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 frain.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈpre.kor/, [ˈprɛkɔr]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈpre.kor/, [ˈprɛːkor]

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		active			passive
		present	perfect	future	present	perfect	future
infinitives		precārī	precātum esse	precātūrum esse	—	—	—
participles		precāns	precātus	precātūrus	—	—	precandus
verbal nouns		gerund				supine
		genitive	dative	accusative	ablative	accusative	ablative
		precandī	precandō	precandum	precandō	precātum	precātū

Derived terms

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

Descendants

• Catalan: pregar
• Dalmatian: precur
• Old Francoprovençal: preier
  • Franco-Provençal: preyer
• Old Piedmontese: preer
• Friulian: preâ
• Galician: pregar
• Istriot: pragà
• Italian: pregare
• 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^[1], 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