indignari

Indignari is a Latin deponent verb meaning to feel indignation, to be offended, or to protest. It is used in classical and late Latin to express moral or emotional outrage at a person, action, or matter. Although it looks like a passive form, indignari is active in meaning because deponent verbs take passive morphology with active sense.

Etymology and form: Indignari belongs to the first conjugation of Latin deponent verbs, formed from the adjective indignus “unworthy” with the infinitive suffix -ari. The principal parts are indignor, indignari, indignatus sum. The verb is conjugated primarily in the passive-looking forms (indignor, indignaris, indignatur, etc.) but translated actively: I am indignant, you are indignant, he is indignant, and so on. The perfect passive participle is indignatus (used with sum to form the perfect: indignatus sum, “I have been indignant”).

Usage: Indignari is typically employed to express personal or public offense and can govern a direct object or a prepositional construction that marks the cause of the indignation. In translation, it is rendered as “to be indignant,” “to take offense,” or “to protest,” depending on context. It commonly appears in moral, political, or legal discourse, where speakers condemn perceived wrongs or injustices.

See also: Indignation; Latin deponent verbs; Latin grammar.

Note: As with many deponent verbs, exact usage and accepted constructions can vary by author and period. Consulting a classical Latin dictionary provides the specific valence and idiomatic phrases found in particular authors.