Etymologically
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procax

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈprɔ.kaːks][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈprɔː.kaks][1]

Forms

procāx (genitive procācis, superlative procācissimus, adverb procāciter); third-declension one-termination adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from ⟨procāre⟩ “to ask, demand”, a verb related to procus “suitor”, with the suffix -āx “inclined to”, like ⟨edāx⟩ and ⟨loquāx⟩.[2][3][1] De Vaan traces ⟨procus⟩ to Proto-Indo-European *proḱ-o- (“who asks”), from the root of poscō and prex.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, who calls a pimp procāx, rapāx, trahāx.[2][5] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant pushing in one's demands, importunate, impudent, as in Plautus and Cicero, and in Pliny the Elder undisciplined, licentious.[2][7] Lewis & Short give bold, shameless, pert and wanton.[5]

Aldhelm and other British Medieval Latin writers used it for impudent, excessively assertive.[8] It was borrowed into Italian procace and Spanish procaz.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a pimp.[2][6]
  • 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses it of the undisciplined.[2][6]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Importunate, pushing, impudent.[2]
  2. Undisciplined, licentious, wanton.[2][5]

Word family

  • procācia
  • procācitās

References

  1. ^ a b c d e 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 c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  7. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  8. ^ 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