proximus

Latin

Alternative forms

• proxumus

Etymology

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

Compare typologically English next (<< Proto-Germanic *nēhwist (“nearest, closest”); equivalent to nigh + -est).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈprɔk.sɪ.mʊs]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈprɔk.si.mus]

Adjective

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

superlative degree of prope

1. nearest, next

   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
3. of time – the nearest (in time); of the future: next, following; of the past: most recent, very recently, last
   • 63 BCE, Cicero, Catiline Orations Oratio in Catilinam Prima in Senatu Habita.1:

     Quid proximā, quid superiōre nocte ēgerīs, ubi fuerīs, quōs convocāverīs, quid cōnsiliī cēperīs, quem nostrum ignōrāre arbitrāris?

     What did you do last [night], what the night before? Where were you? Whom did you summon? What plan did you decide on? Which of us do you think is unaware?
     (Ablatives of time: proximā, superiōre.)

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

	singular				plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	proximus	proxima	proximum		proximī	proximae	proxima
genitive	proximī	proximae	proximī		proximōrum	proximārum	proximōrum
dative	proximō	proximae	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

• Proxima Centauri
• proximitās
• proximō
• proximus egomet mihī̆

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:
  • → Asturian: próximu
  • → Catalan: pròxim
  • → English: proxime
  • → Galician: próximo
  • → Portuguese: próximo
  • → Romanian: proxim
  • → Spanish: prójimo, próximo
  • → Translingual: Proxima

Adverb

proximus (superlative)

1. superlative degree of prope

Noun

proximus m (genitive proximī); second declension

1. nearest person
2. next person, next one
3. neighbour
   • c. 347 CE – 420 CE, Jerome, Vulgate: Exodus 20.16:

     Non loqueris contra proximum tuum falsum testimonium.

     Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

Declension

Second-declension noun.

	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, volume 9: Placabilis–Pyxis, page 489