Etymologically
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procurro

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [proːˈkʊr.roː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [proˈkur.ro][1]

Forms

prōcurrō (present infinitive prōcurrere, perfect active prōcucurrī or prōcurrī, supine prōcursum); third conjugation[1] The perfect is prōcucurrī or prōcurrī.[2][3]

Etymology

It is formed from prō- (“forward”) and currō (“to run”).[2] De Vaan derives ⟨currō⟩ from Proto-Italic *korse/o- (“to run”) and Proto-Indo-European *kr̥s-e/o- (“to run”), cognate with Old Irish carr (“vehicle”) and perhaps with Old English hors (“horse”); he notes that compounds in ⟨-currō⟩ are often figurative.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest quotation is the Rhetorica ad Herennium, of running on ahead beyond the others.[2]

Semantic evolution

It is to run forward or out in front, and very often of troops running forward to attack, as Caesar's skirmishers ordered to charge and Livy's “if the Romans had rushed out more fiercely”.[2][3] Of things it is to move forward, as the apple that rolls from the girl's lap in Catullus.[2] Valerius Maximus uses it of rushing into a course of action, and of land it is to project or jut out, as Virgil's projecting rocks.[2][1]

Church Latin glosses it “rush or run forward”.[5]

Timeline

  • 1st century BC – In the Rhetorica ad Herennium, of running ahead.[2]
  • 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus of an apple rolling from a lap.[2][6]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar of skirmishers charging.[2][6]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil of jutting rocks.[2][6]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To run forward, run out in front.[2][3][1][5]
  2. Of troops, to charge, advance to the attack.[2][1]
  3. To rush into a course of action.[2]
  4. Of land or rocks, to project, jut out.[2][1]

Word family

  • prōcursiō
  • prōcursus
  • prōcursō
  • prōcursōrius

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  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 Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de