(adj.adv.adv.) : incertus, a, um (archaic
* Gen. plur. incertūm, Pac. ap. Non. 495, 27), adj. 2. incertus; hence, acc. to certus.
* Object., of things whose (external or internal) qualities are not firmly established, uncertain, unsettled, doubtful, untrustworthy, not fast, not firm (class.): amicus certus in re incerta cernitur, Enn. ap. Cic. Lael. 17, 64 (Trag. v. 428 Vahl.); cf. id. ap. Non. 166, 22 (Trag. v. 12 Vahl.): incerti socii an hostes essent,Liv. 30, 35, 9: incertus (infans) masculus an femina esset,id. 31, 12, 6; cf. Sall. J. 49, 5: cum incerta bellum an pax cum Celtiberis essent,Liv. 34, 19, 8 Weissenb.: spe incerta certum mihi laborem sustuli, Ter. Hec. prol. alt. 9; id. And. 2, 3, 16: nuptiae,id. ib. 5, 1, 11: aetas (puerilis) maxime lubrica atque incerta,Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 52, § 137: itinera,Caes. B. G. 5, 37 fin.: dominatus,Cic. Rep. 1, 17: status,id. ib. 1, 26: sedes,Sall. C. 6, 1: ambiguae testis incertaeque rei,Juv. 8, 81: comarum Anulus incertā non bene fixus acu,not fast,Mart. 2, 66, 2: colligere incertos et in ordine ponere crines,dishevelled,Ov. Am. 1, 11, 1: per incertam lunam sub luce maligna,not clearly visible, dim,Verg. A. 6, 270: soles,id. ib. 3, 203: securis,that did not strike with a sure blow,id. ib. 2, 224: vultus,disturbed, uneasy,Sall. J. 106, 2: ille vitam suam ad incertissimam spem reservavit,Cic. Sest. 22, 50: arbori incertae nullam prudentia cani Rectoris cum ferret opem, the ship uncertain in her course, because no longer obeying the helm, Juv. 12, 32 Halm. — In neutr. ellipt.: clauserant portas incertum vi an voluntate,Liv. 31, 41, 2; 31, 43, 7 al. — Neutr. as adv. (poet.): incertum vigilans,Ov. H. 10, 9; Stat. Th. 5, 212.
* Subject., as respects one's perceptions or convictions, not firmly established, uncertain, undetermined, doubtful, dubious (so most freq. in prose and poetry): nihil est incertius vulgo,Cic. Mur. 17, 36: casus,id. Or. 28, 98: ut alia certa, alia incerta esse dicunt,id. Off. 2, 2, 7; cf.: est igitur ridiculum, quod est dubium, id relinquere incertum, id. Mur. 32, 68; and: incerta atque dubia,Plin. 17, 1, 1, § 9 fin.: ut incertis temporibus diversisque itineribus iretur,Caes. B. G. 7, 16 fin.; so, eventus reliqui temporis,Cic. Quint. 26, 83: exitus pugnarum,id. Mil. 21, 56: adulterium,Quint. 7, 2, 52: auctor,id. 5, 11, 41: cujus ora puellares faciunt incerta capilli,make the sex doubtful,Juv. 15, 137: incerta persona heres institui non potest,Ulp. Fragm. 22, 4; Gai. Inst. 2, 242; cf. 2, 238.
* With rel. or interrog.-clause: nunc mihi incertumst, abeam an maneam,Plaut. Aul. 4, 9, 19: moriendum certe est, et id incertum, an hoc ipso die,Cic. Sen. 20, 74; cf. Quint. 1, 6, 27: (Gallus) avem, an gentem, an nomen, an fortunam corporis significet, incertum est,id. 7, 9, 2: confessus est quidem sed incertum, utrum quia verum erat, an quia, etc.,Plin. Ep. 4, 11, 5: neque plane occultati humilitate arborum et tamen incerti, quidnam esset,Sall. J. 49, 5 Kritz.—Abl. absol.: multi annantes navibus incerto prae tenebris, quid aut peterent aut vitarent, foede interierunt,Liv. 28, 36, 12.
