obsecrō1
Meaning
- to entreat, implore, beseech, supplicate, beg, pray
Obsecrō tē: quam prīmum hōc mē līberā miserum metū!
I beg you: free me in my misery from this fear as soon as possible!166 BCE, Publius Terentius Afer, Andria 351
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms
Rogare · Orare · Obsecrare · Obtestari · Precari · Supplicare
1. Rogare and orare denote simply a request as the quiet utterance of a wish; but the rogans (ὀργᾶν, ὀρέγεσθαι) feels himself al pari, on a par with the person whom he asks, and asks only a courtesy, like αἰτεῖν; the orans acknowledges the superiority of the other, and asks a benefit, like δεῖσθαι; whereas obsecrare and obtestari denote a passionate asking, as to conjure; but the obsecrans asks urgently, like λιπαρεῖν; the obtestans (from θέσσασθαι) in a suppliant manner. Cic. Att. xvi. 10. Igitur, mi Plance, rogo te atque etiam oro. Pseudocic. p. Red. 16. Pro mea vos salute non rogavit solum, verum etiam obsecravit. 2. Precari denotes the calm act of prayer, in which one raises one’s hand to heaven, like εύχεσθαι; but supplicare denotes the passionate act of supplication, in which one throws one’s self on one’s knees, or on the ground, and wrings one’s hands, like ἱκετεύειν. By hyperbole, however, precor denotes any urgent request; supplicare, any humble request, addressed to a human being. Cic. Parad. v. 3. Noctu venire domum ad eum, precari, denique supplicare. (v. 232.)
Conjugation conjugation 1
| form | present | imperfect | future | perfect | pluperfect | fut. perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | obsecrō | obsecrābam | obsecrābō | obsecrāvī | obsecrāveram obsecrāram | obsecrāverō obsecrārō |
| 2nd sg. | obsecrās | obsecrābās | obsecrābis | obsecrāvistī obsecrāstī | obsecrāverās obsecrārās | obsecrāveris obsecrāris |
| 3rd sg. | obsecrat | obsecrābat | obsecrābit | obsecrāvit obsecrāt | obsecrāverat obsecrārat | obsecrāverit obsecrārit |
| 1st pl. | obsecrāmus | obsecrābāmus | obsecrābimus | obsecrāvimus obsecrāmus | obsecrāverāmus obsecrārāmus | obsecrāverimus obsecrārimus |
| 2nd pl. | obsecrātis | obsecrābātis | obsecrābitis | obsecrāvistis obsecrāstis | obsecrāverātis obsecrārātis | obsecrāveritis obsecrāritis |
| 3rd pl. | obsecrant | obsecrābant | obsecrābunt | obsecrāvērunt obsecrārunt, obsecrāvēre | obsecrāverant obsecrārant | obsecrāverint obsecrārint |
active subjunctive
| form | present | imperfect | perfect | pluperfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | obsecrem | obsecrārem | obsecrāverim obsecrārim | obsecrāvissem obsecrāssem |
| 2nd sg. | obsecrēs | obsecrārēs | obsecrāverīs obsecrārīs | obsecrāvissēs obsecrāssēs |
| 3rd sg. | obsecret | obsecrāret | obsecrāverit obsecrārit | obsecrāvisset obsecrāsset |
| 1st pl. | obsecrēmus | obsecrārēmus | obsecrāverīmus obsecrārīmus | obsecrāvissēmus obsecrāssēmus |
| 2nd pl. | obsecrētis | obsecrārētis | obsecrāverītis obsecrārītis | obsecrāvissētis obsecrāssētis |
| 3rd pl. | obsecrent | obsecrārent | obsecrāverint obsecrārint | obsecrāvissent obsecrāssent |
passive indicative
| form | present | imperfect | future |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | obsecror | obsecrābar | obsecrābor |
| 2nd sg. | obsecrāris obsecrāre | obsecrābāris obsecrābāre | obsecrāberis obsecrābere |
| 3rd sg. | obsecrātur | obsecrābātur | obsecrābitur |
| 1st pl. | obsecrāmur | obsecrābāmur | obsecrābimur |
| 2nd pl. | obsecrāminī | obsecrābāminī | obsecrābiminī |
| 3rd pl. | obsecrantur | obsecrābantur | obsecrābuntur |
passive subjunctive
| form | present | imperfect |
|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | obsecrer | obsecrārer |
| 2nd sg. | obsecrēris obsecrēre | obsecrārēris obsecrārēre |
| 3rd sg. | obsecrētur | obsecrārētur |
| 1st pl. | obsecrēmur | obsecrārēmur |
