Etymologically
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ops

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈɔps][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈɔps][1]

Forms

ops f (genitive opis); third declension[1] The nominative singular is hardly used; an inscription has the ablative opid and Varro opi.[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *opi-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *h₃e/op-(i-) (“ability, force”).[2][1] The different derivatives in the branches and the s-stem in opus “work” may point to a PIE root noun *op-.[2] Cognate with Hittite happina- (“rich”), Sanskrit अप्नस् (ápnas, “possession, property”) and perhaps Ancient Greek ὄμπνη (ómpnē, “food, corn”).[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Livius Andronicus uses it.[2]

Semantic evolution

In Classical Latin it was power or ability, as in Virgil's “it is not in our power to thank you”, and in the plural power over others and the resources of a nation, as Accius' power of Troy.[3] The plural opēs were means, military or economic, and above all wealth, as in Plautus.[3][1] In the singular it was aid or help, as Plautus' “unless the gods give me help, I'm lost”, and summā ope “with all one's might”, as in Sallust.[3][5] Döderlein says opēs are riches as means to higher ends, against dīvitiae, riches in general.[6]

Personified, Ops was the goddess of plenty, wife of Saturn.[4][5] Its compound cōpia “abundance” gave English copy, and opulentus gave opulent.[7][2]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of help and of wealth.[3][8]
  • 170–c. 90 BC – Accius speaks of the power of Troy.[3][8]
  • mid-14th century – English copy is recorded, from cōpia.[7]
  • c. 1600 – English opulent is recorded.[7]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Power, ability, might.[3][1]
  2. (plural) Power over others, influence.[3]
  3. (plural) Resources, means; wealth, riches.[3][1]
  4. Aid, help, assistance.[3][1]

Word family

  • inops
  • opifer
  • opīmus
  • opiparis
  • opiparus
  • opitulus
  • opulēns
  • opulentus
  • cōpia
  • cōpis
  • inopiōsus

Usage notes

Festus says the ancients used ops for “rich”, as its opposite inops shows.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h 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 i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  7. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  8. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de