praecox Latin · revision 5285

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=Varro|origins=ine-pro *pekʷ-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

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

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

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''praecox''' (genitive praecocis); third-declension one-termination adjective^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is from [[praecoquō]] “to ripen early”, from [[m|la|prae-|t=before]] and [[coquō]] “to cook, ripen”, formed like [[dux]].^(OLD 2012)^(TLL)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan explains it as containing a root noun *-pokʷ-s, from [[ine-pro|*pekʷ-|t=to cook]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Varro uses it of a grape that ripens long before the others.^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Varro 116–27 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant ripening early, of fruit, vines and plants, and early in coming into being, premature; a comic poet says a girl has precocious desire.^(OLD 2012) It had by-forms ''praecoquis'' and ''praecoquus''.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ In medieval British Latin it kept both senses.^(DMLBS) It was borrowed into [[it|precoce]] and [[fr|précoce]], and [[en|precocious]], first of plants, dates from the 1640s.^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of an early grape.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses it of early garlic and roses.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 1640s – English ''precocious'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Ripening early, early.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Premature; [[m|en|precocious]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[praecoquum]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[coquō]]

+ * [[praecoquō]]

+ * [[en|precocious]]

+ * [[en|apricot]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}