* Subst.: incer-tum, i, n., an uncertainty: quicquid incerti mihi in animo prius aut ambiguum fuit, Nunc liquet, nunc defaecatum est,Plaut. Ps. 2, 4, 69: ne cujus incerti vanique auctor esset,Liv. 4, 13, 9: incerta maris et tempestatum,Tac. A. 3, 54: incerta fortunae experiri,Plin. Ep. 3, 19, 4: incerta belli,Liv. 30, 2: bona, fortunae possessionesque omnium in dubium incertumque revocabuntur,Cic. Caecin. 27, 76; cf. id. ib. 13, 38: Minucius praefectus annonae in incertum creatus,for an indefinite time,Liv. 4, 13, 7: postremo fugere an manere tutius foret, in incerto erat,Sall. J. 38, 5: Allobroges diu in incerto habuere, quidnam consilii caperent,id. C. 41, 1; cf. id. J. 46, 8: imperia ducum in incerto reliquerat,Tac. H. 2, 33 fin.
* Transf., of a person who is in a state of uncertainty respecting any thing, uncertain, in uncertainty, hesitating, doubtful: quo ego ope mea Pro incertis certos compotesque consili Dimitto, Enn. ap. Cic. de Or. 1, 45, 199 (Trag. v. 188 Vahl.): nolo suspensam et incertam plebem Romanam obscura spe et caeca exspectatione pendere,Cic. Agr. 2, 25, 66; so, varius incertusque agitabat,Sall. J. 74, 1; Plaut. Ep. 3, 4, 3: ego certe me incerto scio hoc daturum nemini homini,id. As. 2, 4, 60.
* With rel.-clause: quid dicam hisce, incertus sum,Ter. Hec. 3, 4, 36: cum incertus essem, ubi esses,Cic. Att. 1, 9, 1: incerti ignarique, quid potissimum facerent,Sall. J. 67, 1: incerti quidnam esset,id. ib. 49, 5: incertus, quonam modo aciem instrueret,id. ib. 101, 2: incerti, quo fata ferant, ubi sistere detur,Verg. A. 3, 7: incertus, Geniumne loci famulumne parentis Esse putet,id. ib. 5, 95: faber, incertus scamnum faceretne Priapum,Hor. S. 1, 8, 2.
* With gen. (not in Cic.): summarum rerum incerti, Enn. ap. Cic. de Or. 1, 45, 199 (Trag. v. 187 Vahl.): incertusque meae paene salutis eram,Ov. Tr. 3, 3, 4: sententiae,Liv. 4, 57, 3: veri,id. 4, 23, 3; 1, 27, 6: rerum,id. 24, 24, 9: ultionis,Tac. A. 2, 75: sui,Stat. Th. 5, 525: naves incertae locorum, Auct. B. Afr. 7: mox incertus animi, fesso corpore, etc.,Tac. A. 6, 46; id. H. 3, 55 fin.: futurorum,Plin. Ep. 9, 13, 11: consilii,Curt. 8, 10, 27.
* With abl.: incerti metu,Val. Fl. 3, 602.—(ε) With de and abl.: incertus de salute alicujus,Plin. Ep. 6, 20, 10.—Hence, adv. in two forms: incertē and incerto (both ante-class.), uncertainly, not certainly, dubiously: incerte errat animus, Enn. ap. Gell. 19, 10, 12 (Trag. v. 259 Vahl.): vagat exsul, Pac. ap. Non. 467, 25 (Trag. Rel. p. 87 Rib.): ubi Habitet dum incerto scio,Plaut. Ep. 3, 4, 69: incerto scio,id. Ps. 4, 2, 7: incerto autumo,id. Ep. 4, 1, 18.

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