proditio

Forms

prōditiō f (genitive prōditiōnis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin prōdō (“to put forth; to betray”) + -tiō, from prō- and dō “to give, put”.^[2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨dō⟩ to Proto-Indo-European *di-déh₃- (“to give”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is Cato, of a right of deferment, and Köbler's earliest source is Cato.^[2][4] Köbler dates Cato 234–149 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

In Cato it meant the right of deferment, an extension of time; from Cicero it meant treacherous abandonment of a cause, betrayal, treason, treachery; and in Pliny a revealing, disclosure of secrets.^[2][5][6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it means betraying, betrayal, treason, treachery.^[7] Medieval Latin used it for an attempt on a man's life, a premeditated surprise attack.^[8]

Timeline

• 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of deferment.^[2][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of betrayal.^[2][4]
• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny uses it of disclosure.^[6][4]

Meanings

Noun

1. A deferment, extension.^[2]
2. Betrayal, treason, treachery.^[2][5]
3. A disclosure (of secrets).^[6]
4. (Medieval Latin) A surprise attack.^[8]

Related words

• abitiō
• ambitiō
• circumitiō
• cōitiō
• interitiō
• praeteritiō
• rēditiō
• sēditiō
• transitiō
• prōdō
• prōditor
• dō
• trāditiō

Usage notes

A late prōditiō from prōdeō “to come forth”, an appearance or a sally, is found in Macrobius and Sidonius.^[5][6]

References

1. ^ a b 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. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c d Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill