LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
verbthird conjugation, suppletive

prōferō

prōferō (present infinitive prōferre, perfect active prōtulī, supine prōlātum)
Classical[ˈproː.fɛ.roː]Ecclesiastical[ˈprɔː.fe.ro]

Meaning

  1. suppletiveto bring out, bring forth
    signa proferreto push forward the army
    aliquid in medium proferreto expose something publicly
  2. suppletiveto make known, produce in public, publish, reveal
  3. suppletiveto appear, show oneself
  4. suppletiveto offer, proffer, present
  5. suppletiveto stretch out, extend
    Habēbat autem iūs prōferendī pōmēriī quī populum Rōmānum agrō dē hostibus captō auxerat.He who had enlarged the Roman peoples with captured land had the right of extending the Pomerium.c. 177 CE, Aulus Gellius, Noctes Atticae 13.14.3
  6. suppletiveto march on, advance
  7. figurativelysuppletiveto produce, induce growth
  8. suppletiveto utter, pronounce
  9. suppletiveto put off, defer, adjourn
  10. suppletiveto bring out, represent distinctly
    […]Cīmōnem Cleōnaeum. Hic catagrapha invēnit, hoc est oblīquās imāginēs, et variē fōrmāre voltūs, respicientēs suspicientēsve vel dēspicientēs; articulīs membra distīnxit, vēnās prōtulit, praeterque in vestibus rūgās et sinūs invēnit.[…] Cimon of Cleonae. He invented profile paintings, that is, side-views, and fashioning faces in different ways: looking back, up or down; he distinguished members from joints, brought out the veins, and beside that devised creases and folds in clothes.77 CE – 79 CE, Plinius Maior, Naturalis Historia 35.56
  11. figurativelysuppletiveto raise or elevate oneself from a lower station
  12. suppletiveto make known, publicize
  13. suppletiveto discover, invent
  14. suppletiveto quote, cite, mention
    DEMIPHO. Dī tibi maleficiant! PHORMIO. Prīmus essēs memoriterDEMIPHO. May the Gods confound you! PHORMIO. You'd have been the first, from memory, to cite your line of kindred, even as far back as from grandfather and great-grandfather.161 BCE, Publius Terentius Afer, Phormio 2.3.48
  15. suppletiveto impel
  16. suppletiveto prolong

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

ante oculōs ferre, mōnstrāre
bring forth; postpone
prōferō -ferre — in De Bello Gallico III, ch. 16
ultrā extendō
prōferō -ferre — in Aeneis, ch. 16

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Differre · Proferre · Procrastinare · Prorogare

1. Differre denotes delay in a negative sense, whereby a thing is not done at present, but laid aside; whereas proferre and procrastinare, delay in a positive sense, as that which is to take place at a future time; proferre refers to some other time in general; procrastinare, to the very next opportunity. 2. Differre denotes an action, the beginning of which is put off; prorogare, a condition or state, the ending of which is put off, as to protract. (vi. 102.)

