Proiciunt

Proiciunt is a Latin verb form meaning “they throw forth” or “they cast forward.” It is the third-person plural present active indicative of proicere, the verb ordinarily translated as “to throw forward” or “to cast forth.” The verb belongs to the 3-io class (a mixed- or semi-regular group within the Latin verb system) and has the principal parts proicio, proicere, proieci, proiectum.

The present active indicative forms are proicio, proicis, proicit, proicimus, proicitis, proiciunt. As a 3-io verb, proicere shares certain morphology with other i- and -io verbs; the imperfect is proiciebam, proiciebas, proiciebat, proiciebamus, proiciebatis, proicebant, and the future is proiciam, proicies, proiciet, proiciemus, proicietis, proicient. The perfect active is commonly given as proieci (or projeci), with the supine/proiectum as the supine form.

Usage of proiciunt appears in both literal and figurative contexts. It can describe soldiers throwing weapons, offerings being cast forth, or ideas being projected forward. The direct object is typically the thing thrown, in the accusative, as in a sentence like milites hastas proiciunt in hostes, “the soldiers throw spears at the enemies.”

Etymology notes that proiciunt derives from prefix pro- “forward” and iacio/icio “to throw,” yielding the sense “to throw forward.” Related forms include proicere as the base verb and proiectum as the supine.

See also: proicere; iacio; 3-io Latin verbs.