praefectus

Latin

Etymology

Perfect passive participle of praeficiō.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /prae̯ˈfek.tus/, [präe̯ˈfɛkt̪ʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /preˈfek.tus/, [preˈfɛkt̪us]

Noun

praefectus m (genitive praefectī, feminine praefectissa); second declension

1. officer, prefect, superintendent, official, commander, captain

   praefectus praetorii ― commander of the praetorian guard; praetorian prefect

   praefectus Aegypti ― the governor of Egypt

   praefectus castrorum ― the camp prefect, commander of the camp

Declension

Second-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	praefectus	praefectī
Genitive	praefectī	praefectōrum
Dative	praefectō	praefectīs
Accusative	praefectum	praefectōs
Ablative	praefectō	praefectīs
Vocative	praefecte	praefectī

Adjective

praefectus (feminine praefecta, neuter praefectum); first/second-declension participle

1. put in charge

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

Number	Singular				Plural
Case / Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	praefectus	praefecta	praefectum		praefectī	praefectae	praefecta
Genitive	praefectī	praefectae	praefectī		praefectōrum	praefectārum	praefectōrum
Dative	praefectō		praefectō		praefectīs
Accusative	praefectum	praefectam	praefectum		praefectōs	praefectās	praefecta
Ablative	praefectō	praefectā	praefectō		praefectīs
Vocative	praefecte	praefecta	praefectum		praefectī	praefectae	praefecta

Verb

praefectus

1. perfect passive participle of praeficiō

Descendants

• → French: préfet
• → German: Präfekt
  • → Serbo-Croatian: prefekt
• → Old French: prefect
  • → English: prefect
• → Portuguese: prefeito
• → Romanian: prefect
• → Spanish: prefecto

References

• “praefectus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “praefectus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• praefectus 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)
• praefectus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• praefectus in Ramminger, Johann (2016 July 16 (last accessed)) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎^[1], pre-publication website, 2005-2016
• “praefectus”, in William Smith et al., editor (1890), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin