verbthird conjugation
petō
petō (present infinitive petere, perfect active petīvī or petiī, supine petītum)
Classical[ˈpɛ.toː]Ecclesiastical[ˈpɛː.to]
№ 83 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- to ask, beg, request, look for, inquire, petition, entreat
unde petam causās hōrum mōremque sacrōrum?
Where shall I look for the reasons and practice of these sacred rites?8 CE, Ovidius, Fasti 1.465 - to make for (somewhere)
- to seek, aim at, desire
Auxilium Deī Dominī nostrī petō.
I am seeking the help of the Lord our God.Altiōra petō.
I seek higher things. - to beg, beseech, implore
- to beg of/from someone (ab + ablative) for something (+ accusative or a clause with ut or ne)
- to attack, to assail, to thrust at
Petere aliquem hastā.
To attack someone with a spear. - to aim at (with the person attacked in the accusative and the weapon/projectile in the ablative)
- EcclesiasticalLatinto missionize or proselytize among the people of a place
Bede, Chronica Minor
Peter proselytizes in Rome, Mark in Alexandria.
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
rogō ut mihi dētur; etiam: locum petō = eō ad locum.petō -ere petīvī — in Mille Verba, Mercātus
rogō, poscōpetō -ere — in Evangelium secundum Matthaeum, ch. 5, 18
to attack
petō -ere — in Viri Romae Facillimi, ch. 1, 3, 11, 12, 15, 16, 22
seek; ask; attack
petō -ere — in De Bello Gallico I
Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms
Petere · Rogare · Postulare · Exigere · Poscere · Flagitare
1. Petere and rogare are the most general expressions for asking any thing, whether as a request or as a demand, and stand therefore in the middle between poscere and orare, yet somewhat nearer to a request; petere (from ποθεῖν) generally refers to the object which is wished for; whereas rogare to the person who is applied to; hence we say, petere aliquid ab aliquo, but rogare aliquem aliquid. Cic. Verr. * * Iste petit a rege, et cum pluribus verbis rogat, uti ad se mittat. Planc. 10, 25. Phil. ii. 30. Fam. ix. 8. and ii. 6. Ne id quod petat, exigere magis quam rogare videatur. Pseudoquintil. Decl. 286. Curt. iv. 1, 8. 2. Postulare and exigere denote simply a demand, without any enhancing accessory notion, as a quiet utterance of the will; postulare (diminutive of πόθος) more as a wish and will; exigere, more as a just claim; whereas poscere and flagitare, as an energetic demand; poscere (from πόθος) with decision, with a feeling of right or power; flagitare, with importunity, in consequence of a passionate and impatient eagerness. Tac. Hist. ii. 39. Othone per literas flagitante ut maturarent, militibus ut imperator pugnæ adesset poscentibus; plerique copias trans Padum agentes acciri postulabant. Cic. Verr. iii. 34. Incipiunt postulare, poscere, minari. Planc. 19. Poscere atque etiam flagitare crimen. Legg. i. 5. Postulatur a te jamdiu vel flagitatur potius historia. (v. 230.)
Conjugation conjugation 3
| form | present | imperfect | future | perfect | pluperfect | fut. perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | petō | petēbam | petam | petīvī petiī | petīveram petīram, petieram | petīverō petīrō, petierō |
| 2nd sg. | petis | petēbās | petēs | petīvistī petīstī, petiistī | petīverās petīrās, petierās | petīveris petīris, petieris |
| 3rd sg. | petit | petēbat | petet | petīvit petīt, petiit | petīverat petīrat, petierat | petīverit petīrit, petierit |
| 1st pl. | petimus | petēbāmus | petēmus | petīvimus petīmus, petiimus | petīverāmus petīrāmus, petierāmus | petīverimus petīrimus, petierimus |
| 2nd pl. | petitis | petēbātis | petētis | petīvistis petīstis, petiistis | petīverātis petīrātis, petierātis | petīveritis petīritis, petieritis |
| 3rd pl. | petunt | petēbant | petent | petīvērunt petīrunt, petīvēre, petiērunt, petiēre | petīverant petīrant, petierant | petīverint petīrint, petierint |
active subjunctive
| form | present | imperfect | perfect | pluperfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | petam | peterem | petīverim petīrim, petierim | petīvissem petīssem, petiissem |
