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obligo

Etymology and origin of the Latin word obligo

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Latin (ligō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈɔb.lɪ.ɡoː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈɔb.li.ɡo][1]

Forms

obligō (present infinitive obligāre, perfect active obligāvī, supine obligātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from ob- and ligō “to bind”.[2][1][3] De Vaan notes that the simple ⟨ligāre⟩ is not attested before Catullus, while the compounds are older, and traces the root to ⟨*liǵ-⟩ “to tie”.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of tying up.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to tie up, secure, as in Plautus, and in Pliny the Elder to bandage.[2] In Varro it meant to pledge property as security, in Ovid to put under a moral obligation by a service, and in Cicero to make legally liable, to bind by an oath, and to involve in guilt.[2]

Through Old French obligier it gave English oblige about 1300, “to bind by oath, put under obligation”, and its participle gave English obligate in the 1540s; its noun obligātiō gave English obligation.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of tying.[2][5]
  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of pledging property.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of legal obligation.[2][5]
  • c. 1300 – English oblige is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To tie up, bind.[2]
  2. To bandage.[2]
  3. To pledge, mortgage.[2]
  4. To put under an obligation, oblige.[2]
  5. To make legally liable; to bind by oath.[2]
  6. To involve in guilt.[2]

Word family

  • obligamentum
  • obligātiō
  • obligātōrius
  • perobligō
  • obligātūra
  • obligātus
  • ligō
  • English oblige
  • English obligation

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
Cite this entry

“Obligo.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/obligo. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·