Translation
battle line; sharp edge, keenness of sight
Examples
.
The enemy battle line was long.
fortiter .
He stood bravely in the line.
instruxit.
He drew up the line before the city.
acuta .
The edge of the sword is sharp.
.
He led the soldiers to the battle line.
Acies, aciei, f., is fifth declension, so the genitive and dative singular are both aciei and the plural is barely used. One idea underlies everything: sharpness. Hence the cutting edge of a blade, the keenness of the eye - acies oculorum, or acies on its own for eyesight - and an army drawn up in line, which is a formation with an edge to present.
Latin historians keep three words apart and so should a reader. Acies is the army in line of battle, agmen the army strung out on the march, exercitus the army as an institution. Same root as acer, "sharp, fierce", acuo, "sharpen", and acutus, from which English gets acute, acid and acrid.
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acies: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Latin word "acies" (battle line; sharp edge, keenness of sight): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 10.