| 2nd sg. | petās | peterēs | petīverīs petīrīs, petierīs | petīvissēs petīssēs, petiissēs |
| 3rd sg. | petat | peteret | petīverit petīrit, petierit | petīvisset petīsset, petiisset |
| 1st pl. | petāmus | peterēmus | petīverīmus petīrīmus, petierīmus | petīvissēmus petīssēmus, petiissēmus |
| 2nd pl. | petātis | peterētis | petīverītis petīrītis, petierītis | petīvissētis petīssētis, petiissētis |
| 3rd pl. | petant | peterent | petīverint petīrint, petierint | petīvissent petīssent, petiissent |
passive indicative
| form | present | imperfect | future |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | petor | petēbar | petar |
| 2nd sg. | peteris petere | petēbāris petēbāre | petēris petēre |
| 3rd sg. | petitur | petēbātur | petētur |
| 1st pl. | petimur | petēbāmur | petēmur |
| 2nd pl. | petiminī | petēbāminī | petēminī |
| 3rd pl. | petuntur | petēbantur | petentur |
passive subjunctive
| form | present | imperfect |
|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | petar | peterer |
| 2nd sg. | petāris petāre | peterēris peterēre |
| 3rd sg. | petātur | peterētur |
| 1st pl. | petāmur | peterēmur |
| 2nd pl. | petāminī | peterēminī |
| 3rd pl. | petantur | peterentur |
imperative
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| pres. 2nd sg. | pete | petere |
| pres. 2nd pl. | petite | petiminī |
| fut. 2nd sg. | petitō | petitor |
| fut. 3rd sg. | petitō | petitor |
| fut. 2nd pl. | petitōte | — |
| fut. 3rd pl. | petuntō | petuntor |
infinitives & participles
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| present infinitive | petere | petī |
| perfect infinitive | petīvisse petīsse, petiisse | petītum esse |
| future infinitive | petītūrum esse | petītum īrī |
| present participle | petēns petente, petentem, petentēs, petentī, petentia, petentibus, petentis, petentīs, petentium | — |
| perfect participle | — | petītus petīta, petītā, petītae, petītam, petītārum, petītās, petītī, petītōrum, petītōs |
| future participle | petītūrus petītūra, petītūrā, petītūrae, petītūram, petītūrārum, petītūrās, petītūre, petītūrī, petītūrīs, petītūrō, petītūrōrum, petītūrōs, petītūrum | petendus petundus |
gerundpetendī, petendō, petendumsupinepetītum, petītū
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- petere locum
- to go to a place
- fuga salutem petere
- to seek safety in flight.
- salutem petere a victore
- to beg for mercy from the conqueror.
- consilium petere ab aliquo
- to apply to a person for advice.
- petere magistratum, honores
- to seek office.
- oraculum petere (ab aliquo)
- to ask for an oracular response.
- petenti alicui negare aliquid
- to refuse, reject a request.
- poenam petere, repetere ab aliquo
- to exact a penalty from some one.
7 more phrases
- alicui petenti satisfacere, non deesse
- to accede to a man's petitions.
- aditum conveniendi or colloquium petere
- to ask a hearing, audience, interview.
- a Socrate exemplum virtutis petere, repetere
- to quote Socrates as a model of virtue.
- exempla a rerum Romanarum (Graecarum) memoria petita
- examples taken from Roman (Greek) history.
- ex invidia alicuius auram popularem petere (Liv. 22. 26)
- to use some one's unpopularity as a means of making oneself popular.
- argumentum ducere, sumere ex aliqua re or petere ab aliqua re
- to derive an argument from a thing.
- exempla petere, repetere a rerum gestarum memoria or historiarum (annalium, rerum gestarum) monumentis
- to borrow instances from history.
pĕto, īvi and ĭi, ītum, 3 (
I. perf. petīt, Verg. A. 9, 9;
Ov F. 1, 109: petisti, Cic. Cat. 1, 5, 11; Verg. A. 4, 100; 12, 359: petistis, Auct. Her. 4, 15, 22: petissem, Cic. Verr. 1, 55, 145; Ov. M. 5, 26; Liv. 30, 25, 2: petisse, Cic. Quint. 11, 37; Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 63, § 140; Ov. M. 9, 623; cf. Neue, Formenl. 2, 516 sq.), v. a. Sanscr. root pat-, to fall upon, fly, find; Gr. πετ- in πίπτω (πι-πέτω), to fall; cf. Lat. impetus and in πέτομαι, to fly; cf. Lat. penna, acci-pit-er, etc.; the root of πίπτω, and therefore orig. to fall, fall upon; hence, to endeavor to reach or attain any thing. I. To fall upon any thing.
