LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · neutersecond declension

prooemium

prooemium n (genitive prooemiī or prooemī)
Classical[proˈoe̯.mi.ũː]Ecclesiastical[proˈɛː.mi.um]

Meaning

  1. neutera preface, introduction, prelude
    Similiter etiam proœmium antiqviſſimi libri LANDNAMÆ: Sed anteqvam Islandia habitari (a Norvegis) cœpit, viri illic erant, qvos Norvegi Papas appellant.Similarly, the preface to the most ancient book, the Landnámabók, states that before Iceland was settled by the Norwegians, there were men there whom the Norwegians call Papas.1772, Finnur Jónsson, chapter 1, in Historia Ecclesiastica Islandiæ [The Ecclesiastical History of Iceland], volume 1, Copenhagen: Orphanotrophius Regii, section 3, page 2:
  2. neuterpoetica beginning

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeprooemiumprooemia
prohēmia
genitiveprooemiī
prooemī, prohēmiī		prooemiōrum
prohēmiōrum
dativeprooemiō
prohēmiō		prooemiīs
prohēmiīs
accusativeprooemiumprooemia
prohēmia
ablativeprooemiō
prohēmiō		prooemiīs
prohēmiīs
vocativeprooemiumprooemia
prohēmia

prŏoemĭum, ii, n., = προοίμιον.
I. An introduction, preface, proem (class.; syn.: exordium, principium): quod principium Latine vel exordium dicitur, majore quădam ratione Graeci videntur προοίμιον nominasse: quia a nostris initium modo significatur, illi satis clare partem hanc esse ante ingressum rei, de quă dicendum sit, ostendunt ..certe prooemium est, quod apud judicem, priusquam causam cognoverit, prosit, Quint. 4, 1, 1; cf. id. 4, 1, 53; 2, 13, 1; 3, 9, 1; 3, 11, 28 et saep.: citharoedi prooemium, prelude, Cic. de Or. 2, 80, 325: longo et alte petito prooemio respondere, id. Clu. 21, 58' volumen prooemiorum . .prooemio abuti prooemium exarare, desecare, agglutinare, id. Att. 16, 6, 4: legis prooemium, id. Leg. 2, 7, 16.—
II. Transf., in gen., a beginning (poet.): rixae, Juv 3, 288.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*per-der.?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*per-der.?
  3. Proto-Indo-European*pér
  4. Latinprooemium

Proto-Indo-European *próder. Ancient Greek πρό (pró) Ancient Greek προ- (pro-) Ancient Greek οἶμος (oîmos) Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Ancient Greek -ῐος (-ĭos)? Ancient Greek -ῐον (-ĭon) Ancient Greek προοίμιον (prooímion)bor. Latin prooemium Borrowed from Ancient Greek προοίμιον (prooímion).

Descendants
  • Catalanproemi
  • Englishproem
  • Frenchproême
  • GermanProömium
  • Italianproemio
  • Portugueseproémio
  • Spanishproemio

In English words that came into English from prooemium

  • proemiumprooemium
  • proemprooemium

Quick answers

What does prooemium mean in Latin?
prooemium, a noun, means “a preface, introduction, prelude; a beginning”.
What is the genitive of prooemium?
The genitive singular is prooemiī. prooemium is neuter, second declension.
How do you pronounce prooemium?
In classical Latin, [proˈoe̯.mi.ũː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [proˈɛː.mi.um].
Where does prooemium come from?
Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? → Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? → Proto-Indo-European *pér → Latin prooemium.