Etymologically
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praeda

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Pronunciation

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

Forms

praeda f (genitive praedae); first declension[1]

Etymology

It is usually explained as *prai-χed-ā-, “what one takes beforehand”, from prae- and the root of prehendō “to seize”.[2][3][4] Livingston argues that it rather contains an o-grade noun, *prai-χod-ā-, and de Vaan finds her convincing.[2] The verb is Proto-Italic *(prai-)χend-, from Proto-Indo-European *gʰ-n(e)-d- (“to seize”).[2][1]

The archaic ablative was praidad.[3][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Livius Andronicus onwards,[2] who writes “the booty was shared equally among the partners”.[3] The column of Duilius records a gift of naval booty to the people.[3][6]

Semantic evolution

It meant booty taken in war or by robbery, plunder, as Ennius' “the army overflows with plunder”, Cicero's praedas facere and Caesar's taking of plunder.[6][7] It also meant the prey of a hunter or a wild beast, as Plautus' hunter coming home with his catch.[3]

From this it meant the reward of any effort, gain or profit, as in Plautus' auction, “there will be gain for those present”.[3] In Medieval Latin it also meant cattle.[5] English prey came from it through Old French in the mid-13th century, and predator from its derivative praedator in 1862.[8]

Timeline

  • c. 280/260 – before 200 BC – Livius Andronicus uses it of shared booty.[3][5]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a hunter's catch and of profit.[3][5]
  • 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of plunder.[6][5]
  • mid-13th century – English prey is recorded.[8]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Booty, plunder, spoils.[3][1]
  2. Prey, game.[3][1]
  3. Gain, profit.[3][1]
  4. (Medieval Latin) Cattle.[5]

Word family

  • praedātus
  • praedō
  • praedor

Usage notes

Döderlein says praeda and manubiae were booty as gain, while spolia and exuviae were also marks of victory and honour.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g 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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  5. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  9. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper