LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective

proprius

proprius (feminine propria, neuter proprium)
Classical[ˈprɔ.pri.ʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈprɔː.pri.us]
№ 854 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. adjectiveappropriate to oneself: (one's) proper, (one's) own (inalienably)
  2. adjectivebelonging to oneself as property, or goods: (one's) own (alienably)
    aliī dīvidunt propria et dītiōrēs fīunt aliī rapiunt nōn sua et semper in egestāte suntSome distribute their own goods, and grow richer: others take away what is not their own, and are always in want. (Douay-Rheims trans., Challoner rev.: 1752 CE)c. 347 CE – 420 CE, Hieronymus, Vulgate Proverbs.11.24
  3. adjectiveparticular to one individual, group, or case: characteristic, distinctive, eccentric, idiosyncratic, individual, specialized
    nōmen propriumproper noun
  4. adjectivegoing on without end: lasting, constant, permanent, perpetual
    PAMPHILUS: Ego deōrum vītam proptereā sempiternam esse arbitror / quod voluptātēs eōrum propriae sunt; nam mihi immortālitās / parta est, sī nūlla aegritūdō huic gaudiō intercesserit.PAMPHILUS: That’s why I believe the life of gods to be eternal — because their own pleasures are permanent. For [this same reason], my immortality has been secured — if no grief interferes with this joy.166 BCE, Publius Terentius Afer, Andria 959–961
  5. adjectivenot shared with others: personal, private, exclusive
  6. adjectiveproper to, characteristic of a given set of persons or things
    Quārē, quoniam id, quod est prīmum, et quod huius imperiī disciplīnaeque maiōrum proprium est, facere nōndum audeō, faciam id, quod est ad sevēritātem lēnius et ad commūnem salūtem ūtilius.Therefore, since I do not yet dare to do that which is best — and which is characteristic of this authority and the discipline of our ancestors — I will do that which, in regard to severity, is milder, and in regard to the common welfare, more useful.63 BCE, Cicero, In Catilinam orationes 1.12
  7. adjectiveconcrete, specific
  8. adjectiveused of proper nouns

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

quod ūnīus sōlīus est, nōn commūne.
proprius -a -um — in Mille Verba, ch. Lūdī Puerōrum

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Privus · Proprius · Peculiaris

Privus means one’s own, in opp. to alienus, that which belongs to another, like οἰκεῖος; proprius, that which is exclusively one’s own, in opp. to communis, that which is common, like ἴδιος; lastly, peculiaris, that which is especially one’s own, in opp. to universalis, that to which all are entitled. (iv. 344.)

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativepropriuspropriaproprium
genitivepropriīpropriaepropriī
dativepropriōpropriaepropriō
accusativepropriumpropriamproprium
ablativepropriōpropriāpropriō
vocativepropriepropriaproprium
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativepropriīpropriaepropria
genitivepropriōrumpropriārumpropriōrum
dativepropriīspropriīspropriīs
accusativepropriōspropriāspropria
ablativepropriīspropriīspropriīs
vocativepropriīpropriaepropria

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

vocabulum proprium
the proper term; a word used strictly.
aliquid est proprium alicuius
something is a characteristic of a man.

prō^prĭus, a, um, adj. etym. dub.; perhaps from root prae; cf. prope,
I. not common with others, one's own, special, particular, proper (class.; cf.: peculiaris, privatus).
I. In gen., opp. communis: nam virtutem propriam mortalibus fecit: cetera promiscue voluit communia habere, Varr. ap. Non. 361, 25: proprium et peculiare, Plin. 7, 25, 26, § 93: tria praedia Capitoni propria traduntur, to him for his own, Cic. Rosc. Am. 8, 21: proprio sumptu edere ludos, Tac. A. 1, 15: propriā pecuniā militem juvare, id. ib. 1, 71: basilicam propriā pecuniā firmare, id. ib. 3, 72 init.; id. H. 2, 84: propria impensa, Just. 12, 11, 1: propriis viribus, Liv. 2, 53: familia, id. 7, 9: libri, Hor S. 1, 10, 64: horreum, id. C. 1, 1, 9: proprio Marte, by his own bravery, Ov. P. 4, 7, 14.—With pron. poss. (class. and freq.): ut cum ademerit nobis omnia, quae nostra erant propria, ne lucem quoque hanc, quae communis est, eripere cupiat, all that belonged peculiarly to us, Cic. Rosc. Am. 52, 150: suā quādam propriā, non communi oratorum facultate, id. de Or. 1, 10, 44: ut redeas ad consuetudinem vel nostram communem vel tuam solius et propriam, Luc. ap. Cic. Fam. 5, 14, 3: omnia qui jubet esse communia, ne quis civis propriam aut suam rem ullam queat dicere, Cic. Rep 4, 5, 5; id. ap. Non. p. 362: suis propriis periculis parere commune reliquis otium, id. Rep. 1, 4, 7: quod (periculum) autem meum erat proprium, id. Fam. 2, 17, 7; id. Sest. 7, 15; calamitatem aut propriam suam aut temporum queri, Caes. B. C. 3, 20.—
B. Opp. alienus, etc., one's own, peculiar, special, characteristic, personal: tempus agendi fuit mihi magis proprium quam ceteris, Cic. Sull. 3, 9: reliquae partes quales propriae sunt hominis, id. Fin. 5, 12, 35: id non proprium senectutis est vitium, sed commune valetudinis, id. Sen. 11, 35: libertatem propriam Romani generis, id. Phil. 3, 11, 29: proprium id Tiberio fuit, Tac. A. 4, 19: ira, personal resentment, id. ib. 2, 55.—As subst.: prō^prĭ-um, i, n.
1. Lit., a possession, property: id est cujusque proprium, quo quisque fruitur atque utitur, Cic. Fam. 7, 30, 2: vivere de proprio, Mart. 12, 78, 2.—
2. Trop., a characteristic mark, a sign, characteristic, etc., Cic. Off. 1, 1, 2; 2, 5, 17; Caes. B. G. 6, 23.—
II. In partic., peculiar, extraordinary: nisi mihi fortuna proprium consilium extorsisset, Sent. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 35, 1: superbo decreto addidit propriam ignominiam, Liv. 35, 33.—
B. Lasting, constant, permanent, perpetual (class.): illum amatorem tibi proprium futurum in vitā, Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 67; Att. ap. Non. 362, 5: nihil in vitā proprium mortali datum esse, Lucil. ib. 362, 15: alicui proprium atque perpetuum, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 16, 48: perenne ac proprium manere, id. Red. in Sen. 4, 9: parva munera diutina, locupletia non propria esse consueverunt, Nep. Thras. 4, 2; Hor. S. 2, 6, 5; cf. id. Ep. 2, 2, 172: deferens uni propriam laurum, id. C. 2, 2, 22; Verg. A. 6, 871: victoriam propriam se eis daturam, lasting, Hirt. B. Afr. 32.—Comp., Ov. M. 12, 284; id. P. 1, 2, 152; Liv. 4, 27, 3. —Hence, adv.: proprĭē.
A. Specially, peculiarly, properly, strictly for one's self (opp. communiter; class.): quod me amas, est tibi commune cum multis: quod tu ipse tam amandus es, id est proprie tuum, Cic. Fam. 9, 15, 1: promiscue toto (Campo Martio), quam proprie parvā parte frui malletis, for yourselves, individually, separately, id. Agr. 2, 31, 85.—
B. In partic.
1. Particularly, in particular: neque publice neque proprie, Cic. Sest. 16, 37.—
2. Especially, eminently, exclusively: mira sermonis, cujus proprie studiosus fuit, elegantia, Quint. 10, 1, 114; cf. Vell. 2, 9, 2.—
C. Properly, accurately, strictly speaking, in the proper (not tropical) sense: magis proprie nihil possum dicere, Cic. Phil. 2, 31, 77: illud quidem honestum, quod proprie vereque dicitur, id. Off. 3, 3, 13; Liv. 34, 32; 44, 22: uti verbo proprie, Gell. 9, 1, 8; 2, 6, 5; 7, 11, 2; 16, 5, 1.

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. Proto-Indo-European*preyH-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*priHós
  9. Proto-Italic*prijos
  10. Proto-Italic*proprijos
  11. Latinproprius

Most likely from Proto-Italic *pro- + *prijos (“own, dear”), from Proto-Indo-European *priHós (“dear”). Since pro- can hardly be explained as a nominal prefix, Forssman (2004) explains it as having been extended to the adjective from the verb propriāre, once-attested as propriāssit. Cognate to Sanskrit प्रिय (priyá, “dear”), Russian прия́тель (prijátelʹ, “buddy, mate”) and Russian прия́тный (prijátnyj, “pleasant”), Welsh rhydd (“free”), English free. Other suggestions include: * for *proprīvus, from the root of prīvus (“individual”), from Proto-Indo-European *prey-wo-s (“being in front”). * for *propatrius, from pro- + pater, meaning “from one's forefathers”, taking Ancient Greek προπάτωρ (propátōr, “forefather”) as comparison.

Descendants
  • Catalanpropi
  • Englishproper
  • Frenchpropre
  • Italianproprio
  • Italianpropio
  • Portuguesepróprio
  • Romanianpropriu
  • Spanishpropio
  • Asturianpropiu
  • Asturianprupiu

Quick answers

What does proprius mean in Latin?
proprius, a adjective, means “appropriate to oneself: (one's) proper, (one's) own (inalienably); belonging to oneself as property, or goods: (one's) own (alienably); particular to one individual, group, or case: characteristic, distinctive, eccentric”.
How do you pronounce proprius?
In classical Latin, [ˈprɔ.pri.ʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈprɔː.pri.us].
Where does proprius 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- → Proto-Indo-European *preyH- → Proto-Indo-European *priHós → Proto-Italic *prijos → Proto-Italic *proprijos → Latin proprius.