Etymologically
Log in

oppleo

Etymology and origin of the Latin word oppleo

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*pleh₁-)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈɔp.pɫe.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈɔp.ple.o][1]

Forms

oppleō (present infinitive opplēre, perfect active opplēvī, supine opplētum); second conjugation[1] It is also spelled obpleō.[2]

Etymology

It is from ob- and pleō “to fill”.[3][1][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of filling with sounds or smells.[3] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to fill completely, as in Livy, to cover a surface, as in Terence, and to fill with sounds, smells or other immaterial things, as in Plautus.[3] Lewis & Short cite “the wounded fill the porticoes”.[2]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.[3][4]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of covering.[3][4]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of filling.[3][4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To fill completely.[3]
  2. To cover, overspread.[3]

Word family

  • opplētus

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  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 c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
Cite this entry

“Oppleo.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/oppleo. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·