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prodige

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word prodige

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
81–43 BC, Cicero
Ultimate origin
Latin (agō)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin ago
French agir
Latin actrix
Latin ambigo
Latin actio
French action
German Aktion
Latin abigo
Latin dego
Latin perago
Latin adigo
Latin activus
English active
English activist
German aktiv
Latin actus
English act
Latin actor
English actor
English actress
French acteur
Latin actuosus
Latin subigo
Latin circumago
Latin redigo
Latin agito
French agiter
Latin exagito
Latin agitatio
Latin agitator
Latin prodigo
Latin prodigus
Latin prodige
Latin cogo
Latin coactus
Latin coactor
Latin agilis
Latin agilitas

Forms

prōdigē (adverb)[1][2]

Etymology

It is from Latin prōdigus (“wasteful, extravagant”) + -ē.[1][3] De Vaan lists prōdigus and prōdigō (“to waste, squander”) among the derivatives of agō (“to drive”),[4] which goes back to Proto-Italic *ag-e/o- and Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ-e/o- (“to drive, lead”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Cicero,[3] whose Philippics say of certain men that they cannot help living extravagantly.[2][5]

Semantic evolution

It means extravagantly or wastefully.[1][2] Seneca uses it of scattering things lavishly, and writes that one human being should not use another wastefully.[2][5]

British medieval writers used it for in a prodigal or lavish manner, as Honorius Augustodunensis of a rich merchant who lived lavishly and without foresight, and also for abundantly, as Goscelin of a man abundantly learned.[6]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it in the Philippics of living extravagantly.[2][3]
  • 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca uses it of scattering things lavishly.[2][3]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. Extravagantly, wastefully.[1][2]
  2. (Medieval Latin) Abundantly, to a high degree.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ a b 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 Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  6. ^ a b 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
Cite this entry

“Prodige.” Etymologically, 20 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/prodige. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·