English
proemium
Proemium comes from Latin prooemium ‘a preface, introduction, prelude’, from Ancient Greek οἶμος ‘way, road, path’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weyh₁- ‘to chase, pursue’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weyh₁-‘to chase, pursue’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEοἶμος‘way, road, path’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπροοίμιονprooímion‘opening, prelude, preamble, preface, introduction’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprooemium‘a preface, introduction, prelude’
- Englishearliest quotation 1702proemium
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weyh₁-‘to chase, pursue’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEοἶμος‘way, road, path’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπροοίμιονprooímion‘opening, prelude, preamble, preface, introduction’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprooemium‘a preface, introduction, prelude’
- Englishearliest quotation 1702proemium
Earliest quotation: 1702, H. D., A Pacquet from Parnassus: or: “[…] That, Whereas your ſpacious Proemiums, and ſpecious Introductions…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *weyh₁- ‘to chase, pursue’
previous, obvious, violent, virtual, violation, inevitable, virtue, voyage, convey, violate, vengeance, trivial, envoy, trivia, vis, deviation, avenge, virtuous, deviant, vindication, virtuoso, venison, wer, viaduct, ochre, vim, virile, virility, violator, inviolable, virago, obviate, trivium, 53 more
Today it means
noun Synonym of proem.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *weyh₁- / proemium