Lævus, see [Sinister].
Lama, see [Lacuna].
[Lambere]; Lingere. Lambere means to lick, inasmuch as one uses the tongue, like the hand, as an instrument to take hold of, or to touch anything, whether eatable, and possessing a taste, or not; lingere (λείχειν) when one uses the tongue as the organ of the sense of taste, in order to ascertain the flavor of any thing. Plin. H. N. xxxv. 7. Canem ex ære vulnus suum lambentem; compare with xxxi. 4. Pecoribus saldatur lingendus. (v. 152.)
Lamentari, see [Lacrimare].
Lancea, see [Missile].
Laniare, see [Lacerare].
[Laniena]; Macellum. Laniena is the butcher’s stall, where the lanius sells slaughtered and ready-jointed meat; macellum, the market in which the macellarius sells all sorts of meat, including poultry and fish.
Lapis, see [Saxum].
[Laqueus]; Funis; Restis. 1. Laqueus (from ἑλίξαι) is the noose at the end of a rope; whereas funis and restis mean the rope itself; funis, a thicker rope, which is meant more for drawing and pulling, and on that account must have a proper length, like σχοῖνος; restis, a thinner rope, which serves more for fastening and hanging up, and therefore may be short, like σπάρτη. The trace by which the equus funalis is attached; the rope on which the funambulus balances himself; the tow which draws the boat to the ship, are never rendered in prose by restis: whereas the rope with which the self-murderer hangs himself, or the slave is whipped, or the garment girded, is seldom rendered by funis, unless the poet gives the preference to the last word as a more elevated term. (v. 36.) 2. Rudentes are the sail ropes; retinacula, and oræ, the cables or anchor-ropes; retinacula, as a more general and popular term; oræ, oras, solvere, as more technical expressions in nautical language.
Largitio, see [Donum].