Etymologically
Log in

tantopere

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 20 October 2026 at 15:41. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Forms

tantopere (not comparable)[1] Also written separately as tantō opere.[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is from Latin tantus (“so great”) + opus (“work, effort”),[5][6] fused from the ablative phrase ⟨tantō opere⟩, literally “with so much effort”.[1][3] opus goes back to Proto-Italic *opes- (“work”) and Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep-os (“work”).[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found in Plautus, written as two words: “why had you been so very frightened?” (cur tanto opere extimueras?).[2]

Semantic evolution

Terence also uses it,[2] and it is common in classical prose, either as one word or as two.[2][3] Cicero writes si studia Graecorum vos tanto opere delectant, “if Greek learning delights you so much”, and pairs it with a following quantopere or quam, “as much … as”;[2][4][8][9] Caesar has the reverse order, and Cicero and Nepos also use it with a clause of result.[2][4][8][9] A bilingual glossary renders it by Ancient Greek σπουδαίως (spoudaíōs), “earnestly”.[10]

In British medieval Latin it is used, from Gildas and Bede on, with verbs of wishing, care or effort, “so earnestly”, and more generally “to such a degree”.[11]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses tanto opere as a phrase.[2][6]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses it.[2][6]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it often, as one word or two.[2][4][6]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar pairs it with quantopere.[4][6]
  • 1st third of the 8th century AD – Bede uses it with verbs of seeking.[11][6]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. So much, so greatly, to such a degree.[2][3][4]
  2. With quantopere, quam or ut: as much (as), so much (that).[4][8]
  3. (Medieval Latin) So earnestly, with verbs of wishing or effort.[11]

Usage notes

Georges notes that the spelling, as one word or two, follows the same rules as for magnopere.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  3. ^ a b c d e Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  5. ^ Bianchi, Rossella; Lelli, Olga (2014), VOLI: Vocabolario di latino, Florence: Le Monnier
  6. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  7. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  8. ^ a b c Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  9. ^ a b VoLat: Vocabolario della Lingua Latina (2018), Milan: Hoepli
  10. ^ Goetz, Georg (1888–1923), Corpus glossariorum Latinorum, Leipzig: Teubner; vols. VI–VII Thesaurus glossarum emendatarum, digital ed. CGLO, Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  11. ^ a b c Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press