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profligo

Etymology and origin of the Latin word profligo

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*bʰleyǵ-)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [proːˈfliː.ɡoː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [proˈfliː.ɡo][1]

Forms

prōflīgō (present infinitive prōflīgāre, perfect active prōflīgāvī, supine prōflīgātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from prō- and flīgō “to strike” with -ō.[2][1][3] De Vaan traces ⟨flīgō⟩ to Proto-Indo-European *bʰleyǵ-e/o- (“to hit, crush”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is Plautus, of defeating.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to strike down, defeat decisively, crush, overthrow, as of an enemy army or fleet in Cicero, and to subdue a territory; and in Cicero to carry through the greater part of a task, “break the back of” it, so in prōflīgātō esse “to be nearly finished”.[2][6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it means to abolish, overthrow, scatter.[7] English profligate (1520s, first “overthrown”) is from its participle prōflīgātus “ruined, dissolute”.[8]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of crushing enemies and of nearly finishing tasks.[2][6]
  • 1520s – English profligate is recorded.[8]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To defeat decisively, crush, overthrow.[2][9]
  2. To nearly finish (a task).[2]

Word family

  • prōflīgātiō
  • prōflīgātor
  • prōflīgātus

Usage notes

Gellius has a third-conjugation prōflīgere, participle prōflīctus “ruined”.[9][6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d 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. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b c 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 Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  9. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
Cite this entry

“Profligo.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/profligo. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·