profecto

Forms

profectō (not comparable)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from prō (“for, as”) and factō, the ablative of factum (“deed, fact”): “for a fact”.^[2][3][1][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Plautus,^[4] who has certē is est, is est profectō, “surely it is he, it is he without a doubt”.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Profectō is a particle of affirmation, “without question, undoubtedly, assuredly, indeed”;^[2][3][1] L&S call it very frequent and classical.^[2][3][1] It often follows a conditional or causal clause, “then surely” (Cicero: if he did not think himself eloquent, he surely had a conception of eloquence).^[2]

Church Latin glosses it “really, certainly, truly, in fact, without doubt”.^[5]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: is est profectō.^[2][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it after a conditional clause.^[2][4]

Meanings

Adverb

1. undoubtedly, assuredly, certainly, indeed.^[2][3][1][5]
2. Then surely (after a conditional clause).^[2]

Related words

• factum
• faciō
• certē

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 Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson