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opinor

Etymology and origin of the Latin word opinor

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Confidence
Unknown
First attested
Naevius

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ɔˈpiː.nɔr][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [oˈpiː.nor][1]

Forms

opīnor (present infinitive opīnārī, perfect active opīnātus sum); first conjugation, deponent[1] An active opīnō is found from Plautus to Caecilius.[2][3]

Etymology

The origin is uncertain.[2][3][4] It was traditionally connected with optō “to choose”, but Schrijver finds the link between “to believe” and “to choose” weak.[2][1] Vine argues that the Praenestine spelling with ⟨ei⟩ of the third century BC shows an old /ei/, which makes a PIE etymology still less likely.[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Naevius uses it.[2] Köbler dates Naevius c. 235–200 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

In Classical Latin it was to think, believe or suppose.[3][6] It was to imagine or conceive, to have a good or bad opinion of someone, and to give an opinion.[3] Cicero says the wise man holds no mere opinions.[7]

Its noun opīniō gave English opinion, and the verb English opine.[8] It survives as Spanish opinar and French opiner.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero says the wise man holds no opinions.[7][5]
  • early 14th century – English opinion is recorded.[8]
  • mid-15th century – English opine is recorded.[8]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To think, believe, suppose.[3][6]
  2. To imagine, conceive.[3]
  3. To have an opinion (of someone).[3]
  4. To express an opinion, opine.[3][1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  5. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  8. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Opinor.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/opinor. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·