# absimilis / dissimilis



## Vbrochot

Bonjour,

Quelqu'un pourrait-il expliquer la différence entre *absimilis* et *dissimilis*?

D'avance merci.


Hi, 

Can someone explain the difference between *absimilis* and *dissimilis*?

Thanks in advance.


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## metaphrastes

Bonjour!

Both words are synonymous and mean _"unlike", _being the difference more in grammar usage: _absimilis _usually comes with a negative and followed by dative case (roughly, an inflexion of a noun or adjective that gives it the function of indirect complement or of instrumentality); _dissimilis _allows constructions with genitive (indicating origin or possession, such as in English _John's car - John _is in genitive case), dative, and with the particles _atque, inter se, et.
_
Thus it is mostly a difference in grammar usage and not in meaning.


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## Vbrochot

metaphrastes said:


> Bonjour!
> 
> Both words are synonymous and mean _"unlike", _being the difference more in grammar usage: _absimilis _usually comes with a negative and followed by dative case (roughly, an inflexion of a noun or adjective that gives it the function of indirect complement or of instrumentality); _dissimilis _allows constructions with genitive (indicating origin or possession, such as in English _John's car - John _is in genitive case), dative, and with the particles _atque, inter se, et.
> _
> Thus it is mostly a difference in grammar usage and not in meaning.



Thanks again for your help.

Let's take an example : *homo absimilis* and *homo dissimilis. 
*
According to you, there is no difference in meaning, right?

But if I want to say the contrary of homo similis, which one should I use?


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## metaphrastes

Since the difference between _absimilis _and _disimilis _comes mostly from grammar, some context is needed. Want you to use it isolated from a Latin phrase, as a noun, such as in _homo sapiens? _Or do you want to have it within a Latin text?


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## Vbrochot

metaphrastes said:


> Since the difference between _absimilis _and _disimilis _comes mostly from grammar, some context is needed. Want you to use it isolated from a Latin phrase, as a noun, such as in _homo sapiens? _Or do you want to have it within a Latin text?



Thanks for the answer.

To answer your question, I'd say I want to use it more like _homo sapiens _and therefore not necessarily within a sentence.


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## metaphrastes

Well, I am far from an expert in Latin, but from Lewis-Short dictionary I got that _absimilis _is used in general with a negative and dative case - thus it seems to be excluded.

_Dissimilis, _on other hand, may be used absolutely - that is, not followed by a noun in genitive or dative cases, or by a conjunction. Lewis-Short gives some examples from such usage. Now, if the expression _homo dissimilis _would make sense by itself, or if it would make sense in the context of your writing, it is beyond my pay grade 

In English, _like _or _unlike _would have to have a second term, to make sense, such as: _man is unlike apes (in most things). _Or: _sin makes man unlike God, while repentance makes man like God. _Or: _man is never more like God than when he forgives [and never more unlike God than when he doesn't forgive].
_
Now, there is an absolute usage of _dissimilis _(with no second term), but if your expression makes any sense by itself, I really don't know.


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## Vbrochot

metaphrastes said:


> Well, I am far from an expert in Latin, but from Lewis-Short dictionary I got that _absimilis _is used in general with a negative and dative case - thus it seems to be excluded.
> 
> _Dissimilis, _on other hand, may be used absolutely - that is, not followed by a noun in genitive or dative cases, or by a conjunction. Lewis-Short gives some examples from such usage. Now, if the expression _homo dissimilis _would make sense by itself, or if it would make sense in the context of your writing, it is beyond my pay grade
> 
> In English, _like _or _unlike _would have to have a second term, to make sense, such as: _man is unlike apes (in most things). _Or: _sin makes man unlike God, while repentance makes man like God. _Or: _man is never more like God than when he forgives [and never more unlike God than when he doesn't forgive].
> _
> Now, there is an absolute usage of _dissimilis _(with no second term), but if your expression makes any sense by itself, I really don't know.



Well, THANK YOU so much. 

It was very unclear and now it's not anymore. 

Even if you're not 100% sure about _homo dissimilis_, it's a big step forward. 

Once again, thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge.


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## Scholiast

saluete amici!

Pardon me, coming late to this discussion.

The words appear to me be wholly synonymous. But according to L&S (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text;jsessionid=AEF5E2BD01C10E8C9BF4B3A77D949B25?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0059:alphabetic+letter=A:entry+group=5:entry=absimilis) _absimilis_ is very uncommon.

Σ


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## Vbrochot

Scholiast said:


> saluete amici!
> 
> Pardon me, coming late to this discussion.
> 
> The words appear to me be wholly synonymous. But according to L&S (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text;jsessionid=AEF5E2BD01C10E8C9BF4B3A77D949B25?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0059:alphabetic+letter=A:entry+group=5:entry=absimilis) _absimilis_ is very uncommon.
> 
> Σ




Thanks you Scholiast. I appreciate your help here.


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