proeza

Old Spanish

Alternative forms

• prodeza

Etymology

Coromines and Pascual suspect that because Old Spanish pro was not an adjective (meaning 'brave', cf. Old French preu), the Old Spanish term was probably borrowed from Old French proece (> modern French prouesse), or alternatively from Old Occitan proeza or Old Catalan proeza. Ultimately derived from Late Latin prōde + Latin -itia. First attested in the Libro de Alexandre.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɾoˈed͡za/

Noun

proeza f

1. prowess
   • c. 1240 – 1250, anonymous, Libro de Alexandre, (ed. by Jesús Cañas, 1988, Madrid: Cátedra, page 408):

     El rëy Alexandre, thesoro de proeza,
     arca de sapïençia, exemplo de nobleza

     King Alexander, a trove of prowess, an arch of wisdom, an example of nobility...

Portuguese

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese proeza, from Old French proece, proeche, proesce (compare modern French prouesse) or Old Occitan proeza.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /pɾuˈe.zɐ/ [pɾʊˈe.zɐ], (faster pronunciation) /ˈpɾwe.zɐ/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /pɾuˈe.zɐ/ [pɾʊˈe.zɐ], (faster pronunciation) /ˈpɾwe.zɐ/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /pɾuˈe.za/ [pɾʊˈe.za], (faster pronunciation) /ˈpɾwe.za/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /pɾuˈe.zɐ/, (faster pronunciation) /ˈpɾwe.zɐ/

• Hyphenation: pro‧e‧za

Noun

proeza f (plural proezas)

1. feat (heroic or extraordinary deed)

   Synonym: façanha

Further reading

• “proeza”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2025
• “proeza”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025

Spanish

Etymology

Inherited from Old Spanish proeza. Coromines and Pascual suspect that because Old Spanish pro was not an adjective (meaning 'brave', cf. Old French preu), the Old Spanish term was probably borrowed from Old French proece (> modern French prouesse), or alternatively from Old Occitan proeza or an Old Catalan proeza. Ultimately derived from Late Latin prōde + Latin -itia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɾoˈeθa/ [pɾoˈe.θa] (Spain)
• IPA^(key): /pɾoˈesa/ [pɾoˈe.sa] (Latin America, Philippines)

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eθa (Spain)
• Rhymes: -esa (Latin America, Philippines)
• Syllabification: pro‧e‧za

Noun

proeza f (plural proezas)

1. prowess (bravery or courage, especially in battle)
2. feat (heroic or extraordinary deed)

   Synonym: hazaña

Further reading

• Coromines, Joan; Pascual, José Antonio (1985), “pro”, in Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico [Critical Castilian and Hispanic etymological dictionary]‎ (in Spanish), volume IV (Me–Re), Madrid: Gredos, →ISBN, page 656
• “proeza”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025