Etymologically

propono

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 13:18. This address is a permanent link to this version.

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [proːˈpoː.noː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [proˈpɔː.no][1]

Forms

prōpōnō (present infinitive prōpōnere, perfect active prōposuī or prōposīvī, supine prōpositum or prōpostum); third conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from prō- “forth” and pōnō “to put, place”.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Varro, of posting up a notice and of placing before.[2] Köbler dates Varro 116–27 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to put forth, display, as Caesar's vēxillum prōpōnere “to hoist the flag”, to put up for sale, and to post up a notice or a law, so to publish an edict.[2][5] It meant to place before, hold up to the mind, picture to oneself, as Cicero's ante oculōs prōpōnere, to hold up as a model, to offer, propose, and to hold out a reward or a threat.[2] It meant to set out, state, in logic to state a major premiss, in rhetoric to state the facts of a case, and to set before oneself as a plan, so that mihi prōpositum est meant “my intention is”.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to set before, propose, determine, display, resolve.[6] Old French proposer gave English propose in the mid-14th century, and Middle English proponen gave English propone and English propound; English purpose comes from the related Old French porposer.[7]

Timeline

  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of posting up.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of picturing and proposing.[2][4]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of hoisting a flag.[5][4]
  • mid-14th century – English propose is recorded.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To display, expose; to put up for sale.[2]
  2. To post up, publish.[2]
  3. To place before.[2]
  4. To bring to mind, picture; to hold up as a model.[2]
  5. To offer; to propose.[2]
  6. To hold out a reward or threat.[2]
  7. To state, (logic) to state a premiss.[2]
  8. To intend, purpose.[2]

Word family

  • prōpositiō
  • prōpositīuus

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. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com