praesto1 at hand, ready
- Confidence
- Uncertain
- Formation
- Derivation
- First attested
- Terence
- Ultimate origin
- Latin (prae)
Pronunciation
Forms
praestō (not comparable)[1] Inscriptions have praestus and praestū.[2][3]
Etymology
This adverb is from prae- “before”, and the OLD calls its ending obscure.[2] The TLL calls its origin uncertain.[4] Wiktionary reports Pokorny's view that it continues an ablative ⟨*praistōd⟩ “ready, available”, which also underlies praestōlor “to wait for”, and Etymonline derives it from ⟨prae⟩ and ⟨stāre⟩ “to stand”.[1][5]
Earliest recorded meaning
The OLD's earliest citation is from Terence.[2] Köbler dates Terence 190–159 BC.[6]
Semantic evolution
Usually with esse or adesse, it meant at hand, present, ready, available, as in Terence, and with a dative ready to serve someone, as in Lucilius, and Cicero has ibi mihi praestō fuit L. Lucīlius “there L. Lucilius was at hand for me”.[2][7]
British Medieval Latin used it for ready, available, at hand.[8] Its Late Latin adjective praestus “ready” survives in Italian, Spanish and Portuguese presto and French prêt, and Italian presto gave English presto in the 1590s, “quickly”.[1][5]
Timeline
- 190–159 BC – Terence uses it.[2][6]
- c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius uses it with a dative.[2][6]
- 1590s – English presto is recorded.[5]
Meanings
Adverb
Word family
- praestus
praesto2 to excel; to provide
- Confidence
- Established
- Formation
- Compound
- First attested
- Ennius
- Ultimate origin
- Latin (stō)
Pronunciation
Forms
praestō (present infinitive praestāre, perfect active praestitī or praestāvī, supine praestātum or praestitum); first conjugation[1] The perfect is praestitī, post-classically also praestāvī.[2][3]
Etymology
This verb is from prae- “before” and stō “to stand”.[2][1][4]
Earliest recorded meaning
The OLD's earliest citation for “to surpass” is from Ennius, who says the sea-weasel excels at Clupea.[2] Köbler dates Ennius 204–169 BC.[6]
Semantic evolution
Its literal sense was to stand in front.[3] From that it meant to be outstanding, excel, surpass, as in Ennius, Terence and Cicero, to take precedence, and to be preferable.[2] In Cato it meant to hold out, offer, and in Cicero to show oneself as something, to supply, furnish, render, to fulfil a promise, as in Caesar, to produce a result, to keep safe, and to be answerable for, vouch for, make good a loss.[2]
It survives in Spanish prestar and French prêter “to lend”.[1]
Timeline
- 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of surpassing.[2][6]
- 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of offering.[2][6]
- 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of supplying and vouching.[2][6]
Meanings
Verb
- To excel, surpass.[2]
- To be preferable.[2]
- To offer, present; to show oneself.[2]
- To supply, furnish, render.[2]
- To fulfil, perform.[2]
- To vouch for, guarantee.[2]
Word family
- praestātiō
- praestes
Related words
- stō
- praestōlor
- praestantia
- English presto
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
- ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
- ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
- ^ a b c d e f g Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
- ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
- ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
Cite this entry
“Praesto.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/praesto. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.
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