LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective

praeposterus

praeposterus (feminine praepostera, neuter praeposterum)
Classical[prae̯ˈpɔs.tɛ.rʊs]Ecclesiastical[preˈpɔs.te.rus]

Meaning

  1. adjectivereversed, inverted
  2. adjectiveperverted, distorted
  3. adjectiveabsurd, preposterous

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativepraeposteruspraeposterapraeposterum
genitivepraeposterīpraeposteraepraeposterī
dativepraeposterōpraeposteraepraeposterō
accusativepraeposterumpraeposterampraeposterum
ablativepraeposterōpraeposterāpraeposterō
vocativepraeposterepraeposterapraeposterum
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativepraeposterīpraeposteraepraepostera
genitivepraeposterōrumpraeposterārumpraeposterōrum
dativepraeposterīspraeposterīspraeposterīs
accusativepraeposterōspraeposterāspraepostera
ablativepraeposterīspraeposterīspraeposterīs
vocativepraeposterīpraeposteraepraepostera

prae-postĕrus, a, um, adj.,
I. reversed, inverted, perverted, distorted, absurd, preposterous, unseasonable, etc. (class.; syn.: intempestivus, perversus).
I. Of persons, absurd, preposterous: ut erat semper praeposterus atque perversus, Cic. Clu. 26, 71: imperator, id. Pis. 38, 92: homines, Sall. J. 85, 12.—
II. Of things concr. and abstract: praeposteri ficus, figs out of season, too late, Plin. 16, 27, 51, § 117: natalis, an inverted birth, i. e. with the feet foremost, id. 7, 8, 6, § 46: praeposteri aut praeproperi rigores, id. 18, 25, 57, § 208: dies, id. 17, 24, 37, § 216: frigus, Sen. Ep. 23, 1: quid tam perversum praeposterumve dici, aut excogitari potest? Cic. Rab. Post. 13, 37: ut ne quid perturbatum ac discrepans, aut praeposterum sit, id. de Or. 3, 11, 40: tempora, id. ib. 3, 13, 49: gratulatio, id. Sull. 32, 91: consilia, id. Lael. 22, 85: ordo, Lucr. 3, 621: praepostera et intempestiva oratio, Plin. Ep. 6, 5, 3.—Hence, adv.: praepostĕrē, in a reversed order, irregularly (class.): litteras reddere, Cic. Att. 7, 16, 1: agere cum aliquo, id. Ac. 2, 20, 67: laevus calceus praepostere inductus, the left inslead of the right, Plin. 2, 7, 5, § 24: dicere aliquid, Plin. Ep. 3, 9, 28: syllogismo uti, Gell. 2, 8, 1; and praepostero, Sen. Ep. 3, 2.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*per-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*preh₂-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*préh₂i?
  4. Proto-Italic*prai
  5. Proto-Italic*prai-
  6. Latinpraeposterus

Proto-Indo-European *pós Proto-Indo-European *-ti Proto-Indo-European *pósti Proto-Italic *posti Proto-Indo-European *-teros Proto-Italic *-teros Proto-Italic *posteros Latin posterus Latin praeposterus From prae- + posterus.

Descendants
  • Englishpreposterous
  • Italianprepostero
  • Portugueseprepóstero
  • Spanishprepóstero

In English words that came into English from praeposterus

  • preposterouspraeposterus

Quick answers

What does praeposterus mean in Latin?
praeposterus, a adjective, means “reversed, inverted; perverted, distorted; absurd, preposterous”.
How do you pronounce praeposterus?
In classical Latin, [prae̯ˈpɔs.tɛ.rʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [preˈpɔs.te.rus].
Where does praeposterus come from?
Proto-Indo-European *per- → Proto-Indo-European *preh₂- → Proto-Indo-European *préh₂i? → Proto-Italic *prai → Proto-Italic *prai- → Latin praeposterus.