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prosto

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word prosto

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 250–184 BC, Plautus
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*sth₂-eh₁-ie/o-)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin sto
French étage
Latin asto
Latin astus
Latin astutus
Latin astutia
Latin circumsto
Latin statura
Latin substo
Latin statio
Latin stativus
Latin prosto
Latin persto
Latin supersto

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈproːs.toː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈprɔs.to][1]

Forms

prōstō (present infinitive prōstāre, perfect active prōstitī, supine prōstātum); first conjugation, no passive[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin prō- (“forth”) + stō (“to stand”).[2][1] De Vaan traces stō to Proto-Indo-European *sth₂-eh₁-ie/o- (“to stand”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus has it first, in the Curculio: pimps at least ply their trade in hidden places, but “you” in the forum itself.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

Its first sense is to stand in public offering goods for sale, to carry on business.[2][4] Of a prostitute it is to offer herself for hire, as Publilius has of standing naked in public, and by extension to be hired out for unworthy ends, as Cicero's man whose voice had been for sale as an auctioneer's crier.[2] Lucretius has the literal “stand out, project”, of tiny corners that tickle the senses.[2][4] Stelten gives “project, stand before, out, or forward”.[5]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus, of pimps plying their trade.[2][4][6]
  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius, of projecting corners.[2][4][6]
  • 1st century BC – Publilius, of a prostitute.[2][6]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero, of a voice for hire.[2][6]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To offer goods for sale in public, do business.[2][4][1]
  2. Of a prostitute, to offer oneself for hire; to be hired out for unworthy ends.[2][4][1]
  3. To stand out, project.[2][4][1][5]

Word family

  • prostibilis
  • prōstibulum

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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 e f g h Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
Cite this entry

“Prosto.” Etymologically, 20 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/prosto. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·