English
precatory
Precatory comes from Late Latin precatorius ‘praying’, from Latin precor ‘to pray’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *preḱ- ‘to ask’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*preḱ-‘to ask’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*preksreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprex‘request, petition, prayer’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprecoras precari‘to pray’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEprecatorius‘praying’
- Englishearliest quotation 1827precatory
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*preḱ-‘to ask’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*preksreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprex‘request, petition, prayer’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprecoras precari‘to pray’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEprecatorius‘praying’
- Englishearliest quotation 1827precatory
Earliest quotation: 1827, Sir Walter Scott: “December 8. . . . A precatory letter from…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *preḱ- ‘to ask’
arrogant, arrogance, prerogative, derogatory, postulate, derogation, 25 more
through Latin prex ‘request, petition, prayer’
prayer, pray, precarious, 9 more
through Latin precor ‘to pray’
Today it means
adj Expressing a wish.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *preḱ- / precatory