protasis
|pro-tas-is|
🇺🇸
/proʊˈtæsɪs/
🇬🇧
/prəʊˈtæsɪs/
first/preceding clause (the condition)
Etymology
'protasis' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'protásis' (πρότασις), where 'prot-' meant 'first' (or 'before') and the element '-tasis' derives from a root meaning 'a placing' or 'setting forth'.
'protasis' passed into Late/Medieval Latin as 'protasis' and then into English with the same form, retaining its technical use in grammar and logic.
Initially it meant 'a proposition or statement placed before (something)', and over time it evolved into the more specialized grammatical meaning 'the antecedent clause of a conditional sentence' (while retaining related logical senses).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the clause in a conditional sentence that expresses the condition (the 'if' clause); the antecedent of a conditional.
In the sentence "If it rains, the picnic will be canceled," the protasis is "If it rains."
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Noun 2
a premise or proposition placed before a conclusion; in logic and rhetoric, the premise or initial proposition on which a conclusion is based.
In a logical argument, the protasis often states the premise that leads to the apodosis (the conclusion).
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Last updated: 2025/12/10 23:21