Difference between "ludus" and "lusus"?

[LenCabral]

Hi everyone,

Is there any practical difference between ludus and lusus? I know lusus is derived from the past particle, but in principle I seem to see them used interchangeably. Am I missing something?

Thanks!

 

[Bitmap]

I don't really know if there is any real difference ... I'm not aware of one.

 

[Pacifica]

If one got theoretical, one might perhaps say that lusus originally meant the action of playing while ludus meant a game but... yeah, in practice, I don't think there's such a clear-cut difference.

I'm aware of one thing ludus can mean that lusus can't: "school", as in ludi magister = schoolmaster.

 

[Bitmap]

I'm aware of one thing ludus can mean that lusus can't: "school", as in ludi magister = schoolmaster.

I thought so, too, (and I suppose if you want to say "school", ludus is definitely the better choice) but my German dictionary gave me this (part of an) entry s.v. lusus (with a discussion at the end that somebody considers lusum a supine in said passage):

B) objektiv = die Schule, Lektion, lusum dimittere,die Lektion schließen, Varro sat. Men. 279 (vgl. Suet. gr. 6 u. 18 dimittere scholam; dagegen nimmt Döderl. Synon. 2, 28 lusum als Supinum von ludo u. ergänzt zu dimittat das Objekt ipsos).

For purists: Lusus isn't used by Cicero.

 

[Pacifica]

I thought so, too, (and I suppose if you want to say "school", ludus is definitely the better choice) but my German dictionary gave me this (part of an) entry s.v. lusus (with a discussion at the end that somebody considers lusum a supine in said passage):

B) objektiv = die Schule, Lektion, lusum dimittere,die Lektion schließen, Varro sat. Men. 279 (vgl. Suet. gr. 6 u. 18 dimittere scholam; dagegen nimmt Döderl. Synon. 2, 28 lusum als Supinum von ludo u. ergänzt zu dimittat das Objekt ipsos).

Ah. Well, neither the OLD nor L&S mentions that meaning, and if that disputed example is the only one we have, we can can consider that lusus perhaps could, rarely, mean "school" but that there's no certainty about it.

 

[Bitmap]

Yes, you're right.