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pro

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈproː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈprɔː][1]

Forms

prō (+ ablative, accusative)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *prō (“before”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *pro (“in front of, before”);[2][1] Wiktionary takes the long vowel from an instrumental *próh₁.[2][1] A short ⟨pro-⟩ occurs in some old compounds such as procul, probus and proprius; the variant ⟨prōd-⟩ before vowels (⟨prōdeō⟩) is recent, built after ⟨red-⟩.[2] The interjection ⟨prō!⟩ is the same word.[3]

Cognate with Oscan pru and Umbrian pro-, Sanskrit प्र (pra-) and Ancient Greek πρό (pró).[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found in the Twelve Tables and in Livius Andronicus.[4][2]

Semantic evolution

Prō first means “in front of, before” (prō aede Castoris “in front of the temple of Castor”, prō rostrīs “from the speaker's platform”).[3] From standing in front of someone came “on behalf of, in defence of, for”, then “instead of, in place of” (prō cōnsule, the source of prōcōnsul), “in return for”, “in proportion to, according to” and “as, like”.[3][1][5] With esse it means “in favour of”.[3]

The interjection prō! (prōh) expresses wonder or grief: prō Iuppiter![6][3] Medieval Latin used prō for purpose and cause (“for, because of”), and Late Latin increasingly with the accusative.[7][1]

Timeline

  • c. 450 BC – Used in the Twelve Tables.[4]
  • 204–169 BC – Ennius: hostium prō moene, in front of the enemy's wall; also the cry prō Iuppiter![3][6][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero speaks prō capite, in defence of a man's civil rights.[3][4]
  • c. 550–1150 – Medieval Latin uses it for purpose and cause.[7]

Meanings

Preposition

  1. (with ablative) In front of, before.[3][5]
  2. On behalf of, in the interest of, for.[3][1]
  3. In favour of, on the side of.[3]
  4. Instead of, in place of; as (in an office).[1][5]
  5. In return for.[1]
  6. According to, in proportion to.[1][5]
  7. As, like; as befits.[1]
  8. (Medieval Latin) For (a purpose); because of.[7]

Interjection

  1. O! ah! alas! (of wonder or grief).[3][6]

Word family

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b c d Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  6. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill