Etymologically
Log in

proco

Etymology and origin of the Latin word proco

History Permalink
Confidence
Probable
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Livius Andronicus
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*preḱ-)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈprɔ.koː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈprɔː.ko][1]

Forms

procō (present infinitive procāre, perfect active procāvī, supine procātum); first conjugation[1] A deponent procor is also found, and Livius Andronicus has the supine procitum.[2][3]

Etymology

It is related to procus “suitor” and precor “to pray”.[2][1] The TLL says ⟨procāre⟩ may come from a noun such as ⟨procus⟩ or directly from the root ⟨*prek-⟩ “to ask”, which is also in prex and poscō.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Livius Andronicus, of wooing, and Lewis & Short quote his parēre mea vōs māiestās procat “my majesty demands that you obey”.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

It meant to urge, press with demands, ask, and especially to ask for a woman's hand, woo.[2][3] Cicero and Varro use it.[5] Lewis & Short call it very rare.[3]

British Medieval Latin glossaries understood procō as a wooer.[6] Its adjective procāx “importunate” belongs with it.[2]

Timeline

  • 3rd century BC – Livius Andronicus uses it.[2][3]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it.[5][7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To ask, demand.[2][3]
  2. To woo.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ 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
  7. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
Cite this entry

“Proco.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/proco. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·