Etymologically
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proficio

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [proːˈfɪ.ki.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [proˈfiː.t͡ʃi.o][1]

Forms

prōficiō (present infinitive prōficere, perfect active prō̆fēcī, supine prō̆fectum); third (-iō variant) conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from prō- “forward” and faciō “to make, do”, as Charisius already said.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Lucilius, of making headway.[2] Köbler dates Lucilius c. 180–102 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to make headway in an undertaking, achieve something, as in Lucilius and Cicero, and of remedies to be effective, do good.[2] In Caesar and Pliny the Elder it meant to advance, gain ground, as Ariovistus' three days' march, and in Pliny to increase, of prices to rise.[2][5] In Cicero it meant to progress in a study, improve, and in inscriptions to advance in rank.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to help, assist, advance, increase, prevail, make progress.[6] Its participle prōfectus gave Old French prufit and English profit in the mid-13th century, and its present participle gave English proficient.[1][7]

Timeline

  • c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius uses it of making headway.[2][4]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of advancing.[5][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of progress in studies.[2][4]
  • mid-13th century – English profit is recorded.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To make headway, achieve.[2]
  2. Of remedies, to do good.[2]
  3. To advance; to increase.[2]
  4. To make progress, improve; to advance in rank.[2]

Word family

  • prōfectus
  • proficuus
  • proficīscor

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 j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com