| 2nd pl. | obsecrēminī | obsecrārēminī |
| 3rd pl. | obsecrentur | obsecrārentur |
imperative
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| pres. 2nd sg. | obsecrā | obsecrāre |
| pres. 2nd pl. | obsecrāte | obsecrāminī |
| fut. 2nd sg. | obsecrātō | obsecrātor |
| fut. 3rd sg. | obsecrātō | obsecrātor |
| fut. 2nd pl. | obsecrātōte | — |
| fut. 3rd pl. | obsecrantō | obsecrantor |
infinitives & participles
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| present infinitive | obsecrāre | obsecrārī |
| perfect infinitive | obsecrāvisse obsecrāsse | obsecrātum esse |
| future infinitive | obsecrātūrum esse | obsecrātum īrī |
| present participle | obsecrāns obsecrante, obsecrantem, obsecrantēs, obsecrantī, obsecrantia, obsecrantibus, obsecrantis, obsecrantīs, obsecrantium | — |
| perfect participle | — | obsecrātus obsecrāta, obsecrātā, obsecrātae, obsecrātam, obsecrātārum, obsecrātās, obsecrātī, obsecrātōrum, obsecrātōs |
| future participle | obsecrātūrus obsecrātūra, obsecrātūrā, obsecrātūrae, obsecrātūram, obsecrātūrārum, obsecrātūrās, obsecrātūre, obsecrātūrī, obsecrātūrīs, obsecrātūrō, obsecrātūrōrum, obsecrātūrōs, obsecrātūrum | obsecrandus obsecranda, obsecrandā, obsecrandae, obsecrandam, obsecrandārum, obsecrandās, obsecrande, obsecrandīs, obsecrandōrum, obsecrandōs |
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- orare et obsecrare aliquem
- to entreat earnestly; to make urgent requests.
- fidem alicuius obsecrare, implorare
- to implore some one's protection.
Venus alma, ambae te obsecramus, Nos in custodiam tuam ut recipias, Plaut. Rud. 3, 3, 32: advorsum quam ejus me opsecravisset pater, id. Trin. 1, 2, 139: cum eum oraret atque obsecraret, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 17, § 42: te obsecrat obtestaturque per senectutem suam, conjures you, id. Quint. 30, 91; id. Sest. 69, 147: cum precibus me obsecraret, Marcell. ap. Cic. Fam. 4, 11, 1: cum multis lacrimis, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 17, § 42; cf. in the foll.: pro di immortales, obsecro vostram fidem, Plaut. Most. 2, 2, 97; id. Poen. 5, 2, 7; id. Truc. 4, 3, 30; cf. in the foll.—itaque te hoc obsecrat, ut, Cic. Quint. 31, 97: hoc te, Ter. Heaut. 4, 1, 32.—ut huc reveniat obsecrato, Plaut. Truc. 2, 7, 35: pater, obsecro, ut mihi ignoscas, Ter. Heaut. 5, 5, 5: te ut omnia perscribas, Cic. Att. 3, 11 fin.; 11, 1, 1: ut ne, Ter. And. 2, 1, 27.—videmus certis precationibus obsecrasse summos magistratus, Plin. 28, 2, 3, § 11: Bassus multis precibus, paene etiam lacrimis obsecrabat, implerem meum tempus, Plin. Ep. 4, 9, 12: pro aliquo, Vulg. Esth. 7, 3; id. Philem. 10.—tuam fidem obsecro, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 217: periimus! Obsecro hercle, id. Men. 5, 7, 27: Ph. Prodi, male conciliate. Do. Obsecro, Ter. Eun. 4, 4, 2.—quid illic, opsecro, tam diu restitisti, Plaut. Most. 3, 2, 100; id. Bacch. 5, 2, 12: dic obsecro hercle serio quod te rogem, id. As. 1, 1, 14; Turp. ap. Non. 132, 15: obsecro, an is est? Ter. Eun. 5, 5, 21: Attica mea, obsecro te, quid agit? Cic. Att. 13, 13, 3; id. Tusc. 1, 25, 60: sed obsecro te, ita venusta habeantur ista, non ut vincula virorum sint, sed, etc., but I beseech you, id. Par. 5, 2, 38; Liv. 5, 6, 3; 6, 40, 10; Gell. 20, 1, 36.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
Origins
Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep-der. Proto-Indo-European *h₁épsder. Proto-Indo-European *h₁óp(i) Proto-Italic *op Latin ob Latin ob- Proto-Indo-European *seh₂k- Proto-Indo-European *-rós Proto-Indo-European *sh₂krós Proto-Italic *sakros Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Proto-Italic *sakrāō Latin sacrō Latin obsecrō From ob- + sacrō (“consecrate”).
- Italianossecrare
- Englishobsecrate