To put forward for acceptance or refusal. Proposing is the asking, and it is not the deciding.
Latin proponere: pro- (forward) + ponere (to place); to propose is to place an idea before others for their judgment rather than to place it into force.
To put a thing forward for acceptance or refusal, which is the asking rather than the deciding. The root's placing stops short of settling anything — that is left to whoever receives the proposal.