prosterno Latin · revision 31408

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 250–184 BC, Plautus|origins=ine-pro *st(e)r-n-h₃-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [proːsˈtɛr.noː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [prosˈtɛr.no]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''prōsternō''' (present infinitive prōsternere, perfect active prōstrāvī, supine prōstrātum); third conjugation^(Wiktionary)

+ Ovid has the short perfect infinitive ''prōstrāsse''.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed from [[m|la|prō-|t=forward, before]] and [[m|la|sternō|t=to spread, strew; to lay low]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary) The TLL notes that two old notions are blended in ⟨sternō⟩, “to throw to the ground” and “to spread on the ground”, and both show in the compound.^(TLL) De Vaan traces ⟨sternō⟩ to [[itc-pro|*sterna-]] and the nasal present [[ine-pro|*st(e)r-n-h₃-|t=to spread, strew]], cognate with [[sa|स्तृणाति|tr=str̥ṇā́ti|t=spreads out, strews]] and [[grc|στόρνυμι|tr=stórnumi|t=to spread, strew]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLL finds it from Plautus,^(TLL) who has “you threatened to knock me down with a four-horse team” in the ''Menaechmi''.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It is to knock someone down or lay low, of illness to strike down, as Cicero's man laid low on the third day, so that he could feign illness, and figuratively to debase, as Cicero's “will you so debase yourself as to think there is no difference between you and a beast?”.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) It is to knock things down, as Cicero's holy groves cut down and levelled.^(OLD 2012) It is to stretch out on the ground, as in the ''Culex'', and with ''sē'' to throw oneself down in submission, as Cicero's people who should prostrate themselves and beg the Roman people.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary) Columella uses it of laying a vine shoot flat in a trench for layering.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ It is also to defeat utterly or overthrow, as Cicero's enemies whom the army “laid low, routed and killed”, and to bring about the ruin of people or institutions.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary) Church Latin glosses it “spread over, overthrow, cast to the ground, prostrate, fall down, strew”.^(Stelten 1995) English ''prostrate'' (mid-14th century) is from its participle ''prōstrātus''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of knocking a man down.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero of prostrating oneself and of defeating enemies.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 1st century AD – Columella of layering vines.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * mid-14th century – English [[m|en|prostrate]] is from its participle.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To knock down, lay low;^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary) (of illness) to strike down;^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary) to debase.^(OLD 2012)

+ # To throw down, level (things).^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To stretch out on the ground;^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Stelten 1995) ''(reflexive)'' to [[m|en|prostrate]] oneself.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Stelten 1995)

+ # To lay (a vine shoot) flat for [[m|en|layering]].^(OLD 2012)

+ # To [[m|en|overthrow]], defeat utterly; to ruin.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+ # To strew in front of.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[prostratio]]

+ * [[prostrator]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[sternō]]

+ * [[strātus]]

+ * [[cōnsternō]]

+ * [[en|prostrate]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}