ob Latin · revision 17841

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 450 BC, Twelve Tables|origins=ine-pro *h₁opi}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈɔb]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈɔb]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''ob''' (+ accusative)^(Wiktionary)

+ An old form ''obs'' is recorded.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ Inscriptions occasionally use it with the ablative, and Late Latin does so too.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|itc-pro|*op(i)]], [[inh|ine-pro|*h₁opi|t=at, by]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)^(Köbler 2010) The older form ⟨op-⟩ survives in [[operiō]] and [[oportet]], and ⟨obs-⟩ in [[ostendō]] and [[oscen]].^(OLD 2012)^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ Cognate with Oscan [[m|osc|úp|t=at]], Faliscan [[m|xfa|opidque|t=and because of it]], [[sa|अपि|tr=ápi]], [[grc|ἐπί|tr=epí]] and [[lt|api-|t=around]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is found in the Twelve Tables: ''is tertiīs diēbus ob portum obvāgulātum ītō'', “let him go every third day before the door to cry out”.^(OLD 2012)^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Ob'' first marks direction, “towards” (''ob Rōmam'' “towards Rome”), and position “in front of, in the way of” (''ob oculum'').^(OLD 2012) It then gives grounds and purposes: “because of, on account of” (''quam ob rem'' “wherefore”), “with a view to”, “on behalf of” (''ob rem pūblicam''), “in payment for”, especially of bribes, and “in commemoration of”.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ As the prefix ''ob-'' (''oc-'', ''of-'', ''og-'', ''op-'' by assimilation) it means “towards, against, in the way”.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan derives ''[[optimus]]'' “best” from it.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 450 BC – Used in the Twelve Tables.^(OLD 2012)^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: ''ob tuam perfidiam'', “because of your treachery”;^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010) ''ob rem pūblicam''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Preposition===

+ # ''(with accusative)'' [[m|en|towards]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # In front of, in the way of.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # [[m|en|because]] of, on account of;^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995) ''quam ob rem'', wherefore.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # With a view to, for.^(OLD 2012)

+ # On behalf of.^(OLD 2012)

+ # In payment for;^(OLD 2012) in return for.^(Stelten 1995)

+ # In commemoration of.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[obiter]]

+ * [[ob-]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[optimus]]

+ * [[propter]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}