Clarare

Clarare is a Latin verb belonging to the first conjugation. In classical Latin it means to make clear, to explain or to brighten, as in rendering something evident or luminous. The sense ranges from clarifying a point in rhetoric or argument to making a physical thing more bright. In later Latin use, the verb often appears in the sense of elucidating a matter or exposing it to view.

Etymology and forms: Clarare comes from the Latin stem clar- meaning clear or bright, with the infinitive suffix -are. It is treated as a standard first-conjugation verb, with principal parts typically listed as clarō, clarāre, clarāvī, clarātum. This allows the normal first-conjugation inflections for present, imperfect, and other tenses, in both active and, occasionally, passive voice forms (the passive uses the appropriate passive endings and participial forms).

Usage: In classical texts, clarare commonly governs a direct object in the accusative that designates what is to be clarified, such as rem (the matter) or causam (the cause). It can also describe the act of brightening a physical object, for example by removing obscurity or darkness. In rhetorical or legal contexts, clarare often conveyed the sense of rendering a statement or argument transparent and convincing.

Modern relevance: Clarare survives as a figure of historical Latin grammar. Its direct descendants appear mainly in scholarly discussion of Latin verb morphology and in etymological notes. The modern Romance languages typically derive the related meanings from longer forms such as clarificare or chiarire, rather than from clarare itself.

See also: clarus (clear, bright); clarificare (to make clear, to clarify); Latin verb conjugation, first conjugation.