinate, intractable, hard to please or manage

   Synonyms: sēditiōsus, tumultuōsus, turbulentus, obstinātus

   Antonyms: obsequēns, obsequiōsus, oboediēns, facilis

Declension

Third-declension two-termination adjective.

	singular			plural
	masc./fem.	neuter		masc./fem.	neuter
nominative	difficilis	difficile		difficilēs	difficilia
genitive	difficilis			difficilium
dative	difficilī			difficilibus
accusative	difficilem	difficile		difficilēs difficilīs	difficilia
ablative	difficilī			difficilibus
vocative	difficilis	difficile		difficilēs	difficilia

Derived terms

• difficilē
• difficiliter
• difficilius
• difficillimus
• difficultās
• difficulter
• praedifficilis

Descendants

• Catalan: difícil
• Galician: difícil
• Italian: difficile
• Occitan: dificil
• Old French: difficile
  • English: difficile (obsolete)
  • French: difficile
• Piedmontese: dificil
• Portuguese: difícil
• Romanian: dificil
• Spanish: difícil

References

• “difficilis”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “difficilis”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• "difficilis", in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• difficilis in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• difficilis in Ramminger, Johann (2016 July 16 (last accessed)) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎, pre-publication website, 2005-2016