[1484.] Similar attractions with a passive infinitive occur in potestur, &c., quītur and quitus sum, nequītur, &c., rarely, and mostly in old Latin: as, fōrma in tenebrīs nōscī nōn quitast, T. Hec. 572, her shape could hardly be distinguished in the dark.
[1485.] Some perfect participles have an active meaning: as, adultus, grown up. See [907], and also in the dictionary cautus, cōnsultus, concrētus, dēflāgrātus, incōnsīderātus, occāsus, nūpta.
[Deponents.]
[1486.] Many verbs have only passive inflections, but with the meaning of active inflections. Such verbs are called Deponents.
[1487.] In many deponents, a reflexive, passive, or reciprocal action is still clearly to be seen: as,
nāscor, am born; moror, delay myself, get delayed; ūtor, avail myself; amplectimur, hug each other; fābulāmur, talk together; partīmur, share with one another.
[1488.] Some verbs have both active and deponent inflections: as, adsentiō, agree, more commonly adsentior. mereō, earn, and mereor, deserve. See also in the dictionary altercor, auguror, comitor, cōnflīctor, fabricor, faeneror, mūneror, ōscitor, palpor, populor, revertor. The following have active inflections in the present system and deponent inflections in the perfect system: audeō, cōnfīdō and diffīdō, gaudeō, soleō: see also [801].
[1489.] In old Latin especially, many verbs which afterwards became fixed as deponents occur with active inflections also: as, adūlō, arbitrō, aucupō, auspicō, lūctō, lūdificō, morō, partiō, venerō, &c., &c.
[1490.] Verbs which are usually deponent are rarely found with a passive meaning: as, Sūllānās rēs dēfendere crīminor, LAgr. 3, 13, I am charged with defending Sulla’s policy.
[1491.] When it is desirable to express the passive of a deponent, a synonyme is sometimes used: thus, the passive of mīror, admire, may sometimes be represented by laudor, am praised. Or some circumlocution: as, habet venerātiōnem quidquid excellit, DN. 1, 45, anything best in its kind is looked on with respect, as passive of veneror. familia in suspīciōnem est vocāta, V. 5, 10, the household was suspected, as passive of suspicor.