diverbium

[ dahy-vur-bee-uhm ]

noun

, plural di·ver·bi·a [dahy-, vur, -bee-, uh].

1. the spoken part of an ancient Roman drama.

Word History and Origins

Origin of diverbium¹

< Latin; variant of dēverbium, equivalent to dē- de- + verb ( um ) word, verb + -ium -ium

Example Sentences

There was thus no division in the ordinary dialogue, or diverbium, as it was called, and it was employed only in the monologues, and those parts of high excitement and pathos, which were declaimed somewhat in the tone of recitativo in an Italian opera, and were called Cantica, from being accompanied either by the flutes or by instrumental music.

From Project Gutenberg

Diverbium and Canticum.—There was no chorus in Roman comedy, but part of the play was set to music and sung to the flute.

From Project Gutenberg

We are now fairly well informed of the tripartite diversion of the dialogue into canticum or song proper, recitative, and diverbium or spoken utterance104, with the incidental accompaniment of the tibia.

From Project Gutenberg