operatus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ɔ.pɛˈraː.tʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [o.peˈraː.tus]^[1]

Forms

operātus (feminine operāta, neuter operātum); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

Wiktionary takes it as the perfect participle of operor “to work”, but the OLD notes that it is apparently attested earlier than the verb and is probably from opera “work, effort” with the suffix -ātus.^[1][2] De Vaan follows Postgate, who showed that ⟨operātus⟩ is an adjective “full of work, absorbed in” derived from ⟨opera⟩, and that ⟨operārī⟩ was later back-formed from it.^[3] ⟨opera⟩ belongs with opus “work”, which de Vaan traces to Proto-Italic *opes-, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep-os (“work”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Among the OLD's earliest citations are Lucretius, Virgil, Horace and Tibullus.^[2] Köbler dates Lucretius 96–55 BC and Virgil 70–19 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant busied or engaged in some activity or practice, as in Pliny, and occupied with religious observances, offering sacrifice, as in Virgil and Tibullus.^[2][5]

Timeline

• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of religious observance.^[2][4]
• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny uses it of being busied.^[2][4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Busied or engaged (in an activity).^[2]
2. Occupied with religious observances; sacrificing.^[2]

Related words

• opera
• operor
• opus

Usage notes

A fourth-declension noun operātus “work” is found in Tertullian.^[6][4]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b 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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.