procus Latin · revision 6073

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=Plautus|origins=ine-pro *preḱ-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈprɔ.kʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈprɔː.kus]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''procus''' ''m'' (genitive procī); second declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|itc-pro|*prok-o-]], [[inh|ine-pro|*proḱ-o-|t=one who asks]], from the root [[ine-pro|*preḱ-|t=to ask]] of [[poscō]] and [[prex]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)^(Köbler 2010) Originally it meant “one who asks for marriage”.^(de Vaan 2008) Festus explained [[m|la|procī]] as those who ask a woman in marriage, from [[m|la|procāre|t=to ask]].^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan dates it from Plautus.^(de Vaan 2008) Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant a suitor, wooer, as Virgil's Latinus who was forbidden to give his daughter to any of her old suitors.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Gaffiot 2016) In the plural it was used of Penelope's suitors, the Greek μνηστῆρες.^(Lewis & Short 1879) Cicero has the genitive plural ''procum''.^(Lewis & Short 1879) Related words are the verb ''procāre'' “to woo” and the adjective [[procāx]] “impudent”.^(de Vaan 2008)

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+ In Medieval Latin it still meant a suitor, and in Poland also a matchmaker.^(DMLBS)^(eLexicon Polonorum) Italian and Portuguese ''proco'' are learned borrowings.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses the genitive ''procum''.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of Lavinia's suitors.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|suitor]], [[m|en|wooer]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' A [[m|en|matchmaker]].^(eLexicon Polonorum)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[poscō]]

+ * [[prex]]

+ * [[precor]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}