obtineo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ɔpˈtɪ.ne.oː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [obˈtiː.ne.o]^[1]

Forms

obtineō (present infinitive obtinēre, perfect active obtinuī, supine obtentum); second conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from ob- and teneō “to hold”, and is also spelled ⟨optineō⟩.^[2][1][3] A Scipio epitaph has the perfect ⟨optenuī⟩, and Plautus the infinitive ⟨obtinērier⟩.^[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus, as obtinē aurēs “hold my ears tight”.^[2][5] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant to hold against, as in Plautus, to maintain, persist in, and to hold a province, kingdom or command, govern.^[2][5] From Cicero it meant to keep military control of, and in Caesar to occupy a place.^[2] It meant to cover a space, as in Lucretius, to constitute, and of conditions to dominate.^[2] It meant to hold a rank or role, fulfil a function, to secure rights, gain one's point, win a case, prevail.^[2] In Livy it was used of reports and opinions that prevail, obtain.^[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to obtain, secure, lay hold of, prevail, maintain, occupy.^[7] Through Old French obtenir and directly from Latin it gave English obtain in the early 15th century.^[8]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of holding and of securing.^[2][6]
• 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of covering a space.^[2][6]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of control and of winning one's point.^[2][6]
• early 15th century – English obtain is recorded.^[8]

Meanings

Verb

1. To hold against; to hold tight.^[2]
2. To maintain, persist in.^[2]
3. To govern, hold an office; to occupy.^[2]
4. To cover, extend over; to dominate.^[2]
5. To hold a rank; to fulfil a function.^[2]
6. To secure, gain; to win a case.^[2]
7. To prevail, obtain.^[2]

Word family

• obtentus
• obtinentia
• obtentiō

Related words

• abstineō
• attineō
• circumteneō
• contineō
• dētineō
• distineō
• pertineō
• retineō
• sustineō
• teneō
• English obtain

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 n o p q r Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com