Etymologically
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proelior

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈproe̯.li.ɔr][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈprɛː.li.or][1]

Forms

proelior (present infinitive proeliārī, perfect active proeliātus sum); first conjugation, deponent[1] An active form proeliō, -āre also occurs.[2][3] It is also spelled praelior.[4][5]

Etymology

It is formed from proelium (“battle”).[2][4][3] The origin of ⟨proelium⟩ is unclear: Klingenschmitt derived it from ⟨*pro-gʷel-io-⟩, with cognates such as Welsh rhyfel (“war”) and Lithuanian gélti (“to sting, ache”), but de Vaan objects that the sound changes would rather have given ⟨*prūlium⟩ or ⟨*prōlium⟩, and finds no convincing alternative.[3] Wiktionary mentions a derivation from ⟨*provillium⟩, from bellum (“war”), old ⟨duellum⟩.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Lucilius,[3] who has fighting under the vine.[2]

Semantic evolution

It means “to join battle, fight”, as Caesar's legions fighting on the very banks of the river.[2][4] Figuratively it is “to contend, strive”: Cicero asks Atticus whether he wants to know how he fought less well than usual in a trial.[2]

Church Latin glosses it “fight, engage in battle”.[5]

Timeline

  • c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius of fighting under the vine.[2][3][6]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of contending in court.[2][6]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar of legions fighting on a riverbank.[4][6]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To join battle, fight.[2][4][1][5]
  2. To contend, strive.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ 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
  4. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c 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