Conjugation conjugation 3

active indicative
formpresentimperfectfutureperfectpluperfectfut. perfect
1st sg.prōferōprōferēbamprōferamprōtulīprōtuleramprōtulerō
2nd sg.prōfersprōferēbāsprōferēsprōtulistīprōtulerāsprōtuleris
3rd sg.prōfertprōferēbatprōferetprōtulitprōtuleratprōtulerit
1st pl.prōferimusprōferēbāmusprōferēmusprōtulimusprōtulerāmusprōtulerimus
2nd pl.prōfertisprōferēbātisprōferētisprōtulistisprōtulerātisprōtuleritis
3rd pl.prōferuntprōferēbantprōferentprōtulērunt
prōtulēre		prōtulerantprōtulerint
active subjunctive
active subjunctive
formpresentimperfectperfectpluperfect
1st sg.prōferamprōferremprōtulerimprōtulissem
2nd sg.prōferāsprōferrēsprōtulerīsprōtulissēs
3rd sg.prōferatprōferretprōtuleritprōtulisset
1st pl.prōferāmusprōferrēmusprōtulerīmusprōtulissēmus
2nd pl.prōferātisprōferrētisprōtulerītisprōtulissētis
3rd pl.prōferantprōferrentprōtulerintprōtulissent
passive indicative
passive indicative
formpresentimperfectfuture
1st sg.prōferorprōferēbarprōferar
2nd sg.prōferris
prōferre		prōferēbāris
prōferēbāre		prōferēris
prōferēre
3rd sg.prōferturprōferēbāturprōferētur
1st pl.prōferimurprōferēbāmurprōferēmur
2nd pl.prōferiminīprōferēbāminīprōferēminī
3rd pl.prōferunturprōferēbanturprōferentur
passive subjunctive
passive subjunctive
formpresentimperfect
1st sg.prōferarprōferrer
2nd sg.prōferāris
prōferāre		prōferrēris
prōferrēre
3rd sg.prōferāturprōferrētur
1st pl.prōferāmurprōferrēmur
2nd pl.prōferāminīprōferrēminī
3rd pl.prōferanturprōferrentur
imperative
imperative
formactivepassive
pres. 2nd sg.prōferprōferre
pres. 2nd pl.prōferteprōferiminī
fut. 2nd sg.prōfertōprōfertor
fut. 3rd sg.prōfertōprōfertor
fut. 2nd pl.prōfertōte—
fut. 3rd pl.prōferuntōprōferuntor
infinitives & participles
infinitives & participles
formactivepassive
present infinitiveprōferreprōferrī
perfect infinitiveprōtulisseprōlātum esse
future infinitiveprōlātūrum esseprōlātum īrī
present participleprōferēns—
perfect participle—prōlātus
prōlāta, prōlātā, prōlātae, prōlātam, prōlātārum, prōlātās, prōlāte, prōlātī, prōlātīs, prōlātō, prōlātōrum, prōlātōs
future participleprōlātūrus
prōlātūra, prōlātūrā, prōlātūrae, prōlātūram, prōlātūrārum, prōlātūrās, prōlātūre, prōlātūrī, prōlātūrīs, prōlātūrō, prōlātūrōrum, prōlātūrōs, prōlātūrum		prōferendus
prōferundus, prōferenda, prōferendā, prōferendae, prōferendam, prōferendārum, prōferendās, prōferende, prōferendīs, prōferendōrum, prōferendōs
gerundprōferendī, prōferendō, prōferendumsupineprōlātum, prōlātū

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

in medium proferre aliquid
to bring a subject forward into discussion.
diem proferre (Att. 13. 14)
to adjourn, delay.
aliquem testem dare, edere, proferre
to produce as a witness.
locum Platonis afferre, proferre (not citare)
to quote a passage of Plato.
fines (imperii) propagare, extendere, (longius) proferre
to enlarge the boundaries of a kingdom.
aliquem (aliquid) exempli causa ponere, proferre, nominare, commemorare
to cite a person or a thing as an example.
foras efferri, palam fieri, percrebrescere, divulgari, in medium proferri, exire, emanare
to become known, become a topic of common conversation (used of things).

