• (Classical Latin)IPA^(key): /ˈprae̯s.toː/,[ˈpräe̯s̠t̪oː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical)IPA^(key): /ˈpres.to/,[ˈprɛst̪o]

Related topraestolor(“to expect, wait for”). According to Pokorny, from the verb*praestōd-ārī, which is formed from the ablative singular*praistōd(“ready, available”). Steinbauer (1989: 255) supports this derivation. However, the idea ofpraesto coming from an ablative singular form is quite unique in Latin word formation.

Livingston (2004: 65-66) offers an alternative explanation, analyzingpraestōlāre as a compound of the originally directive adverbpraesto(“to the ready”) and-lare, potentially related to-ulare(“to wander”) as inambulare.

In either case, the first element is the prefixprae- and the second fromProto-Italic*stōlo-, fromProto-Indo-European*stel-(“to place, put”), similar tolocus.^[1]

praestō (notcomparable)

2. at hand,ready,present,here

   Synonyms:parātus,prōmptus

3. serviceable,helpful
4. (withsum) to be at hand, attend, wait upon, serve, aid, be helpful

• praestus

• praesto inGaffiot, Félix (1934)Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• praestō - The Latin Lexicon

Fromprae- +‎stō.

praestō (present infinitivepraestāre,perfect activepraestitīorpraestāvī,supinepraestātumorpraestitum);first conjugation

1. to bepreferable,better,coupled withquam
   • c. 52BCE,Julius Caesar,Commentarii de Bello GallicoVII.1:

     In aciepraestare interfici quam non veterem belli gloriam [...] recuperare

     Itwas better to be slain in battle, than not to recover the ancient glory in war

   • c. 52BCE,Julius Caesar,Commentarii de Bello GallicoVII.10:

     Praestare visum est tamen omnis difficultates perpeti, quam tanta contumelia accepta omnium suorum voluntates alienare

     However it seemedbetter to endure any hardship than to alienate the affections of all his allies, by submitting to such an insult

   • c. 52BCE,Julius Caesar,Commentarii de Bello GallicoVII.17:

     Praestare omnes perferre acerbitates, quam non civibus Romanis, quiCenabi perfidia Gallorum interissent, parentarent

     Itwas better to sustain any hardship than to not avenge the Roman citizens who perished at Genabum by the perfidy of the Gauls

2. to beoutstanding, beexceeding in something, toexcel,stand out, besuperior, todistinguish oneself, beexcellent,distinguished,admirable

   Synonyms:excellere,praecellere,antecellere

3. toprovide,supply,offer,bestow
4. toexhibit, toshow

   Synonyms:praebeō,ostendō,ostentō,expōnō,prōpōnō,prōdō,acclārō,indicō,prōferō,prōtrahō,fateor,profiteor,vulgō,coarguō,gerō

5. (reflexive) toprove (oneself), toshow (oneself)
6. (Late Latin, Medieval Latin) tolend,loan

• Perfect forms likepraestāvī are found post-Classically.

• praestātiō
• praestes
• matellam praestō alicui

• “praesto”, inCharlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879)A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “praesto”, inCharlton T. Lewis (1891)An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• praesto inEnrico Olivetti, editor (2003-2025),Dizionario Latino, Olivetti Media Communication
• "praesto", in Charles du Fresne du Cange’sGlossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• praesto inGaffiot, Félix (1934)Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894)Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London:Macmillan and Co.
  • to show kindness to..:benevolentiam alicui praestare, in aliquem conferre
    
  • to keep faith with a person, keep one's word:fidem praestare alicui
    
  • to fulfil a promise:fidem (promissum) praestare
    
  • to be answerable for a person, a thing:praestare aliquem, aliquid, de aliqua re or Acc. c. Inf.
    
  • to do one's duty:officium suum facere, servare, colere, tueri, exsequi, praestare
    
• praesto inRamminger, Johann (2016 July 16 (last accessed))Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎^[2], pre-publication website, 2005-2016

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