ad

a--d uit.-lat. 'zu, hin zu, hinzu'

Von uital. *ad, von uig. *h₂éd „nahe, bei“. Zu den Verwandten gehört engl. at.

The accusative is from the hypothesized pre-PIE allative (or 'directional'), which merged with the accusative case in Proto-Italic.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ad/, [äd̪]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ad/, [äd̪]

Preposition

ad (+ accusative)

1. (direction) toward, to [ quotations ▼]
2. up to (indicating direction upwards)
3. near, by, close by, at, to (indicating location) [ quotations ▼]
4. against, on, upon (indicating position) [ quotations ▼]
5. at, about, around, on, in (indicating a point in time)
6. until, to, up to, till (indicating the extent of time)
7. for, to, toward (indicating purpose or aim)

   Ad maiōrem Deī glōriam.

1. For the greater glory of God.

1. in order to, to, for (indicating means)

   Ad vim atque ad arma confugere.

1. To resort to violence and to fighting.

1. in comparison with, in comparison to, in relation to
2. according to (indicating conformity)
3. in consequence of
4. against, at (indicating movement 'toward' but in a hostile manner)
5. among, amongst (indicating the sharing of a characteristic)

Usage notes

• The word ad is an antithesis to ab (just as in is to ex; in a progressive order of relation, ad denotes, first, the direction toward an object; then the reaching of or attaining to it; and finally, the being at or near it.)
• Often used of geographical position of a place in reference to the points of compass, with the verbs iaceō (“lie, be situated”), vergō (“incline, slope”), spectō (“observe, see”) etc.:

  Asia iacet ad meridiem et austrum, Europa ad septentriones et aquilonem.

• Asia lies near the prime meridian and the south, Europe near the northern regions and northern wind. (There are two words for north.)

• Ad Atticam vergente.

• Inclining to Attic.

• When appended to the beginning of a word beginning with a consonant, ad- often assimilates, e.g. becoming ap- in appretiō, from pretium, or ac- in accēdō, from cēdō. Note that unassimilated forms such as adpretiō are also found.