ob-

Forms

ob- ^[1] ob- before vowels, ⟨s⟩, ⟨t⟩, ⟨h⟩ and voiced consonants other than ⟨g⟩;^[2][3] oc- before ⟨c⟩, of- before ⟨f⟩, og- before ⟨g⟩, op- before ⟨p⟩; before ⟨m⟩ obm- or om-.^[2][3] The original op- survives in opācus, operiō and oportet, and an extended o(p)s- in oscen and ostendō.^[3][2]

Etymology

It is the preposition ob (“towards; against”) used as a prefix,^[1] inherited from Proto-Italic *op(i).^[2] De Vaan takes it, with Lithuanian ap(i)- (“around”), as a reflex of Proto-Indo-European *h₁opi (“at, by”), an ablaut variant of the Proto-Indo-European *h₁epi seen in Sanskrit अपि (ápi) and Ancient Greek ἐπί (epí, “on, at”).^[2] Italic cognates are Oscan úp (“at”) and Faliscan opidque (“and on account of that”).^[2] He notes that ⟨obs-⟩ is a recent, short-lived variant, while ⟨os-⟩ in ostendō is older.^[2]

Semantic evolution

In compounds it usually expresses opposition or confrontation, or a movement towards something.^[3][1]

Meanings

Prefix

1. Towards, to meet, in the way of: occurrō, offerō.^[1][3]
2. Against, in opposition: obstō, oppugnō, oppōnō.^[3][1]

Word family

• obsideō
• obtineō
• occurrō
• offerō
• oppōnō
• opprimō
• oppugnō
• ostendō
• obstō
• omittō
• obiciō
• obviam

Related words

• ob

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press