operarius

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ɔ.pɛˈraː.ri.ʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [o.peˈraː.ri.us]^[1]

Forms

operārius (feminine operāria, neuter operārium); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin opera (“work, effort”) + -ārius, from opus.^[2][1] De Vaan reconstructs ⟨opus⟩ as Proto-Italic *opes- (“work”), Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep-os (“work”), cognate with Oscan ⟨úpsannúm⟩ “to be made”.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's earliest source is Plautus.^[4] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

As an adjective it meant working for hire, labouring, as in Cicero's homō operārius; of animals and tools used in farm or other work, as of operārium pecus “working cattle” in Columella; and in Pliny used by labourers.^[2] As a noun it meant a hired worker, labourer, mechanic.^[2][5]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it means working, and as a noun labourer, worker.^[6] Medieval Latin used the noun for a building worker, a tiller, and the warden of a church's fabric fund.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.^[4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero has homō operārius.^[5][4]
• 1st century AD – Columella uses it of working cattle.^[5][4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Working for hire, labouring.^[2][8]
2. Used for work (of animals, tools).^[2]

Noun

1. A hired worker, labourer.^[2][6]
2. (Medieval Latin) A building worker; a church warden.^[7]

Word family

• operāria

Related words

• opera
• opus
• operor

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press