A. Lit.
1. In a hostile sense, to rush at, attack, assault, assail; to let fly at, aim a blow at, thrust at, etc. (class.; cf.:
invado, aggredior): gladiatores et vitando caute, et petendo vehementer, Cic. Or. 68, 228: cujus latus mucro ille petebat, id. Lig. 3, 9: non latus aut ventrem, sed caput et collum petere, to thrust at, id. Mur. 26, 52: aliquem spiculo infeste, Liv. 2, 20: aliquem mālo, to throw an apple at any one, Verg. E. 3, 64: alicui ungue genas, Ov. A. A. 2, 452: aliquem saxis, id. de Nuce, 2: aprum jaculis, Suet. Tib. 72: aëra disco, Hor. S. 2, 2, 13: bello Penatìs, Verg. A. 3, 603: armis patriam, Vell. 2, 68, 3.—2. Without the notion of hostility: petere collum alicujus amplexu, to fall upon one's neck, to embrace one, M. Cael. ap. Quint. 4, 2, 124.—Esp. freq., to seek, to direct one's course to, to go or repair to, to make for, travel to a place:
grues loca calidiora petentes, Cic. N. D. 2, 49, 125: Cyzicum, id. Fam. 14, 4, 3: Dyrrhachium, id. Planc. 41, 97: naves, to seek, take refuge in their ships, Nep. Milt. 5, 5: caelum pennis, to fly, Ov. F. 3, 457: Graiis Phasi petite viris, visited by the Greeks, id. P. 4, 10, 52: Metellus Postumium ad bellum gerendum Africam petentem, ... urbem egredi passus non est, attempting to go, starting, Val. Max. 1, 1, 2.—Transf., of things, to proceed or go towards: campum petit amnis, Verg. G. 3, 522: mons petit astra, towers toward the stars, Ov. M. 1, 316: aliquem, to seek, go to a person: reginam, Verg. A. 1, 717: ut te supplex peterem, et tua limina adirem, id. ib. 6, 115: aliquid in locum or ad aliquem, to go to a place or person for something, to go in quest of, go to fetch: visum est tanti in extremam Italiam petere Brundisium ostreas, to go to Brundisium for oysters, Plin. 9, 54, 79, § 169: myrrham ad Troglodytas, id. 12, 15, 33, § 66: harena ad Aethiopas usque petitur, id. 36, 6, 9, § 51: collis, in quem vimina petebantur, id. 16, 10, 15, § 37: quaeque trans maria petimus, fetch, id. 19, 4, 19, §§ 58, 52.—II. Trop.
A. To attack, assail one with any thing (class.):
aiiquem epistulā, Cic. Att. 2, 2, 2: aliquem fraude et insidiis, Liv. 40, 55: aliquem falsis criminibus, Tac. A. 4, 31.—B. To demand, seek, require (cf. posco).
1. In gen.:
ita petit asparagus, Varr. R. R. 1, 23: ex iis tantum, quantum res petet, hauriemus, Cic. de Or. 3, 31, 123: aliquem in vincula, Quint. 7, 1, 55: aliquem ad supplicium, id. 7, 6, 6: poenas ab aliquo, to seek satisfaction from or revenge one's self on any one. ut poenas ab optimo quoque peteret sui doloris, Cic. Att. 1, 16, 7: ut merito ab eā poenas liberi sui petere debuerint, Quint. 3, 11, 12.—2. In partic.
a. To demand or claim at law, to bring an action to recover, to sue for any thing (syn.:
postulo): causam dicere Prius unde petitur ... Quam ille qui petit, Ter. Eun. prol. 11: qui per se litem contestatur, sibi soli petit, Cic. Rosc Com. 18, 53: aliquando cum servis Habiti furti egit; nuper ab ipso Habito petere coepit, id. Clu. 59, 163: qui non calumniā litium alienos fundos, sed castris, exercitu, signis inferendis petebat, id. Mil. 27, 74.—b. To beg, beseech, ask, request, desire, entreat (syn.: rogo, flagito, obsecro); constr with ab and abl. of pers. (cf. infra); ante- and postclass., with acc. of pers.:
vos volo, vos peto atque obsecro, Plaut. Curc. 1, 2, 60; freq. with ut: a te etiam atque etiam peto atque contendo, ut, etc., Cic. Fam. 13, 1, 5: peto quaesoque, ut, etc., id. ib. 5, 4, 2: peto igitur a te, vel, si pateris, oro, ut, id. ib. 9, 13, 3: petere in beneficii loco et gratiae, ut, id. Verr 2, 3, 82, § 189: petere precibus per litteras ab aliquo, ut, id. Sull. 19, 55: pacem ab aliquo, Caes. B. G. 2, 13: opem ab aliquo, Cic. Tusc. 5, 2, 5: vitam nocenti, Tac. A. 2, 31: petito, ut intrare urbem liceret, Just. 43, 5, 6.—Also, with id or illud, and ut, etc.: illud autem te peto, ut, etc., Dolab. ap. Cic. Fam. 9, 9, 2.—With obj.-clause (mostly poet.): arma umeris arcumque animosa petebat Ferre, Stat. Achill. 1, 352; cf.: cum peteret (solum) donari quasi proprio suo deo, Suet. Aug. 5: petit aes sibi dari εις ἄρτους, Gell. 9, 2, 1.—De aliquo (for ab aliquo), to beg or request of one (post-class.): si de me petisses, ut, etc., Dig. 13, 6, 5.—Ab aliquo aliquid alicui, to beg a thing of one person for another (class.): M. Curtio tribunatum a Caesare petivi, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 15, 3: ab aliquo pro aliquo petere, to intercede for: in eorum studiis, qui a te pro Ligario petunt, Cic. Lig. 10, 31.—With ex and abl. pers. (v. infra d.): eum petit litteris, ut ad Britanniam proficisceretur, Capitol. Pertin. 3, 5; Eutr. 2, 24.—Hence, pĕtītum, i, n., a prayer, desire, request, entreaty, Cat. 68, 39.—(b). Polit. t. t., to apply or solicit for an office, to be a candidate for office (different from ambire, to go about among the people to collect their votes, to canvass, which took place after the petitio):
nemo est ex iis, qui nunc petunt, qui, etc., Cic. Att. 1, 1, 2: consulatum, id. Phil. 2, 30, 76: praeturam, Cic. Verr. 1, 8, 23; Liv. 1, 35.—c. To solicit a person, to seek to possess, to woo:
libidine sic accensa (Sempronia) ut viros saepius peteret quam peteretur, Sall. C. 25, 3: cum te tam multi peterent, tu me una petisti, Prop. 3, 13, 27: formosam quisque petit, id. 3, 32, 4: multi illam petiere, Ov. M. 1, 478; cf.: quae tuus Vir petet, cave, ne neges; Ne petitum aliunde eat, Cat. 61, 151.—d. To endeavor to obtain or pursue, to seek, strive after any thing, Plaut. Ep. 1, 2, 40:
fugā salutem petere, Nep. Hann. 11, 4: praedam pedibus, Ov. M. 1, 534: gloriam, Sall. C. 54, 5: eloquentiae principatum, Cic. Or. 17, 56: sanguinis profusio vel fortuita vel petita, intentional, designed, produced by artificial means, Cels. 2, 8.—With inf.: bene vivere, Hor. Ep. 1, 11, 29: victricemque petunt dextrae conjungere dextram, Ov. M. 8, 421; 14, 571: conubiis natam sociare Latinis, Verg. A. 7, 96: aliquem transfigere ferro, Mart. 5, 51, 3.—With ex and abl., over, in the case of: ex hostibus victoriam petere, Liv. 8, 33, 13: supplicium ex se, non victoriam peti, id. 28, 19, 11: imperium ex victis hostibus populum Romanum petere, id. 30, 16, 7.—e. To fetch any thing:
qui argentum petit, Plaut. Ep. 1, 1, 53: cibum e flammā, Ter. Eun, 3, 2, 38: altius initium rei demonstrandae, Cic. Caecin. 4, 10: aliquid a Graecis, id. Ac. 1, 2, 8: a litteris exiguam doloris oblivionem, to obtain, id. Fam. 5, 15, 4: suspirium alte, to fetch a deep sigh, Plaut. Cist. 1, 1, 57; cf.: latere petitus imo spiritus, Hor. Epod. 11, 10; and: gemitus alto de corde petiti, Ov. M. 2, 622: haec ex veteri memoriā petita, Tac. H. 3, 5, 1.—f. To take, betake one's self to any thing:
iter a Vibone Brundisium terrā petere contendi, Cic. Planc. 40, 96: diversas vias, Val. Fl. 1, 91: alium cursum, to take another route, Cic. Att. 3, 8, 2: aliam in partem petebant fugam, betook themselves to flight, fled, Caes. B. G. 2, 24.—Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
petō īvī and iī (perf. petīt, V., O; petīstī, C., V.; petīsse, C., O.; petīssem, C., L, O.), petītus, ere
PET-, to strive for, seek, aim at, repair to, make for, travel to : summum locum, Cs.: maris oras: navīs, take refuge in , N.: Troia peteretur classibus, V.: caelum pennis, fly to , O.: Grais Phasi petite viris, visited by the Greeks , O.: ille Reginam petit, turns to , V.: campum petit amnis, V.: mons petit astra, rises to , O.— To fall upon, rush at, attack, assault, assail, fly at, aim at, thrust at : Indutiomarum, aim at , Cs.: cuius latus mucro ille petebat: non latus, sed caput, aim at : Tarquinium spiculo infeste, L.: Mālo me, throw an apple at , V.: cui petit ungue genas, O.: Vos turba saxis petens, stoning , H.—Fig., to attack, assail : me epistulā: uter ab utro petitus insidiis esset, L.— To demand, exact, require : ex iis tantum, quantum res petet, hauriemus: poenas ab optimo quoque sui doloris, i. e. exact satisfaction.—To demand at law, sue for, claim : unde petitur . . . qui petit, the defendant . . . the plaintiff , T.: qui per se litem contestatur, sibi soli petit: alienos fundos.— To beg, beseech, ask, request, desire, entreat : flentes pacem petere, Cs.: Curtio tribunatum a Caesare, ask for Curtius : a te pro Ligario, intercede with you for : reus ut absolvatur: a te, ut, etc.—Of office, to solicit, be a candidate : nemo est ex iis, qui nunc petunt, qui, etc.: ambitiose regnum, L.— To woo, court, solicit : ut viros saepius peteret quam peteretur, S.: illam, O.: virgo ad libidinem petita, L.— To pursue, seek, strive after, aim at : fugā salutem, Cs.: praedam pedibus, O.: gloriam, S.: eloquentiae principatum: bene vivere, H.: conubiis natam sociare Latinis, V.: ex hostium ducibus victoriam, over , L.: imperium ex victis hostibus, L.— To fetch, bring, elicit, obtain, wrest, draw : E flammā cibum, T.: custodem in vincula, V.: a litteris doloris oblivionem: latere petitus imo spiritus, H.: gemitūs alto de corde petiti, O.— To take, betake oneself to, repair to : alium cursum, take another route : aliam in partem fugam, betake themselves to flight , Cs.— To refer to, relate to : Troianos haec monstra petunt, V.
Origins
Inherited from Proto-Indo-European *péth₂eti (“to fly”), assuming a semantic shift from “to fly towards” to “to try to reach”.
Ibero-Romance
- Portuguesepedirfrom Old Galician-Portuguese pedir
- Portuguesepidirfrom Old Galician-Portuguese pedir
- Spanishpedir
- Galicianpedirfrom Old Galician-Portuguese pedir
- Asturianpidirfrom Old Leonese pidir
Insular Romance
- Sardinianpedire
- Sardinianpetire
Italo-Romance
- Italianpetire
- Italianpezzire
- Old Neapolitanpezzire
Elsewhere
- Sardinianpètere
- Italianpetere
- Old Frenchpeter
- Old Neapolitanpetere
Balkano-Romance
- Romanianpeți
Gallo-Romance
- Old Catalanpedir
- Old Occitanpedir
Borrowings
- Bretonpediñfrom Middle Breton pidiff
- Cornishpysifrom Middle Cornish pesy
- Welshpedi
In English words that came into English from petō
- repeatrepetō
- appetiteappetitus
- petitionpetitio
- competitioncompetitio
- competecompetō
- competentcompetens
- competitivecompetītus
- competitorcompetitor
- repetitionrepetitionem
- perpetualperpetuālis
- incompetentincompetentem
- competencecompetentia
- impetusimpetus
- perpetuateperpetuātus
- perpetuityperpetuitās
- centripetalcentripetālis
- competencycompetentia
- repetitiverepetitus
- impetigoimpetīgō
- acropetalpetō
- appetenceappetentia
- appetibleappetibilis
- compitalcompitus
- appetentappetēns