prō-fĕro, tŭli, lātum, ferre (
I. inf. pass. parag. proferrier, Lucr. 1, 207; proferis for profers, Firm. Mat. 22, 3), v. a.
I. Lit.
A. To carry or bring out, to bring forth (class.; cf.: prodo, produco, adduco): Al. Vin' proferri pateram? Am. Proferri volo. Al. Fiat: tu, Thessala, intus pateram proferto foras, Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 137: arma tormentaque ex oppido, Caes. B. C. 2, 22: (nummos) ex arcā, Cic. Rosc. Com. 11, 29.—
2. To extend, stretch, or thrust out: linguam in tussiendo, Plaut. As. 4, 1, 50: manum, id. Ps. 3, 2, 72: digitum, Cic. Caecin. 25, 71.—
3. Se proferre, to raise one's self, show one's self, appear (post-Aug.): draco e pulvino se proferens, Suet. Ner. 6.—
4. To offer, proffer: alicui minas viginti argenti, Plaut. As. 3, 3, 60.—Esp.,
5. Proferre gradum or pedem, to go on, proceed: gradum proferam, progredi properabo, Plaut. Men. 5, 2, 2: gradum pedum proferre, Enn ap Fest. p. 249: passus, Lucr 4, 874: longe pedem, Quint. 11, 3, 160; cf.: pedem, Hor A. P 135. —
6. As milit. t. t.: signa proferre, to advance the standards, march on, Liv 4, 32, 10; so, proferre inde castra, id. 10, 33, 7: quidquid ab urbe longius proferrent arma, id. 7, 32, 6.—Also,
7. Nautical t t.: pedibus profatis in contrarium navigare, to sail close to the wind, Plin. 2, 47, 48; cf.: prolato pede transversos captare notos, Sen. Med. 321.—
B. Transf.
1. To bring forth, produce, cause to grow, of plants (postAug.): caelum laurum patitur, atque etiam nitidissimam profert, Plin. Ep. 5, 6, 4: semen, Plin. 17, 13, 20, § 95 (al. perfert). —
2. Of pronunciation, to utter, pronounce (post-Aug.): extremas syllabas, Quint. 11, 3, 33.—
3. To extend, enlarge (class.): castra, Caes, B. C. 1, 81: et proferre libet fines, Juv. 14, 142: pomoerium, Gell. 13, 14, 2.—
4. To put off, defer, adjourn, etc. (class.): rem aliquot dies, Cat. ap. Gell. 7, 3, 14: auctionis diem laxius proferre, Cic. Att. 13, 14, 1: aliquid in diem posterum, Gell. 1, 23, 5; cf. Liv. 3, 20, 6.—
5. Of a painter, to bring out, to represent distinctly (post-Aug.); venas protulit, Plin. 35, 8, 34, § 56.—
II. Trop.
A. With se, to raise, elevate one's self (post-Aug.): qui se ipsi protulerunt, who have raised themselves from ignorance, Sen. Ep. 52, 3; Plin. Ep. 1, 13, 1.—
B. To bring out, make known, produce in public, publish (class.): ejus (orationis) proferendae arbitrium tuum, Cic. Att. 15, 13, 1: artem, to exhibit publicly, Suet. Ner 25—
C. To bring forth, produce, invent, discover, make known, reveal (class.): artem, Cic. Ac. 2, 1, 2: palam proferre aliquid, Ter Ad. 3, 2, 41: cum illa indicia communis exitii indagavi, patefeci, protuli, Cic. Mil. 37, 102: aliquid foras, id. Cael. 23, 57: rem in medium, id. Fam. 15, 2, 6: secreta animi, Plin. 14, 22, 28, § 141: Montanum, quia protulerit ingenium, extorrem agi, displayed his genius, Tac. A. 16, 29 fin.—
D. To bring forward, quote, cite, mention (class.); libros, Cic. N. D. 1, 40, 113: testes, legatos, id. Balb. 18, 41: auctores, id. de Or 2, 71, 290: nominatim multos, id. Rosc. Am 16, 47; paucos belli duces praestantissimos, id. de Or 1, 2, 7: vinolentiam alicujus, id. Phil. 2, 39, 101: vim, potentiam, factiones, divitias, clientelas, affinitates adversariorum, Auct. Her. 1, 5, 8: aliquid in medium, Cic. Verr 2, 4, 52, § 115; id. Fin. 2, 23, 76; Plaut. Am. 2, 1, 41: memoriter Progeniem suam usque ab avo atque atavo, Ter Phorm. 2, 3, 48: exempla omnium nota, Cic. Div 1, 46, 103.—
E. To extend, enlarge: fines officiorum, Cic. Mur. 31, 65: memoriam alicujus, to prolong, Plin. Ep. 5, 12, 2: ut vita ejus debuerit inmortalitate proferri, id. ib. 2, 7, 4; 3, 7, 14.—
F. To impel: si paulo longius pietas Caecilium protulisset, Cic. Sull. 23, 64.—With se: cum se ad clarissimorum civium strages caedesque proferret, Plin. Pan. 48.—
G. To lengthen out, prolong (class.): beatam vitam usque ad rogum proferre, Cic. Fin. 3, 22, 76: ut depositi proferret fata parentis, Verg. A. 12, 395.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*per-der.?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*per-der.?
  3. Proto-Indo-European*pér
  4. Proto-Indo-European*pró
  5. Proto-Indo-European*pro-
  6. Proto-Italic*pro-
  7. Latinprōferō

Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *bʰéreti Proto-Italic *ferō Latin ferō Latin prōferō From prō- (“in front of”) + ferō (“carry, bear”).

Descendants
  • Englishprofer
  • Englishprolate
  • Englishprofert
  • Frenchproférer
  • Italianproferire
  • Spanishproferir

In English words that came into English from prōferō

  • prolateprolatum
  • proferproferre
  • prolationprolationem
  • profertprofert

Quick answers

What does prōferō mean in Latin?
prōferō, a verb, means “to bring out, bring forth; to make known, produce in public, publish, reveal; to appear, show oneself”.
What are the principal parts of prōferō?
prōferō, prōferre, prōtulī, prōlātum (third conjugation, suppletive).
How do you pronounce prōferō?
In classical Latin, [ˈproː.fɛ.roː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈprɔː.fe.ro].
Where does prōferō come from?
Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? → Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? → Proto-Indo-European *pér → Proto-Indo-European *pró → Proto-Indo-European *pro- → Proto-Italic *pro- → Latin prōferō.
Which English words come from prōferō?
English words that go back to Latin prōferō include prolate, profer, prolation and profert.