LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective

precārius

precārius (feminine precāria, neuter precārium)
Classical[prɛˈkaː.ri.ʊs]Ecclesiastical[preˈkaː.ri.us]

Meaning

  1. adjectiverelated to entreaty or petition
  2. adjectiveobtained by entreaty or by mere favor
  3. adjectivedoubtful, uncertain, precarious

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativeprecāriusprecāriaprecārium
genitiveprecāriīprecāriaeprecāriī
dativeprecāriōprecāriaeprecāriō
accusativeprecāriumprecāriamprecārium
ablativeprecāriōprecāriāprecāriō
vocativeprecārieprecāriaprecārium
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativeprecāriīprecāriaeprecāria
genitiveprecāriōrumprecāriārumprecāriōrum
dativeprecāriīsprecāriīsprecāriīs
accusativeprecāriōsprecāriāsprecāria
ablativeprecāriīsprecāriīsprecāriīs
vocativeprecāriīprecāriaeprecāria

prĕcārĭus, a, um, adj. id.,
I. obtained by begging, entreaty, or prayer (opp. debitus and pro imperio; not freq. till the Aug. per.; perh. used by Cic. only adverbially; v. infra).
I. Lit.: non orare solum precariam opem, sed pro debitā petere, obtained by entreaty, from mere favor, Liv. 3, 47, 2; cf.: tribunicia potestas, precarium, non justum auxilium ferens, id. 8, 35: vita, Tac. H. 4, 76: precariam animam inter infensos trahere, id. A. 1, 42: imperium (quasi precibus concessum, ac propterea, quandocumque lubeat, rursus adimendum, Orell.), id. H. 1, 52. —Hence, as subst.: prĕcārĭum, ii, n., any thing granted or lent upon request and at the will of the grantor: precarium est, quod precibus petenti utendum conceditur tam diu, quamdiu is qui concessit patitur: quod genus liberalitatis ex jure gentium descendit, et distat a donatione eo, quod qui donat sic dat, ne recipiat: qui precario concedit sic dat, quasi tunc recepturus, cum sibi libuerit precarium solvere, Dig. 43, 26, 1.—
II. Transf., depending on the will of another, doubtful, uncertain, transient, precarious: forma, Ov. M. 9, 76: sapiens corpus suum, seque ipsum inter precaria numerat, precarious, uncertain, transitory things, Sen. Tranq. 11, 1: fulgor, passing quickly by, very transient, Symm. Or. ap. Val. 1, 6.— Hence, adv.: prĕcārĭō, by entreaty or request (class.): hoc petere me precario a vobis jussit, Plaut. Am. prol. 24: cum aliquo agere precario, id. Truc. 4, 1, 12: vel vi vel clam vel precario, Ter. Eun. 2, 3, 28: si precario essent rogandi, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 23, § 59: exegit, Suet. Claud. 12: praefuit, on sufferance, Tac. Agr. 16: precario studeo, am obliged, as it were, to beg time for study, Plin. Ep. 7, 30, 4: precario possidere, by sufferance, Paul. Sent. 5, 6, 11: ancillam quis precario rogaverit, Dig. 43, 26, 10.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*preḱ-
  2. Proto-Italic*preks
  3. Latinprecārius

Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -ārius Latin precārius From prec- (“prayer, request”) + -ārius (adjective-forming suffix).

Descendants
  • Catalanprecari
  • Englishprecarious
  • Frenchprécaire
  • Italianprecario
  • Occitanprecari
  • Portugueseprecário
  • Romanianprecar
  • Spanishprecario

Quick answers

What does precārius mean in Latin?
precārius, a adjective, means “related to entreaty or petition; obtained by entreaty or by mere favor; doubtful, uncertain, precarious”.
How do you pronounce precārius?
In classical Latin, [prɛˈkaː.ri.ʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [preˈkaː.ri.us].
Where does precārius come from?
Proto-Indo-European *preḱ- → Proto-Italic *preks → Latin precārius.