Latin

Noun

praeceptum n ‎(genitive praeceptī); second declension

1. teaching, lesson
2. precept
3. order, command

   405 CE, Jerome, Vulgate Exodus.20.6

   et faciens misericordiam in millia his qui diligunt me, et custodiunt praecepta mea.

   and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

Inflection

Second declension.

Descendants

• French: précepte
• Spanish: precepto
• Portuguese: preceito

References

• praeceptum in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• praeceptum in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• PRAECEPTUM in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
• Félix Gaffiot (1934), “praeceptum”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.
• Meissner, Carl; Auden, Henry William (1894) Latin Phrase-Book, London: Macmillan and Co.
  • to give advice, directions, about a matter: praecepta dare, tradere de aliqua re
    
  • to be well acquainted with the views of philosophers: praecepta philosophorum (penitus) percepta habere
    
  • to teach logic: disserendi praecepta tradere
    
  • theoretical, speculative philosophy: philosophia, quae in rerum contemplatione versatur, or quae artis praeceptis continetur
    
  • to systematise: ad rationem, ad artem et praecepta revocare aliquid (De Or. 1. 41)
    
  • to treat with scientific exactness; to classify: ad rationis praecepta accommodare aliquid
    
  • the rules of art; aesthetics: artis praecepta, or also simply ars
    
  • to teach rhetoric: dicendi praecepta tradere
    
  • the rules of speech, grammar: praecepta grammaticorum
    
  • moral precepts: praecepta de moribus or de virtute
    
  • to give moral advice, rules of conduct: morum praecepta tradere alicui