Etymologically
Log in

praecox

Etymology and origin of the Latin word praecox

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
Varro
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*pekʷ-)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈprae̯.kɔks][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈprɛː.koks][1]

Forms

praecox (genitive praecocis); third-declension one-termination adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from praecoquō “to ripen early”, from prae- (“before”) and coquō “to cook, ripen”, formed like dux.[2][3][1] De Vaan explains it as containing a root noun *-pokʷ-s, from Proto-Indo-European *pekʷ- (“to cook”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Varro uses it of a grape that ripens long before the others.[2] Köbler dates Varro 116–27 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant ripening early, of fruit, vines and plants, and early in coming into being, premature; a comic poet says a girl has precocious desire.[2] It had by-forms praecoquis and praecoquus.[2][6]

In medieval British Latin it kept both senses.[7] It was borrowed into Italian precoce and French précoce, and English precocious, first of plants, dates from the 1640s.[1][8]

Timeline

  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of an early grape.[2][5]
  • 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses it of early garlic and roses.[6][5]
  • 1640s – English precocious is recorded.[8]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Ripening early, early.[2]
  2. Premature; precocious.[2][1]

Word family

  • praecoquum

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Praecox.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/praecox. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·