Orare

Orare is a Latin verb of the first conjugation meaning “to speak, to plead, or to pray.” In classical usage it covers both secular senses (to speak, to declare, to address someone) and religious senses (to pray to the gods or to entreat a deity). The range of meaning includes addressing, beseeching, or requesting something through speech or prayer.

Etymology and forms: Orare comes from Latin orō, orāre, orāvī, orātum, the standard present stem or-, with the infinitive orāre. The verb forms a full active system (present orō, orās, orat; imperfect orābam, etc.; perfect orāvī, orāvistī, orāvit, etc.; future orābō, orābis, orābit, etc.). The passive forms exist (orābor, orāberis, orābitur, etc.), and the perfect passive participle is orātus. Derivatives include orātor “speaker, orator” and orātiō “oration, speech.” The English descendants include orator, oratory, and oration.

Usage and syntax: Orare can take a direct object referring to the targeted deity or person (for example, orāre deum/deos “to pray to a god/gods”) and may introduce ut clauses for wishes or purposes (orō ut veniat “I pray that he come”). The imperative forms ora (singular) and orāte (plural) are common in prayers and exhortations. In literary Latin, orare also appears in contexts meaning “to beg, to entreat, to plead with someone.”

See also: oratio, orator, oratory. While commonly encountered in Latin texts, orare survives in the formation of English words for public speaking and prayer through its derivatives.