Etymologically
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prae

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈprae̯][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈprɛː][1]

Forms

prae (+ ablative)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *prai (“before”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *préh₂i (“before”), perhaps a locative.[2][1] Cognate with Oscan prai (“before”) and Umbrian pre (“before”), and with Ancient Greek παραί (paraí, “beside”).[2][3] Lewis and Short compare Sanskrit प्र (pra-, “before”) and Ancient Greek πρό (pró, “before”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan gives Livius Andronicus as its first author:[2] in his Odyssey Ulysses' heart froze for fear (prae pavōre).[3][5]

Semantic evolution

As a preposition with the ablative it is first “in front of”, as Lucilius' men carrying great fish before them, and prae manū “at hand”.[3][4] It is “before” in rank or regard, as Plautus' Amphitruo, who would not have it said that he put his wife before the state, and prae sē ferre is to display or declare openly (Cicero).[3] It is “in comparison with”, as Plautus' “she is a little ape compared with her”, and “because of, under the pressure of”, of a feeling that prevents something, as in Livius Andronicus.[3][4] As an adverb it means “in front, ahead”, and as the prefix prae- it marks position in front, priority or a high degree.[3]

Church Latin glosses it “before, in front, in preference”.[6]

Timeline

  • 280/260–before 200 BC – Livius Andronicus of fear preventing.[3][2][5]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of comparison and preference.[3][5]
  • c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius of “in front of”.[3][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of prae sē ferre.[3][5]

Meanings

Preposition

  1. (with ablative) In front of, before, prae manū, at hand.[3][1][4]
  2. Before (in rank or regard); prae sē ferre, to display, declare openly.[3]
  3. In comparison with.[3][1]
  4. Because of, owing to (a feeling or circumstance that prevents).[3][1]

Adverb

  1. In front, ahead.[3][1]

Word family

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson