precari

Precari is a classical Latin deponent verb meaning to pray, entreat, or beg. It belongs to the first conjugation and is supplied by the infinitive precārī and the participle precātus sum. In form it is passive, but deponent verbs have active meaning; thus the present tense forms are precor, precāris, precātur, precāmur, precāminī, precantur. The imperfect is formed with the corresponding imperfect passive endings (e.g., precābar, precābābāris, precābātur), the future with precābor, precāberis, precābitur, precābimur, precābiminī, precābuntur, and the perfect system uses precatus sum, precatus es, etc. The verb is used to denote praying to gods, entreating or begging another person, and it is also found in figurative senses of making a request or pleading.

Etymology and derivatives: precari yields the noun precarium, meaning a grace, favor, or grant obtained by entreaty, and the adjective precarius, describing something obtained by entreaty or in a precarious condition. The English word precarious ultimately derives from precarius, reflecting the sense of dependence on a favor won by entreaty.

In Latin literature, precari appears in religious and formal contexts and serves as a standard example of a deponent verb. Its usage illustrates how Latin expresses supplication, intercession, and plea, both in divine and human interactions.