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praecurro

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word praecurro

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 250–184 BC, Plautus
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*kr̥s-e/o-)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin curro
French courir
French courant
Latin concurro
Latin transcurro
Latin cursus
English corsair
French cours
Latin discurro
Latin discursus
English discourse
French discours
Latin cursor
Latin excurro
Latin excursio
Latin succurro
Latin recurro
Latin recursus
Latin praecurro
Latin accurro
Latin accursus

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [prae̯ˈkʊr.roː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [preˈkur.ro][1]

Forms

praecurrō (present infinitive praecurrere, perfect active praecurrī or praecucurrī, supine praecursum); third conjugation[1] The perfect is praecucurrī, also praecurrī in Livy.[2][3]

Etymology

It is from Latin prae- + currō (“to run”).[2][1] De Vaan traces currō to Proto-Italic *korse/o- (“to run”) and Proto-Indo-European *kr̥s-e/o- (“to run”).[4] Cognate with Ancient Greek ἐπίκουρος (epíkouros, “helper”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus,[4] who has “you secretly ran on ahead by another way”.[2]

Semantic evolution

It means to run ahead of others, and with an object to run in front of, as Seneca's Numidian cavalry.[2] It also means to come first or precede, as Seneca's signs that precede an animal's attack, and to anticipate or forestall, as Lucretius' “I am forced to forestall what some imagine”.[2] Inscriptions use it of fate overtaking someone and of dying first.[2] It also means to surpass or take precedence, as Cicero's two orators who were older than Isocrates.[2] Church Latin glosses it “run before, take precedence over”.[5]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of running ahead.[2][4][6]
  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius of forestalling an objection.[2][6]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of being older than someone.[2][6]
  • 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca of cavalry running ahead and of warning signs.[2][6]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To run ahead, hurry on before; to run in front of.[2][3][5][1]
  2. To come first, precede.[2][1]
  3. To anticipate, forestall; to die first.[2]
  4. To surpass, outstrip; to take precedence.[2][5][1]

Word family

  • praecursator
  • praecursiō
  • praecursor
  • praecursus

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ 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
  3. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ 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
  5. ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
Cite this entry

“Praecurro.” Etymologically, 19 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/praecurro. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·