Etymologically
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praevideo

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [prae̯ˈwɪ.de.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [preˈviː.de.o][1]

Forms

praevideō (present infinitive praevidēre, perfect active praevīdī, supine praevīsum); second conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from prae- “before” and videō “to see”.[2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨videō⟩ to Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“to see”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first source is Cicero, whom he dates 81–43 BC, and the OLD cites Cicero for “to foresee”.[4][2]

Semantic evolution

It meant to see beforehand, and figuratively to realize beforehand, foresee, as in Cicero.[2] Virgil uses it of seeing a blow coming from above, and Ovid also has it.[5][6]

It survives in French prévoir, Italian prevedere and Spanish prever.[1]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of foreseeing.[2][4]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of seeing a blow coming.[5][4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To see beforehand.[2]
  2. To foresee.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.