Etymologically
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profiteor

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [prɔˈfɪ.te.ɔr][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [proˈfiː.te.or][1]

Forms

profiteor (present infinitive profitērī, perfect active professus sum); second conjugation, deponent[1]

Etymology

It is from prō- “forth, publicly” and fateor “to acknowledge”, as Varro noted.[2][1][3] The Tabula Heracleensis has old forms ⟨profitērei⟩ and ⟨profitēminō⟩.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Ennius, of declaring openly.[2] Köbler dates Ennius 204–169 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to declare openly, avow, as in Cicero, and to make a return of property to the authorities, and nōmen profitērī to enrol, as in Livy.[2][6] It meant to promise one's help, to undertake to be, and in Sallust indicium profitērī to volunteer evidence.[2] From Cicero it meant to profess, lay claim to a quality, to profess oneself to be, to make something one's profession, and to teach a subject publicly.[2] Döderlein explains that fatērī is to disclose, profitērī to avow freely and openly.[7]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to profess, admit, acknowledge.[8] Its agent noun professor gave English professor in the late 14th century, and its participle professus gave English profess in the early 14th century, first “to take a vow”.[9]

Timeline

  • 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of declaring.[2][5]
  • 86–34 BC – Sallust uses indicium profitērī.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of professing and teaching.[2][5]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To declare openly, avow.[2]
  2. To make a return of property, nōmen profitērī, to enrol.[2]
  3. To promise, offer.[2]
  4. To profess, lay claim to; to profess to be.[2]
  5. To practise; to teach publicly.[2]

Word family

  • cōnfiteor
  • diffiteor
  • fateor
  • English profess
  • English professor

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  8. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  9. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com