procus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈprɔ.kʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈprɔː.kus]^[1]

Forms

procus m (genitive procī); second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *prok-o-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *proḱ-o- (“one who asks”), from the root Proto-Indo-European *preḱ- (“to ask”) of poscō and prex.^[2][1][3] Originally it meant “one who asks for marriage”.^[2] Festus explained procī as those who ask a woman in marriage, from procāre (“to ask”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant a suitor, wooer, as Virgil's Latinus who was forbidden to give his daughter to any of her old suitors.^[5][4][6] In the plural it was used of Penelope's suitors, the Greek μνηστῆρες.^[4] Cicero has the genitive plural procum.^[4] Related words are the verb procāre “to woo” and the adjective procāx “impudent”.^[2]

In Medieval Latin it still meant a suitor, and in Poland also a matchmaker.^[7][8] Italian and Portuguese proco are learned borrowings.^[1]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.^[2][3]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses the genitive procum.^[4][3]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of Lavinia's suitors.^[4][3]

Meanings

Noun

1. A suitor, wooer.^[5][4]
2. (Medieval Latin) A matchmaker.^[8]

Related words

• poscō
• prex
• precor

References

1. ^ a b c d e 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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c d e f g Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ 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
8. ^ a b Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl