prosum

See also: prosům

Latin

Etymology

From prō- +‎ sum (“I am”). See also probus.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈproː.sum/, [ˈproːs̠ʊ̃ˑ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈpro.sum/, [ˈprɔːs̬um]

Verb

prōsum (present infinitive prōdesse, perfect active prōfuī, future active participle prōfutūrus); irregular conjugation, suppletive, no passive, no supine stem except in the future active participle, no gerund

1. (with a dative) to be useful or of use, do good, help, benefit, profit

   Synonyms: iuvō, adiuvō, foveō, assistō, prōficiō, adiūtō, succurrō, cōnferō, adsum

   Antonym: officiō

   • c. 95 CE, Quintilian, Institutes of Oratory :

     Nocere facile est, prodesse difficile.

     It is easy to do harm, difficult to do good.

   • Cicero, Cato maior de senectute, VII, 24 :

     Serit arbores, quae alteri saeclo prosint

     Plant the trees, so that they may serve another generation

2. to serve

   Synonym: mereō

3. (of medicines) to be good or beneficial
   • c. 37 BCE – 30 BCE, Virgil, Georgics 4.267:

     proderit et tunsum gallae admiscere saporem […]

     It is good too to blend a taste of pounded oak-apples […]

Conjugation

indicative		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	prōsum		prōdes		prōdest		prōsumus		prōdestis		prōsunt
	imperfect	prōderam		prōderās		prōderat		prōderāmus		prōderātis		prōderant
	future	prōderō		prōderis, prōdere		prōderit		prōderimus		prōderitis		prōderunt
	perfect	prōfuī		prōfuistī		prōfuit		prōfuimus		prōfuistis		prōfuērunt, prōfuēre
	pluperfect	prōfueram		prōfuerās		prōfuerat		prōfuerāmus		prōfuerātis		prōfuerant
	future perfect	prōfuerō		prōfueris		prōfuerit		prōfuerimus		prōfueritis		prōfuerint
subjunctive		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	prōsim, prōsiem, prōfuam1		prōsīs, prōsiēs, prōfuās1		prōsit, prōsiet, prōfuat1		prōsīmus, prōsiēmus, prōfuāmus1		prōsītis, prōsiētis, prōfuātis1		prōsint, prōsient, prōfuant1
	imperfect	prōdessem, prōforem		prōdessēs, prōforēs		prōdesset, prōforet		prōdessēmus, prōforēmus		prōdessētis, prōforētis		prōdessent, prōforent
	perfect	prōfuerim		prōfuerīs		prōfuerit		prōfuerīmus		prōfuerītis		prōfuerint
	pluperfect	prōfuissem		prōfuissēs		prōfuisset		prōfuissēmus		prōfuissētis		prōfuissent
imperative		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	—		prōdes		—		—		prōdeste		—
	future	—		prōdestō		prōdestō		—		prōdestōte		prōsuntō
non-finite forms		infinitive						participle
		active			passive			active			passive
present		prōdesse			—			—			—
future		prōfutūrum esse, prōfore			—			prōfutūrus			—
perfect		prōfuisse			—			—			—
perfect potential		prōfutūrum fuisse			—			—			—

   Conjugation of prōsum (irregular conjugation, suppletive, no passive, no supine stem except in the future active participle, no gerund)

¹Old Latin or in poetry.

Derived terms

• prōde (Late Latin)

Related terms

• absum
• adsum
• dēsum
• īnsum
• intersum
• obsum
• possum
• praesum
• subsum
• sum
• supersum

Descendants

• → Dutch: proost
• → German: prosit, prost
• → Danish: prosit
• → English: prosit
• → Sicilian: pròsita
• → Swedish: prosit

References

• “prosum”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “prosum”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• prosum in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• prosum in Ramminger, Johann (2016 July 16 (last accessed)) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎, pre-publication website, 2005-2016