LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective

prōlixus

prōlixus (feminine prōlixa, neuter prōlixum, comparative prōlixior, adverb prōlixē)
Classical[proːˈlɪk.sʊs]Ecclesiastical[proˈlik.sus]

Meaning

  1. adjectivestretched out, extended
  2. adjectivecourteous
  3. adjectivefavorable

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Passi · Prolixi · Sparsi

Passi capilli denotes loose hair, in opp. to cohibiti nodo; whereas prolixi capilli denotes hair suffered to hang down, in opp. to religati in verticem; lastly, sparsi capilli denotes dishevelled hair, in opp. to pexi. (vi. 258.)

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativeprōlixusprōlixaprōlixum
genitiveprōlixīprōlixaeprōlixī
dativeprōlixōprōlixaeprōlixō
accusativeprōlixumprōlixamprōlixum
ablativeprōlixōprōlixāprōlixō
vocativeprōlixeprōlixaprōlixum
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativeprōlixīprōlixaeprōlixa
genitiveprōlixōrumprōlixārumprōlixōrum
dativeprōlixīsprōlixīsprōlixīs
accusativeprōlixōsprōlixāsprōlixa
ablativeprōlixīsprōlixīsprōlixīs
vocativeprōlixīprōlixaeprōlixa

prō-lixus, a, um, adj. laxus,
I. stretched far out, long, broad (syn.: latus, spatiosus).
I. Lit. (not in Cic.): capillus passus prolixus, Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 49 Umpfenb. (Fleck. prolixe): comae, Ov. Tr. 4, 2, 34: barba, Verg. E. 8, 34 (Forbig. promissa): caudae (opp. breves), Varr. R. R. 2, 2, 3: villi, Col. 7, 3, 7: arbores, Varr. R. R. 1, 9, 5: ramus, Suet. Vesp. 5: cervix, Col. 7, 3, 7: statura, id. 1, 9, 3; cf.: prolixo corpore erat, Suet. Claud. 30: tunicae, Gell. 7, 12. —Comp.: arator prolixior, taller, stouter, Col. 1, 9, 3: prolixiora quaedam nascuntur, Varr. R. R. 1, 6, 4.—
II. Trop.
A. In gen., long, extended (ante- and postclass.): prolixae aetatis homines, i. e. of great age, Dig. 50, 6, 5 fin.; cf.: prolixioris temporis spatium, ib. 49, 14, 45: non tam prolixo provolat ictu, far-reaching, distant, Lucr. 4, 1245: si cognitio prolixiorem tractatum habeat, Dig. 33, 1, 13.—Sup.: labor (with largus), Jul. Val. Rer. Gest. Alex. M. 1, 57 Mai.—Neutr. adverb.: prolixum ejulare, greatly, violently, App. M. 8, p. 205, 15. —
B. In partic.
1. in speech, prolix (post-class.): cujus exemplum, ne sim prolixus, omisi, Macr. S. 3, 7 fin.—
2. Comprehensive in meaning (post-class.): existimo longe esse amplius, prolixius, fusius in significandā totius prope civitatis multitudine mortales quam homines dixisse, Gell. 13, 28, 3—
3. Of circumstances, favorable, fortunate (class.): rebus secundis atque prolixis atque prosperis, Cato ap. Gell. 7, 3, 14: cetera spero prolixa esse his duntaxat, Cic. Att. 1, 1, 2.—
4. Of disposition and conduct, well-disposed, obliging, courteous (Ciceron.): prolixa beneficaque natura, Cic. Fam. 3, 8, 8: animus libens et prolixus, id. Att. 16, 16, C, 4: Ariobarzanes in Pompeium prolixior, id. ib. 6, 3, 5.—Hence, adv.: prō-lixē, largely, abundantly, copiously (class.): capillus passus prolixe et circum caput Rejectus neglegenter, Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 49 Fleck. (Umpfenb. passus prolixus): prolixe cumulateque facere aliquid, Cic. Fl. 36, 89: prolixe et celeriter facere aliquid, id. Att. 16, 16, A, § 6: prolixe fuseque laudare, Gell. 5, 1, 2: promittere, Cic. Fam. 7, 5, 1: in quo (delectu) parum prolixe respondent Campani coloni, do not announce themselves in very great numbers, id. Att. 7, 14, 2: arbores prolixe foliatae, App. M. 4, p. 143, 15.— Comp.: largius prolixiusque fruere, Gell. 1, 22, 10: fabulari, id. 12, 1, 4: accipit hominem prolixius, Ter. Eun. 5, 8, 52: fovere aliquem, Suet. Tit. 7; cf.: et factus in agoniā, prolixius orabat, more earnestly, Vulg. Luc. 22, 44.

Origins

From prō- (“forward, before, in front”) + *lixus (compare ēlixus); the unprefixed adjective probably descends from Proto-Italic *liksos, from Proto-Indo-European *wleykʷ- (“moist, to wet”) and originally had a sense like "fluid, flowing". Cognate with lixa and liqueō.

Descendants
  • Englishprolix
  • Frenchprolixe
  • Italianprolisso
  • Portugueseprolixo
  • Spanishprolijo
  • Galicianprolixo

In English words that came into English from prōlixus

  • prolixprōlixus
  • prolixityprolixitas

Quick answers

What does prōlixus mean in Latin?
prōlixus, a adjective, means “stretched out, extended; courteous; favorable”.
How do you pronounce prōlixus?
In classical Latin, [proːˈlɪk.sʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [proˈlik.sus].