precor

Latin

Etymology

From prex (“request, petition, prayer”).

Cognate with Sanskrit पृच्छति (pṛcchati, “to ask”), Gothic 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌽𐌰𐌽 (fraihnan, “to ask”), Old English freġnan, friġnan (“to ask, inquire, learn”), German fragen, Dutch vragen and Russian просить (prositʹ, “to ask, implore, request”). More at English frain.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈprɛ.kɔr]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈprɛː.kor]

Verb

precor (present infinitive precārī, perfect active precātus sum); first conjugation, deponent

1. to beseech, beg, pray, entreat, supplicate, request

   Synonyms: rogō, efflāgitō, petō, exōrō, prehēnsō, expetō, rogitō, flāgitō, exposcō, exigō, ērogō, requīrō, quaesō

   • 29 BCE – 19 BCE, Virgil, Aeneid 4.113:

     “Tū coniūnx tibi fās animum temptāre precandō.”

     [Venus replies to Juno:] “You [are Jupiter’s] wife, [and it is] right for you to ply his heart with entreaty.”

   • 8 CE, Ovid, Fasti 3.27:

     ūtile sit faustumque, precor

     May it be beneficial and fortunate, I pray

2. to wish well or ill (to someone); to greet with a wish

Conjugation

   Conjugation of precor (first conjugation, deponent)

indicative		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	precor		precāris, precāre		precātur		precāmur		precāminī		precantur
	imperfect	precābar		precābāris, precābāre		precābātur		precābāmur		precābāminī		precābantur
	future	precābor		precāberis, precābere		precābitur		precābimur		precābiminī		precābuntur
	perfect	precātus + present active indicative of sum
	pluperfect	precātus + imperfect active indicative of sum
	future perfect	precātus + future active indicative of sum
subjunctive		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	precer		precēris, precēre		precētur		precēmur		precēminī		precentur
	imperfect	precārer		precārēris, precārēre		precārētur		precārēmur		precārēminī		precārentur
	perfect	precātus + present active subjunctive of sum
	pluperfect	precātus + imperfect active subjunctive of sum
imperative		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	—		precāre		—		—		precāminī		—
	future	—		precātor		precātor		—		—		precantor
non-finite forms		infinitive						participle
		active			passive			active			passive
present		precārī			—			precāns			—
future		precātūrum esse			—			precātūrus			precandus
perfect		precātum esse			—			precātus			—
future perfect		precātum fore			—			—			—
perfect potential		precātūrum fuisse			—			—			—
verbal nouns		gerund								supine
		genitive		dative		accusative		ablative		accusative		ablative
		precandī		precandō		precandum		precandō		precātum		precātū

Derived terms

• apprecor
• comprecor
• dēprecor
• imprecor
• precābundus
• precāmen
• precātiō
• precātīvus
• precātor
• precātus

Descendants

• Catalan: pregar
• Dalmatian: precur
• Old Francoprovençal: preier
  • Franco-Provençal: preyer
• Old Piedmontese: preer
• Friulian: preâ
• Galician: pregar
• Istriot: pragà
• Italian: precare, pregare
• Judeo-Italian: פְרֵיגַארֵי (pəregaʔre /⁠pregare⁠/)
• Medieval Latin: precāria
  • Franco-Provençal: preyére
  • Old French: preiere, priere, proiere, preere, praiere (see there for further descendants)
  • Occitan: preguièra, pregièra
  • Italian: preghiera
  • Catalan: pregària
  • Portuguese: pregaria
  • Occitan: pregària
  • Spanish: plegaria
• Occitan: pregar, prejar
• Old French: proiier, praier, preier, prier, proier
  • French: prier
  • → Middle English: preien
    • English: pray
    • Yola: pry, praie
• Sardinian: precare, pregare, pregai, preghiare
• Sicilian: prigari
• Venetan: pregar
• Walloon: priyî

References

• “precor”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “precor”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “precor”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894), Latin Phrase-Book‎, London: Macmillan and Co.
  • to pray to God: precari aliquid a deo
    
  • to pray to God: precari deum, deos
    
  • to bless (curse) a person: precari alicui bene (male) or omnia bona (mala), salutem