Etymologically
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promoveo

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [proːˈmɔ.we.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [proˈmɔː.ve.o][1]

Forms

prōmoveō (present infinitive prōmovēre, perfect active prōmōvī, supine prōmōtum); second conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from prō- “forward” and moveō “to move”.[2][1][3] Horace has the contracted pluperfect ⟨prōmōrat⟩.[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Terence, of postponing and of making headway.[2] Köbler dates Terence 190–159 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to move forward, push forward, as Cicero's gradum prōmovēre “to step forward” and Caesar's siege towers, to coax into the open, as in Horace, and in Livy to displace bones.[2][6] From Caesar it meant to advance a boundary, and in Ovid to enlarge.[2] In Terence it meant to put off, postpone, and to make headway, progress, and in Gellius to help towards a result.[2] From Pliny it meant to advance a person to higher office, promote.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to advance, promote, extend.[7] English promote came in the late 14th century through Old French and directly from its participle, first “to advance to a higher office”.[8]

Timeline

  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of postponing and of progress.[2][5]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of advancing siege works.[2][6][5]
  • 23/24–79 AD – Pliny uses it of promotion.[2][5]
  • late 14th century – English promote is recorded.[8]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To move forward, push forward; to bring forth.[2]
  2. To advance; to enlarge.[2]
  3. To postpone.[2]
  4. To promote.[2]
  5. To make progress; to help towards.[2]

Word family

  • prōmōta
  • prōmōtiō
  • prōmōtor
  • prōmōtus

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 n o 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. ^ a b 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