Etymologically
Log in

praelego

Etymology and origin of the Latin word praelego

History Permalink
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin lego
Latin praelego
Latin deligo
Latin delego
Latin ablego
Latin eligo
Latin collega

praelego1 bequeath beforehand

Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
Papinian
Ultimate origin
Latin (lēx)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [prae̯ˈɫeː.ɡoː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [preˈlɛː.ɡo][1]

Forms

praelēgō (present infinitive praelēgāre, perfect active praelēgāvī, supine praelēgātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

The verb “to bequeath beforehand” is from Latin prae- (“before”) + lēgō (“to bequeath”).[2][1] ⟨lēgō⟩ is from lēx (“law”), which de Vaan traces to Proto-Italic *lēg-.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Among the OLD's citations is the jurist Papinian, in the Digest.[2] Gaffiot cites Pliny the Elder.[4] Köbler dates Pliny the Elder 23/24–79 AD.[5]

Semantic evolution

It was a legal term: to bequeath something to an heir before, and in addition to, his share in the general division of the estate.[2][6][4]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to bequeath beforehand.[7]

Timeline

  • 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses it.[4][5]

Meanings

Verb

  1. (law) To bequeath to an heir before the general division of the estate.[2][6]

Word family

  • praelēgātiō

praelego2 read aloud; sail along

Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
Livy
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*leǵ-)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈprae̯.ɫɛ.ɡoː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈprɛː.le.ɡo][1]

Forms

praelegō (present infinitive praelegere, perfect active praelēgī, supine praelēctum); third conjugation[1]

Etymology

The verb “to read aloud, sail along” is from Latin prae- (“before”) + legō (“to gather, read”).[2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨legō⟩ to Proto-Italic *leg-e-, from Proto-Indo-European *leǵ-e/o- (“to collect”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Livy, of sailing along a coast.[2] Köbler dates Livy 59 BC–17 AD.[5]

Semantic evolution

From the sense “pick out”, which the OLD and Gaffiot cite in Apuleius, it meant to sail along a coast, skirt, as in Livy and Tacitus; and to read before a class to explain it, read aloud, recite, as in Martial and Quintilian, whose teachers criticise the authors they read out.[2][4]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to read to others, select, choose, and sail by or along.[7] English prelect is from it.[1]

Timeline

  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of sailing along a coast.[2][5]
  • 40–102/103 AD – Martial uses it of a teacher reading aloud.[2][5]
  • c. 125–175 AD – Apuleius uses it of picking out.[2][5]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To pick out specially, select.[2]
  2. To sail along a coast, skirt.[2]
  3. To read before a class to explain it; to read aloud, recite.[2]

Word family

  • praelēctiō
  • praelector

References

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

“Praelego.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/praelego. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·