praecludo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [prae̯ˈkɫuː.doː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [preˈkluː.do]^[1]

Forms

praeclūdō (present infinitive praeclūdere, perfect active praeclūsī, supine praeclūsum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin prae- + claudō (“to shut”).^[2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨claudō⟩ to Proto-Italic *klaud-e/o-, from Proto-Indo-European *kleh₂u-d- (“to shut”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is Caesar, of blocking.^[2] Köbler dates Caesar c. 50 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to shut in front, close, block up, bar, as of gates; from Cicero to close a province or a way to someone, preclude, prevent; in Pliny to prevent access to; and in Seneca to bar someone's way, confine.^[2][5][6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it means to close, shut, shut up.^[7] English preclude (1610s) is from it.^[8]

Timeline

• c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it.^[2][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of precluding.^[2][4]
• 1610s – English preclude is recorded.^[8]

Meanings

Verb

1. To close, block up, bar.^[2][5]
2. To prevent access to.^[2]
3. To bar the way of, confine.^[2]
4. To preclude, prevent.^[2]

Word family

• praeclūsiō
• praeclusor

Related words

• claudō
• interclūdō
• occlūdō
• English preclude

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com