pretium

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈprɛ.ti.ũː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈprɛt.t͡si.um]^[1]

Forms

pretium n (genitive pretiī or pretī); second declension^[1] Plautus has an old ablative plural pretieis.^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *preti-o- (“exchange value”), from Proto-Indo-European *preti (“against”), a variant of the preposition seen in Sanskrit प्रति (práti, “towards, against”), Ancient Greek προτί (protí, “towards”) and Old Church Slavonic противъ (protivŭ, “against”).^[3][1] De Vaan says there is no viable alternative to this derivation.^[3] Lewis & Short compared Ancient Greek πιπράσκω (pipráskō, “to sell”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Livius Andronicus uses it.^[3] Köbler dates Livius Andronicus 280/260–before 200 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

In Classical Latin it was a reward or prize, as in Plautus, a return or compensation for something, and the value or price of a thing.^[2][4] In pretiō esse was to be valued, and it could be a precious possession, a bribe, a ransom or a penalty.^[2][1]

In medieval Latin it was a wergeld, a bridegroom's gift to the bride, a purchase price and a means of payment.^[6] Proto-Romance */ˈprεti-u/ “price, value” is continued in almost all Romance languages.^[7] It survives as Italian prezzo, Portuguese preço and Romanian preț, and Old French pris gave English price and prize.^[1][8]

Timeline

• 280/260–before 200 BC – Livius Andronicus uses it.^[3][5]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a reward.^[2][5]
• c. 1200 – English price is recorded, from Old French pris.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. A reward, recompense, prize.^[2][4]
2. A return, compensation (for something).^[2]
3. Value, worth; price.^[2][1]
4. In pretiō esse, to be valued.^[2]
5. A precious thing.^[2]
6. Pay, hire; a bribe; a ransom.^[1]
7. (Medieval Latin) A wergeld; a bride-price.^[6][9]

Word family

• appretiō
• dēpretiō
• interpretium
• manū̆pretium
• pretiō
• pretiōsus

Related words

• interpres
• English price
• English prize
• English appreciate

Usage notes

Isidore wrote that it is called pretium because we give it first (prius) to get what we want in exchange.^[10] Döderlein contrasts praemium, a prize of honour.^[11]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d 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 Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ Buchi, Éva; Schweickard, Wolfgang, eds. (2008–), Dictionnaire Étymologique Roman (DÉRom), Nancy: ATILF, http://www.atilf.fr/DERom
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
9. ^ 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
10. ^ Isidore of Seville, Etymologiarum sive Originum libri XX, ed. W. M. Lindsay (Oxford, 1911).
11. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper