praecipuus Latin · revision 30768

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 250–184 BC, Plautus|origins=la capiō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [prae̯ˈkɪ.pu.ʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [preˈt͡ʃiː.pu.us]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''praecipuus''' (feminine praecipua, neuter praecipuum, adverb praecipuē); first/second-declension adjective^(Wiktionary)

+ Inscriptions also spell it ''precipuus''.^(TLL)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed from [[m|la|prae-|t=before]] and [[m|la|capiō|t=to take]] with the suffix [[m|la|-uus]], “taken first, before the others”.^(OLD 2012)^(TLL)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary) Paulus' epitome of Festus explains ⟨praecipuum⟩ as what is taken beforehand.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Köbler dates it from Plautus,^(Köbler 2010) who has ''hancine ego partem capiō ob pietātem praecipuam?'', “is this the reward I get for my outstanding piety?”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Praecipuus'' is what belongs to one person or thing to the exclusion of others, “particular, special” (Terence: one thing I think I have beyond the others).^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary) From this it means “surpassing all others, outstanding, exceptional”, and “foremost, chief, most important” (Cicero: were my part in that cause not the chief one?).^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Church Latin glosses it “special, extraordinary”.^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: ''ob pietātem praecipuam''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 190–159 BC – Terence: ''praeter aliōs praecipuam''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero: ''meae partēs … nōn praecipuae''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Particular, [[m|en|special]], peculiar (to one).^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+ # Outstanding, exceptional, [[m|en|distinguished]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Foremost, chief, [[m|en|principal]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[capiō]]

+ * [[praecipiō]]

+ * [[prīnceps]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}