πρᾶος

See also: πράος

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• πρᾷος (prâios)
• πρᾱῠ̈́ς (prāǘs)
• πρηΰς (prēǘs) — Ionic

Etymology

Probably from earlier πραΰς (praǘs), regularly derived from Proto-Indo-European *preh₂-i-u-, from *preh₂- (“to like, feel friendly/well-disposed”). Cognate with Latvian prieks (“joy”), Old Church Slavonic приꙗзнь (prijaznĭ, “friendship”), Sanskrit प्रिय (priya, “dear, beloved”), Welsh rhydd (“free”), Old English frēo (English free.)

Adjective

πρᾶος • (prâos) m (feminine πραεῖᾰ, neuter πρᾶον); first/second declension

1. soft, gentle
   • Homeric Hymns, Homeric Hymn to Ares 10:

     πρηῢ καταστίλβων σέλας ὑψόθεν ἐς βιότητα ἡμετέρην

     prēǜ katastílbōn sélas hupsóthen es biótēta hēmetérēn

     Shed down a soft ray from above upon my life!

   • 522 BCE – 443 BCE, Pindar, Pythian Ode 3.71:

     ὃς Συρακόσσαισι νέμει βασιλεὺς πραῢς ἀστοῖς

     hòs Surakóssaisi némei basileùs praǜs astoîs

     [...] the king who rules Syracuse, gentle to his citizens [...]

2. tame
   • 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Anabasis 1.4.9:

     τὸν Χάλον ποταμόν, ὄντα τὸ εὖρος πλέθρου, πλήρη δ’ ἰχθύων μεγάλων καὶ πραέων

     tòn Khálon potamón, ónta tò eûros pléthrou, plḗrē d’ ikhthúōn megálōn kaì praéōn

     [...] the Chalus river, which is a plethrum in width and full of large, tame fish [...]

3. mild
   • 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Laws 888a:

     πῶς τούτους ἄν τις ἐν πρᾳέσι λόγοις δύναιτο νουθετῶν

     pôs toútous án tis en prāiési lógois dúnaito nouthetôn

     How, I ask, can one possibly use mild terms in admonishing such men?

Usage notes

In Attic, Tragedy, and Comedy, πρᾶος is used in the singular, except that the feminine is always πραεῖα. Forms from πραΰς (Ionic πρηΰς) are used in Epic and Lyric poetry, as well as in Xenophon, the Septuagint, Polybius, etc.
The iota subscript (viz. πρᾷος) is written in manuscripts, but not inscriptions. **πρᾳΰς does not appear. This adjective is not used in Homer.

Inflection

Second declension of πρᾶος; πρᾶον (Attic)

Number		Singular			Dual			Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		πρᾶος prâos	πρᾶον prâon		πρᾱ́ω prā́ō	πρᾱ́ω prā́ō		πρᾶοι prâoi	πρᾶᾰ prâa
Genitive		πρᾱ́ου prā́ou	πρᾱ́ου prā́ou		πρᾱ́οιν prā́oin	πρᾱ́οιν prā́oin		πρᾱ́ων prā́ōn	πρᾱ́ων prā́ōn
Dative		πρᾱ́ῳ prā́ōi	πρᾱ́ῳ prā́ōi		πρᾱ́οιν prā́oin	πρᾱ́οιν prā́oin		πρᾱ́οις prā́ois	πρᾱ́οις prā́ois
Accusative		πρᾶον prâon	πρᾶον prâon		πρᾱ́ω prā́ō	πρᾱ́ω prā́ō		πρᾱ́ους prā́ous	πρᾶᾰ prâa
Vocative		πρᾶε prâe	πρᾶον prâon		πρᾱ́ω prā́ō	πρᾱ́ω prā́ō		πρᾶοι prâoi	πρᾶᾰ prâa
Derived forms		Adverb			Comparative			Superlative
		πρᾱ́ως prā́ōs			πρᾱότερος prāóteros			πρᾱότᾰτος prāótatos
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

First and third declension of πρᾱῠ̈́ς; πρᾱεῖᾰ; πρᾱῠ̈́ (Attic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		πρᾱῠ̈́ς prāǘs	πρᾱεῖᾰ prāeîa	πρᾱῠ̈́ prāǘ		πρᾱέε prāée	πρᾱείᾱ prāeíā	πρᾱέε prāée		πρᾱεῖς prāeîs	πρᾱεῖαι prāeîai	πρᾱέᾰ prāéa
Genitive		πρᾱέος prāéos	πρᾱείᾱς prāeíās	πρᾱέος prāéos		πρᾱέοιν prāéoin	πρᾱείαιν prāeíain	πρᾱέοιν prāéoin		πρᾱέων prāéōn	πρᾱειῶν prāeiôn	πρᾱέων prāéōn
Dative		πρᾱεῖ prāeî	πρᾱείᾳ prāeíāi	πρᾱεῖ prāeî		πρᾱέοιν prāéoin	πρᾱείαιν prāeíain	πρᾱέοιν prāéoin		πρᾱέσῐ / πρᾱέσῐν prāési(n)	πρᾱείαις prāeíais	πρᾱέσῐ / πρᾱέσῐν prāési(n)
Accusative		πρᾱῠ̈́ν prāǘn	πρᾱεῖᾰν prāeîan	πρᾱῠ̈́ prāǘ		πρᾱέε prāée	πρᾱείᾱ prāeíā	πρᾱέε prāée		πρᾱεῖς prāeîs	πρᾱείᾱς prāeíās	πρᾱέᾰ prāéa
Vocative		πρᾱῠ̈́ prāǘ	πρᾱεῖᾰ prāeîa	πρᾱῠ̈́ prāǘ		πρᾱέε prāée	πρᾱείᾱ prāeíā	πρᾱέε prāée		πρᾱεῖς prāeîs	πρᾱεῖαι prāeîai	πρᾱέᾰ prāéa
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		πρᾱέως prāéōs				πρᾱῠ̈́τερος prāǘteros				πρᾱῠ̈́τᾰτος / πρᾱ́ῠ̈στος prāǘtatos / prā́üstos
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

First and third declension of πρᾱῠ̈́ς; πρᾱεῖᾰ; πρᾱῠ̈́ (Doric)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		πρᾱῠ̈́ς prāǘs	πρᾱεῖᾰ prāeîa	πρᾱῠ̈́ prāǘ		πρᾱέε prāée	πρᾱείᾱ prāeíā	πρᾱέε prāée		πρᾱεῖς prāeîs	πρᾱεῖαι prāeîai	πρᾱέᾰ prāéa
Genitive		πρᾱέος prāéos	πρᾱείᾱς prāeíās	πρᾱέος prāéos		πρᾱέοιν prāéoin	πρᾱείαιν prāeíain	πρᾱέοιν prāéoin		πρᾱέων prāéōn	πρᾱειᾶν prāeiân	πρᾱέων prāéōn
Dative		πρᾱεῖ prāeî	πρᾱείᾳ prāeíāi	πρᾱεῖ prāeî		πρᾱέοιν prāéoin	πρᾱείαιν prāeíain	πρᾱέοιν prāéoin		πρᾱέεσσῐ / πρᾱέεσσῐν prāéessi(n)	πρᾱείαις prāeíais	πρᾱέεσσῐ / πρᾱέεσσῐν prāéessi(n)
Accusative		πρᾱῠ̈́ν prāǘn	πρᾱεῖᾰν prāeîan	πρᾱῠ̈́ prāǘ		πρᾱέε prāée	πρᾱείᾱ prāeíā	πρᾱέε prāée		πρᾱέᾰς prāéas	πρᾱείᾱς prāeíās	πρᾱέᾰ prāéa
Vocative		πρᾱῠ̈́ prāǘ	πρᾱεῖᾰ prāeîa	πρᾱῠ̈́ prāǘ		πρᾱέε prāée	πρᾱείᾱ prāeíā	πρᾱέε prāée		πρᾱεῖς prāeîs	πρᾱεῖαι prāeîai	πρᾱέᾰ prāéa
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		πρᾱέως prāéōs				πρᾱῠ̈́τερος prāǘteros				πρᾱῠ̈́τᾰτος / πρᾱ́ῠ̈στος prāǘtatos / prā́üstos
Notes:		Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Antonyms

• τραχύς (trakhús)
• χαλεπός (khalepós)

Derived terms

• πραόνως (praónōs)
• πραότης (praótēs)
• πραΰγελως (praǘgelōs)
• πραΰθυμος (praǘthumos)
• πραϋλόγος (praülógos)
• πραΰμητις (praǘmētis)
• πραΰνοος (praǘnoos)
• πραΰνω (praǘnō)
• πραϋπάθεια (praüpátheia)
• πραϋπαθέω (praüpathéō)
• πραϋσμός (praüsmós)
• πραϋτένων (praüténōn)
• πραΰτοκος (praǘtokos)
• πραΰτροπος (praǘtropos)
• πρευμενής (preumenḗs)

References

• “πρᾶος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “πρᾶος”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• G4239 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• πρᾶος in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • amiable idem, page 27.
  • bland idem, page 81.
  • clement idem, page 137.
  • gentle idem, page 357.
  • good idem, page 366.
  • gracious idem, page 368.
  • humane idem, page 409.
  • indulgent idem, page 435.
  • kind idem, page 469.
  • lenient idem, page 485.
  • meek idem, page 522.
  • merciful idem, page 525.
  • mild idem, page 529.
  • pacific idem, page 588.
  • patient idem, page 598.
  • placable idem, page 615.
  • smooth idem, page 788.
  • suave idem, page 830.
  • sweet idem, page 848.
  • tender idem, page 861.
• Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN
• Julius Pokorny, Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch