proximus

Latin

Alternative forms

• proxumus

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *prokʷism̥mos, from *prokʷe (whence prope). See also -issimus.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈprok.si.mus/, [ˈprɔks̠ɪmʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈprok.si.mus/, [ˈprɔksimus]

Adjective

proximus (feminine proxima, neuter proximum); first/second declension

superlative degree of prope

1. nearest, next, neighbor

   Synonyms: vīcīnus, propinquus, contiguus, fīnitimus

   Antonyms: remōtus, longinquus

   • 29 BCE – 19 BCE, Virgil, Aeneid 1.157-158:

     Dēfessī Aeneadae quae proxima lītora cursū
     contendunt petere, et Libyae vertuntur ad ōrās.

     The weary followers of Aeneas hasten to find which [are] the nearest shores along [their] journey, and [so] they turn toward the coast of Libya.

2. adjoining

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

Number	Singular				Plural
Case / Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	proximus	proxima	proximum		proximī	proximae	proxima
Genitive	proximī	proximae	proximī		proximōrum	proximārum	proximōrum
Dative	proximō		proximō		proximīs
Accusative	proximum	proximam	proximum		proximōs	proximās	proxima
Ablative	proximō	proximā	proximō		proximīs
Vocative	proxime	proxima	proximum		proximī	proximae	proxima

Antonyms

• ultimus

Derived terms

• proximitās
• proximō
• proximus egomet mihi
• Proxima Centauri

Descendants

• Balkan Romance:
  • → Albanian: prozhëm (“small forest”)
• Italo-Romance:
  • Italian: prossimo
  • Sicilian: pròssumu
• Padanian: (some modern forms likely influenced by Italian)
  • Friulian: prossim
  • Old Ligurian: prosem
  • Piedmontese: pròssim
  • Romansch: prossem
• Northern Gallo-Romance:
  • Old French: proisme, proesme
    • Middle French: proisme, presme
    • → Middle English: prome
  • Poitevin-Saintongeais: presme
• Southern Gallo-Romance:
  • Catalan: proïsme, pruyme
  • Old Occitan: prosme, pruesme
• Insular Romance:
  • Sardinian: prossima (“pregnant (ref. to livestock)”)
• Borrowings:
  • → Catalan: pròxim
  • → English: proxime
  • → Galician: próximo
  • → Portuguese: próximo
  • → Romanian: proxim
  • → Spanish: prójimo, próximo

Adverb

proximus

1. superlative degree of prope

Noun

proximus m (genitive proximī); second declension

1. neighbour
   • 405 CE, Jerome, Vulgate Exodus.20.16:

     Non loqueris contra proximum tuum falsum testimonium.

     Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

2. nearest person
3. next person, next one

Declension

Second-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	proximus	proximī
Genitive	proximī	proximōrum
Dative	proximō	proximīs
Accusative	proximum	proximōs
Ablative	proximō	proximīs
Vocative	proxime	proximī

References

• “proximus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “proximus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• proximus in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• proximus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette
• Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • the atmosphere: aer qui est terrae proximus
    
  • (ambiguous) to be not far away: prope (propius, proxime) abesse
    
  • (ambiguous) (1) last year; (2) next year: proximo anno
    
  • (ambiguous) to be very near the truth: proxime ad verum accedere
    
• Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002), “prŏxĭmus”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German), volume 9: Placabilis–Pyxis, page 489