Suggesting an idea or plan for consideration, or formally asking someone to marry you.
From Old French 'proposer,' from Latin 'proponere'—'pro-' (forward) and 'ponere' (to put). The word literally means 'to put forward' an idea. The marriage meaning developed later, as asking for someone's hand is indeed putting forward a formal request.
The word literally means 'to put forward,' and whether you're proposing a business idea or marriage, you're doing the same ancient act: taking something internal and placing it in front of someone else for judgment. Marriage proposals became so formal that the word took on that specific romantic meaning!
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