Etymologically
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praecipito

Etymology and origin of the Latin word praecipito

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Latin (praeceps)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin praeceps
Latin praecipito
Latin praecipitium
English precipice

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [prae̯ˈkɪ.pɪ.toː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [preˈt͡ʃiː.pi.to][1]

Forms

praecipitō (present infinitive praecipitāre, perfect active praecipitāvī, supine praecipitātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin praeceps (“headlong”) + -ō, from prae- and caput “head”.[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are Plautus, of falling into a bad condition, and Cato, of bending down vine shoots.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC and Cato 234–149 BC.[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant to throw down headlong, precipitate, as in Cicero's sē ē Leucātā praecipitāre and Caesar's sē in flūmen; to fall headlong, plunge, as in Lucretius; in farming to bend a vine shoot downwards, as in Cato; to bring down suddenly in rank or fortune; to fall into a bad condition, as in Plautus; to drive in headlong haste, as in Livy; and to rush headlong, as in Virgil.[2][4]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it means to cast or fall headlong.[5]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.[2][3]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of vine shoots.[2][3]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of throwing down.[2][3]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of rushing.[2][3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To hurl down headlong, precipitate.[2][6]
  2. (intransitive) To fall headlong, plunge.[2]
  3. (agriculture) To bend down (a vine shoot).[2]
  4. To bring down (in rank or fortune).[2]
  5. To drive headlong, (intransitive) to rush headlong.[2]

Word family

  • praecipitantia
  • praecipitātiō
  • praecipitātus
  • praecipitātor
  • praecipitātum
  • praecipitium

Usage notes

Lewis & Short give dēiciō and dēturbō as synonyms.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  5. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  6. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
Cite this entry

“Praecipito.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/praecipito. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·