1 n. & adj. — often Food, Newfoundland
food or supplies.
Type: 2. Preservation — The term prog is another word for 'food' (see the 1853 and 1891 quotations), especially provisions that are prepared 'to be consumed out of doors or away from home' (see EDD, s.v. "prog" (11)). Prog can also be extended to describe winter supplies (see DNE, s.v. "prog" (n)), such as matches or knives (see the 1993 quotation). Prog is likely a preservation from British English, having the meaning of 'food, [especially] provisions for a journey or excursion' as early as the 17th century (see OED-3, s.v. "prog" (n2)(2a)). This derivation coincides with Newfoundland's settlement history, as the province was settled to a considerable degree by people from the southwest counties of England in the 18th and 19th century (Clarke 2010b: 7). Note that prog is also marked as characteristic of Irish English (see OED-3, s.v. "prog" (n2)(2a)), offering another possible source for its existence in Newfoundland English when considering the province's other primary immigration source, southeastern Ireland (see Clarke 2010b: 7).
The noun prog, as a synonym for 'food' (see the 1995 quotation), is said to derive from the verb prog, which dates back to the 16th century and means 'to forage' or 'to search or hunt about [especially] for food' (see OED-3, s.v. "prog" (v)). Accordingly, W-3 defines prog as 'food, [especially] when obtained by foraging, filching, or as a handout' (see W-3, s.v. "prog"(4)).
See also COD-2, s.v. "prog", which is marked "Cdn (Nfld)" and DNE, s.v. "prog" (n).
- This term can also be used attributively, such as prog-bag (see the 1849 quotation) or prog-box (see the 1986 quotation).
2 v. — Newfoundland, rare
to provide food or housing to someone.
Type: 3. Semantic Change — The transitive verb prog is used to describe the action of providing food or accommodation (see DNE, s.v. "prog" (v)). It likely derives from the noun prog (see meaning 1), which makes this use a semantic change, transitioning from simply the noun 'food' to the act of both feeding and housing (see the 1979 quotation). A lack of written attestations suggests that this term is either rare or limited to the oral domain. Note that this meaning differs from COD-2's definition of prog, which is defined as 'to forage for food' and is marked as "obsolete" (see COD-2, s.v. "prog" (v)).
See also DNE, s.v. "prog" (v).