petō

Inherited from Proto-Indo-European *péth₂eti (“to fly”), assuming a semantic shift from “to fly towards” to “to try to reach”.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈpe.toː/, [ˈpɛt̪oː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈpe.to/, [ˈpɛːt̪o]

Verb

petō (present infinitive petere, perfect active petīvī or petiī, supine petītum); third conjugation

1. to ask, beg, request, look for, inquire [ quotations ▼]
2. to make for (somewhere)
3. to seek, aim at, desire [ quotations ▼]

   Auxilium deōrum petō.

1. I am seeking the help of the gods.

1. Altiōra petō.

1. I seek higher things.

1. to beg, beseech
   1. to beg of/from someone (ab + ablative) for something (+ accusative or a clause with ut or ne)
2. to attack, to assail, to thrust at

   Petere aliquem hastā.

1. To attack someone with a spear.

1. to aim at (with the person attacked in the accusative and the weapon/projectile in the ablative)
2. (ecclesiastical) to missionize or proselytize among the people of a place [ quotations ▼]