Etymologically
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praesidium

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Forms

praesidium n (genitive praesidiī or praesidī); second declension[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin praeses + -ium, from the word for “guardian, one who sits in front”, or from the verb praesideō “to sit before, protect”.[2][3][1][4] The verb is prae- with sedeō “to sit”, from Proto-Indo-European *sed- (“to sit”).[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus on:[6] marsuppium habeat, ibi paullum praesidī, “let him have a purse with a little protection in it”.[2]

Semantic evolution

Praesidium is first protection, defence, and help or aid of any kind.[2][3] In military use it is garrison duty (praesidium agitāre “to stand guard”), the garrison, guard or escort itself, and a fortified post.[2][1]

In Church Latin it also means presidency.[7] In Medieval Latin it meant a castle and, in a different sense, movable goods.[8] Through Spanish it gave American English presidio (1808), and through Russian presidium (1924).[4]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – First found in Plautus.[2][6]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero speaks of a man posted in praesidiō, on guard.[2][6]
  • 1808 – American English presidio, through Spanish.[4]
  • 1924 – English presidium, through Russian.[4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. protection, defence.[2][3][1]
  2. Help, aid.[2][1]
  3. Garrison duty;[2] praesidium agitāre, to stand guard.[2]
  4. A garrison, guard, escort.[2][1]
  5. A fortified post, stronghold.[2]
  6. (Ecclesiastical Latin) Presidency.[7]
  7. (Medieval Latin) A castle;[8] movable goods.[8]

Word family

  • praesidiārius
  • praesidiolum
  • praesidior

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  7. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  8. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill