Etymologically
Log in

officio

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 23:45. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ɔfˈfɪ.ki.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ofˈfiː.t͡ʃi.o][1]

Forms

officiō (present infinitive officere, perfect active offēcī, supine offectum); third (-iō variant) conjugation[1] Also spelled obficiō.[2]

Etymology

It is from Latin ob- (“against”) + faciō (“to make, act”).[3][1] De Vaan traces ⟨faciō⟩ to Proto-Italic *fak-i-, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰh₁-k- (“to make”), an extension of *dʰeh₁- (“to put”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Varro, of blocking light or view.[3] Köbler dates Varro 116–27 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

Usually with a dative, it meant to block the path of something, check movement, as in Sallust; to get in the way of someone's light or view, as in Varro; to impede the functions or health of something; and to be an obstacle to someone's aims, stand in the way, as in Cicero.[3][2] It also meant to put something on as a covering, whence offectōrēs, dyers who changed a colour.[3]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to impede, hinder, oppose, hurt.[6]

Timeline

  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of blocking light.[3][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of obstacles to aims.[3][5]
  • 86–34 BC – Sallust uses it of checking movement.[3][5]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To block the path of; to check, impede.[3]
  2. To get in the way of someone's light or view.[3]
  3. To interfere with the functions or health of.[3]
  4. To be an obstacle to, stand in the way of.[3]
  5. To put on as a covering.[3]

Word family

  • offector
  • offectus

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  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
  6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson