coram

See also: Coram and córam

Latin

Alternative forms

• corum

Etymology 1

From a compound involving co- (“with”) and ōs, ōris (“mouth”). Perhaps from an intermediate Proto-Italic adjective *co-os-o-(s), with ending taken from clam. Compare palam.

The ablative is from the PIE comitative-instrumental.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈkoː.rãː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈkɔː.ram]

Adverb

cōram (not comparable)

1. in person, face to face, personally
2. publicly, openly, by word of mouth

Synonyms

• palam

Antonyms

• clam

Preposition

cōram (+ ablative)

1. in the presence of, before
   • c. 4 BCE – 65 CE, Seneca Minor, Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium 47.4:

     Sīc fit: ut istī dē dominō loquantur — quibus cōram dominō loquī nōn licet.

     Thus it happens: that those [slaves] talk about [their] master [behind his back] — [slaves] for whom to speak in-person with the master is not permitted.
     (In other words, enforced silence when in-person results in covert gossip.)

   • c. 347 CE – 420 CE, Hieronymus, Vulgate Exodus.20.3:

     Non habebis deos alienos coram me.

     Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈkɔ.rãː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈkɔː.ram]

Noun

coram

1. accusative singular of cora

Further reading

• “coram”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “coram”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “coram”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894), Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • to praise a man to his face: aliquem coram, in os or praesentem laudare
    
  • to speak personally to..: coram loqui (cum aliquo)
    

Portuguese

Verb

coram

1. third-person plural present indicative of corar