prosum

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 participle prōfutūrus); irregular conjugation, irregular, no passive, no supine stem except in the future active participle

1. (with a dative) I am useful or of use, do good, help, benefit, serve, profit.
   • c. 95 CE, Quintilian, Institutes of Oratory :

     Nocere facile est, prodesse difficile.

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

2. (of medicines) I am 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

Conjugation of prōsum (highly irregular, suppletive, no supine stem except in the future active participle, active only)
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	prōsīs	prōsit	prōsīmus	prōsītis	prōsint
	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		active			passive
		present	perfect	future	present	perfect	future
infinitives		prōdesse	prōfuisse	prōfutūrum esse, prōfore	—	—	—
participles		—	—	prōfutūrus	—	—	—

Related terms

• absum
• adsum
• dēsum
• īnsum
• intersum
• obsum

• possum
• praesum
• subsum
• sum
• supersum

Descendants

• Old Galician-Portuguese: prol
  • Galician: prol
  • Portuguese: prol

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^[1], pre-publication website, 2005-2016