Etymologically
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praevaleo

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [prae̯ˈwa.ɫe.oː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [preˈvaː.le.o][1]

Forms

praevaleō (present infinitive praevalēre, perfect active praevaluī, supine praevalitum); second conjugation, no passive[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin prae- (“before, beyond”) + valeō (“to be strong”).[2][3][1] De Vaan traces valeō to Proto-Italic *wal-ē- and Proto-Indo-European *h₂ulh₁-eh₁- (“to be strong”), comparing Oscan ϝαλε (vale, “farewell”) and Old Irish flaith (“rule”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lewis & Short find no example before the Augustan period.[5] The OLD's examples include Pliny the Elder on remedies that prevail against snakebite.[2]

Semantic evolution

It means to have greater power, weight or influence, to get the upper hand or prevail.[2][5] Pliny the Elder often uses it of plants and other remedies that are effective against a complaint.[2] In law it is to be settled or established.[1] Church Latin uses it of prevailing against or overriding.[6]

Timeline

  • 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder of effective remedies.[2][7]
  • c. 1400 – English prevail is borrowed through Old French and directly.[8]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To have superior power or influence, prevail, have the upper hand.[2][5][6][1]
  2. Of remedies, to be effective.[2]
  3. (law) To be settled or established.[1]

Word family

  • praevalēns
  • praeualentia
  • praevalēscō
  • praevalidus
  • aequivaleō
  • pervaleō
  • praevalidē
  • supervaleō
  • valeō

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  8. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com