Etymologically

praesono

Etymology and origin of the Latin word praesono

Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
Ovid
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*swenH-)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin sono
Latin obsono
Latin intersono
Latin insono
Latin exsono
Latin circumsono
Latin praesono
Latin assono

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈprae̯.sɔ.noː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈprɛː.s̬o.no][1]

Forms

praesonō (present infinitive praesonāre, perfect active praesonuī); first conjugation, no passive, no supine stem[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin prae- (“before”) + sonō (“to sound”).[2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨sonō⟩ to Proto-Italic *swena-, from Proto-Indo-European *swenH- (“to sound”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Ovid's Amores, praesonuit sollemnī tībia cantū “the flute sounded first with its solemn tune”.[2][4] Köbler dates Ovid 43 BC–18 AD.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to make a sound beforehand, as in Ovid, and transitively to surpass with one's sound, as in Calpurnius Siculus.[2][6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to resound, sound out.[7]

Timeline

  • 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid uses it.[2][5]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To make a sound beforehand.[2]
  2. (transitive) To surpass with one's sound.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  4. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
Cite this entry

“Praesono.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/praesono. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·