praetor Latin · revision 17840

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 450 BC, Twelve Tables|origins=ine-pro *h₁ey-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈprae̯.tɔr]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈprɛː.tor]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''praetor''' ''m'' (genitive praetōris); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+ Inscriptions spell it ''prait-'' and ''pret-''.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed [[af|la|praeeō|-tor]], from ⟨*prai-itōr⟩, “one who goes before, leader”.^(OLD 2012)^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)^(Lewis & Short 1879) The verb is [[m|la|prae-]] with [[eō]] “to go”, from [[ine-pro|*h₁ey-|t=to go]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ The Romans saw the same link: Varro says the praetor was so called in war because he went before the army.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Köbler dates it from the Twelve Tables;^(Köbler 2010) Naevius has ''virum praetor advenit'', and Plautus ''homō ad praetōrem dēplōrābundus venit'' “the man came to the praetor, weeping”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Its first sense is “leader, commander”, still felt in Cicero's law ''praeeundō, iūdicandō, cōnsulendō praetōrēs, iūdicēs, cōnsulēs appellāminō''.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) At Rome the praetor was first one of the chief magistrates, then second to the consuls, concerned chiefly with justice.^(OLD 2012) The title was used for the chief magistrate of some colonies and for magistrates of foreign states (''Cloelius praetor Albānus'').^(OLD 2012)

+

+ In Medieval Latin it was used for a count, a count palatine (''praetor palātīnus''), a landgrave, a castellan and a royal or seigneurial provost.^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 450 BC – Used in the Twelve Tables.^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it of a magistrate.^(OLD 2012)

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: ''ad praetōrem''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of the Alban leader Cloelius.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 116–27 BC – Varro explains it as “one who goes before the army”.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|leader]], commander, chief.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A [[m|en|praetor]], a Roman [[m|en|magistrate]] ranking below the consuls, chiefly in charge of justice.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+ # The chief magistrate of a colony;^(OLD 2012) a magistrate of a foreign state.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' A [[m|en|count]];^(Niermeyer 1976) ''praetor palātīnus'', count palatine;^(Niermeyer 1976) a landgrave, castellan, provost.^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[praetōriānus]]

+ * [[praetōricius]]

+ * [[praetōrius]]

+ * [[praetūra]]

+ * [[prōpraetor]]

+ * [[praetōrium]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[cōnsul]]

+ * [[praeeō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}