Etymologically
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progigno

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [proːˈɡɪŋ.noː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [proˈd͡ʒiɲ.ɲo][1]

Forms

prōgignō (present infinitive prōgignere, perfect active prōgenuī, supine prōgenitum); third conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin prō- + gignō (“to beget”).[2][1][3] De Vaan notes that its pair with the participle prōgnātus (“born, descended”), from an older ⟨gnātos⟩, confirms that genitus is a recent replacement, and that prōgeniēs and prōgenitor are formed from this verb.[4] The TLL also regards the passive as older than the active, and compares the passive Sanskrit प्रजायते (prajāyate).[5] The simple verb goes back to Proto-Indo-European *ǵi-ǵnh₁-e/o- (“to engender”), from the root Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁-.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus has neque nātus est neque prōgignētur, “neither has been born nor will be born”, and nōlēbam ex mē mōrem prōgignī malum, “I did not want a bad custom to arise from me”.[2][6] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[7]

Semantic evolution

Lewis & Short call it rare but classical.[6] Lucretius uses it of first beginnings giving rise to new motions and of bodies producing a bitter sensation, and Cicero of the force in seeds of the things born from them.[2][6] Catullus has myrtles that the streams of the Eurotas bring forth, and Virgil illam terra parēns prōgenuit, “mother Earth brought her forth”.[6] Columella uses it of Nature producing animals and plants, and Apuleius of the elements produced from matter.[2]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of being born and of a custom arising.[2][6][7]
  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of causing motions and sensations.[2][6][7]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of seeds.[2][6][7]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of Earth bearing offspring.[6][7]
  • 1st century AD – Columella uses it of Nature.[2][7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To beget, produce as offspring; passive, to be born, spring (from).[2][6][3]
  2. To bring into being, create; passive, to come into existence.[2]
  3. To cause, give rise to.[2][3]

Word family

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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Bianchi, Rossella; Lelli, Olga (2014), VOLI: Vocabolario di latino, Florence: Le Monnier
  4. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de