protego

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈproː.tɛ.ɡoː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈprɔː.te.ɡo]^[1]

Forms

prōtegō (present infinitive prōtegere, perfect active prōtēxī, supine prōtēctum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin prō- (“before, in front”) + tegō (“to cover”).^[2][1] The verb tegō is inherited from Proto-Italic *teg-e/o- (“to cover”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *(s)teg-e/o- (“to cover”), cognate with Ancient Greek στέγω (stégō, “to cover, keep off”), Old Irish teg (“house”) and Lithuanian stógas (“roof”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Caesar uses it of tents covered with ivy and of rafts shielded with hurdles.^[2][4] Köbler dates Caesar's works to about 50 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

Its literal sense was to cover in front, to overlay or shield, and Cicero uses it of a house given a projecting roof.^[6][2] From this it meant to give a protective covering against weapons, to defend against attack, and to keep out cold or frost.^[2] Lewis and Short give dēfendō and tūtor as synonyms.^[6]

It survives in Italian proteggere, French protéger and Spanish proteger.^[1] English protect, from the participle prōtēctus, is recorded in the early 15th century.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of tents covered with ivy.^[2][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a projecting roof.^[6][5]
• early 15th century – English protect is recorded.^[7]

Meanings

Verb

1. To cover, overlay, shield.^[2]
2. To give a protective covering against weapons.^[2]
3. To protect, defend.^[2]
4. To keep out (cold, frost).^[2]

Word family

• imprōtectus
• prōtēctiō
• prōtēctor
• protectorius
• prōtectum
• prōtectus

Related words

• tegō
• tēctum
• English protect
• English protection
• English protégé

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 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. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com