prohibeo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [proˈ(ɦ)ɪ.be.oː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [proˈiː.be.o]^[1]

Forms

prohibeō (present infinitive prohibēre, perfect active prohibuī, supine prohibitum); second conjugation^[1] Old forms prohibessis, prohibessit occur in Ennius, Plautus, Cato and Cicero's Laws, and Lucretius has contracted prōbeat.^[2]

Etymology

It is from Latin prō- + habeō (“to have, hold”).^[2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨habeō⟩ to Proto-Italic *xab-ē- (“has taken, has”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰh₁b- (“to take”).^[3] Wiktionary compares Old English ⟨forhealdan⟩ for the formation.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are Plautus, of keeping people away and of gods averting dangers.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to keep at a distance, keep off; of gods, to avert a danger; from Varro to protect; to prevent or stop someone; from Ennius to make impossible; to debar from a right or ban from a place; and in Cicero to forbid by statute or command, prohibit.^[2][5]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it means to forbid, restrain, hinder.^[6] English prohibit (early 15th century) is from its participle prohibitus.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of keeping away and averting.^[2][4]
• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of preventing.^[2][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of forbidding by law.^[2][4]
• early 15th century – English prohibit is recorded.^[7]

Meanings

Verb

1. To keep off, hold at bay, exclude.^[2]
2. To avert (a danger).^[2]
3. To protect, defend.^[2]
4. To prevent, stop, restrain.^[2][6]
5. To debar, ban.^[2]
6. To forbid, prohibit.^[2][8]

Word family

• prohibitiō
• prohibitor
• prohibitōrius
• prohibitus

Related words

• abhibeō
• adhibeō
• antehabeō
• cohibeō
• diribeō
• exhibeō
• habeō
• inhibeō
• perhibeō
• posthabeō
• English prohibit

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 l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
8. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press