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opportunus

Etymology and origin of the Latin word opportunus

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Confidence
Probable
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Latin (portus)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin opportunus
Latin opportunitas
English opportunity

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ɔp.pɔrˈtuː.nʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [op.porˈtuː.nus][1]

Forms

opportūnus (feminine opportūna, neuter opportūnum, comparative opportūnior, superlative opportūnissimus, adverb opportūnē); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is probably from ob- (“towards”) and portus “harbour” with a suffix -ūnus, originally a sailors' term for a wind blowing towards the harbour, as Festus reports; compare importūnus.[2][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citations are from Plautus, of what serves a person's needs and of timely arrivals.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant serving one's needs, advantageous, convenient, as Cicero's tempus opportūnum, which he equates with Greek eukairía, and of places favourably situated, also strategically placed, as in Caesar.[2][4][6] It meant happening at the right moment, timely, opportune, as in Plautus, and of actions seasonable, as in Sallust.[2] It also meant available, ready to hand, as in Lucretius, and exposed or liable to dangers, as in Livy.[2]

It survives in Italian opportuno and Spanish oportuno.[1] English opportune was borrowed about 1400, and English opportunity comes from opportūnitās.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of timely help.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of the right moment for action.[6][5]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of strategic positions.[2][5]
  • c. 1400 – English opportune is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Advantageous, convenient.[2]
  2. (of places) Favourably situated; strategic.[2]
  3. Timely, opportune; seasonable.[2]
  4. Ready to hand.[2]
  5. Exposed, liable (to dangers).[2]

Word family

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ 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
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.

Derived terms

Cite this entry

“Opportunus.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/opportunus. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·