Wordwyrt

proper

/pˈɹɒpə/PRO-pur
/pˈɹɑpɚ/PRAH-pur

Meaningone's own

Common meaning: right for the purpose

Other meanings: truly so-called

Journey through time

  1. Latinprope; proprius‘near’
  2. Middle Englishpropresource
  3. Englishmeaning shiftsnear → right for the purposeproper‘right for the purpose’ · today

proper also in: propertyproprietyappropriateexpropriate

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin prope; proprius ‘near; one's own’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry prope, p. 1472 · dictionary scan

Roots

Related words

appropriateexpropriatepropertypropriety

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