sopionem scribo

Latin

Etymology

sopio (noun) + scribo. Sense "draw" (instead of "write") may come from Proto-Italic *skreiβō (carve).

Pronunciation

Verb

sōpiōnem scrībō (present infinitive sōpiōnem scrībere, perfect active sōpiōnem scrīpsī, supine sōpiōnem scrīptum); third conjugation, impersonal in the passive

  1. (idiomatic) to draw a penis
    • Gaius Valerius Catullus, Carmina[1], section 37:
      Frontem tabernae sopionibus scribam
      I will draw pictures of penises on the front of the tavern.
    • Anonymous graffito in Pompeii
      Ut merdas edatis, qui scripseras sopionis
      You who have drawn pictures of penises, eat shit!

Usage notes

  • In both attested usages sopio is plural. Catullus uses either dative or ablative. In Pompeiian Latin long <ē> is frequently confused with <i>.

Conjugation