Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

prae-for, fātus, 1 (old imper. praefato, Cato, R. R. 134. 1: praefamino, id. ib. 141, 2; cf. Müll. ad Fest. p. 87, 10), v. dep. n. and a.

  1. I. In gen., to say or utter beforehand, to premise, preface: in parte operis mei licet mihi praefari, quod, etc., Liv. 21, 1, 1; Col. 10, praef. 5; 12, 50, 7; Cels. 3, 1: praefatus, de summā se republicā acturum, having first announced by edict that, etc., Suet. Caes. 28: quae de deorum naturā praefati sumus, etc., Cic. Univ. 10 fin.: cum praefatus fuero, quae, etc., Col. 1 prooem. fin.; Gell. 9, 15, 4: sibi Asiam sufficere praefatus, Just. 11, 5, 5: arcana se et silenda afferre praefatus, Curt. 6, 7, 3: is cum praefatus esset, scire, etc., id. 7, 4, 9; Liv. 43, 7, 7.
  2. II. Esp.
    1. A. In a relig. sense, to utter a preliminary prayer, to address in prayer beforehand: majores nostri omnibus rebus agendis Quod bonum, faustum, felix fortunatumque esset, praefabantur, Cic. Div. 1, 45, 102: pontifice maximo praefante carmen, Liv. 5, 41, 3: decemviri carminibus (abl.) praefarentur, should say beforehand ( = praeirent), id. 22, 1, 16 (v. Weissenb. ad h. l.): priusquam hasce fruges condantur … ture, vino Jano, Jovi, Junoni praefato, offering wine and incense, say a prayer to Janus, etc., Cato, R. R. 134, 1.
      With the obj.-acc. of the deity: Janum Jovemque vino praefamino, id. ib. 141, 2: divos, Verg. A. 11, 301.
    2. B. Si dicimus, Ille patrem strangulavit, honorem non praefamur: sin de Aureliā aliquid aut Lolliā, honos praefandus est, we do not preface it by saying, with permission, with respect be it spoken, Cic. Fam. 9, 22, 4: veniam, to ask leave before speaking, App. M. 1 init.; id. Flor. init.
    3. C. To name or cite beforehand: Aristoteles, quem in iis magnā secuturus ex parte praefandum reor, to mention or name as an authority in advance, Plin. 8, 16, 17, § 43.
  3. III. To foretell, predict, prophesy (very rare), Cat. 64, 383.
    Hence,
    1. A. praefātus, a, um, in pass. signif., mentioned or stated before (post-class.): condemnatus ex praefatis causis, Dig. 20, 4, 12: jura, ib. 10, 3, 19: sic etiam nostro praefatus habebere libro, named at the beginning, Aus. praef. 2 fin.: sine honoribus praefatis appellare aliquid, without saying, By your leave, Arn. 5, 176: vir praefatā reverentiā nominandus, Vop. Aur. 1.
      Hence, subst.: praefātum, i, n., for praefatio, a preface: praefato opus est, Symm. Ep. 6, 3.
    2. B. praefandus, a, um, P. a., for which must be asked permission or indulgence; that requires apology: praefandi umoris e corpore effluvium, Plin. 7, 51, 52, § 171.
      Hence, subst.: praefanda, ōrum, n., foul expressions: in praefanda videmur incidere, Quint. 8, 3, 45.