providens Latin · revision 34648

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=234–149 BC, Cato|origins=ine-pro *uid-eh₁-}}

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''prōvidēns''' (genitive prōvidentis, comparative prōvidentior, superlative prōvidentissimus); third-declension one-termination adjective^(OLD 2012)^(Conte 2010)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ Used as an adjective, it is the present participle [[der|la|prōvideō|t=to foresee; to provide]].^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913)^(Bianchi & Lelli 2014) The verb is a compound of [[m|la|prō-]] and [[m|la|videō|t=to see]],^(Wiktionary) which goes back to [[itc-pro|*wid-ē-]] and [[ine-pro|*uid-eh₁-|t=to see]].^(de Vaan 2008) De Vaan explains [[prudens|alt=prūdēns]] “prudent” as the regular contraction of the same participle.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Köbler first records it in Cato;^(Köbler 2010) the dictionaries' earliest citations are Cicero's, in the Verrines and the letters.^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Conte 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It means exercising [[m|en|foresight]]: [[m|en|provident]], sagacious, careful.^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913) Of conduct or a course of action it means prudent or politic, as when Cicero calls something both better suited to brevity and the more prudent course for other matters.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) Sallust and Pliny the Elder use it too,^(Conte 2010) and the superlative appears in Tacitus, in Pliny the Younger and, of an emperor, in Frontinus' work on the aqueducts.^(Georges 1913)^(Gaffiot 2016)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 234–149 BC – Köbler's earliest record, in Cato.^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of persons and of a prudent course.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 86–34 BC – Sallust uses it in the ''Jugurtha''.^(Conte 2010)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 98–115 AD – Tacitus uses the superlative.^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Exercising [[m|en|foresight]], [[m|en|provident]], [[m|en|sagacious]], careful.^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913)

+ # ''(of conduct)'' [[m|en|prudent|alt=Prudent]], politic.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[prōvidentia]]

+ * [[prōvidenter]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[prūdēns]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}