optice

Forms

opticē f (genitive opticēs, accusative opticēn)^[1][2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ὀπτική (optikḗ, “optics”),^[1][3][4] the feminine of ὀπτικός (optikós, “of sight”) used as a noun, with τέχνη (tékhnē, “art”) understood.^[5][6] Köbler compares ὄσσε (ósse, “the two eyes”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Vitruvius, in the first book of On Architecture, wants the architect to be optices non ignarus, “not ignorant of optics”.^[7][1][8]

Semantic evolution

This passage of Vitruvius is the only one the Classical dictionaries cite.^[4][8][6] Medieval Latin used the neuter plural optica for optics from 1267.^[3] The Italian ottica goes back to the Latin word.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 84–25 BC – Vitruvius names optics among the knowledge an architect needs.^[1][3]
• 1267 – The Medieval Latin plural optica “optics” is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. The science of optics.^[1][7][4]

Related words

• opticus
• English optics

References

1. ^ a b c d e Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
2. ^ VoLat: Vocabolario della Lingua Latina (2018), Milan: Hoepli
3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
5. ^ Jeanneau, Gérard; Woitrain, Jean-Paul; Hassid, Jean-Claude (2017), Dictionnaire latin-français, online ed., prima-elementa.fr
6. ^ a b c Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
7. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
8. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.