omen Latin · revision 30655

+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|attested=c. 250–184 BC, Plautus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [ˈoː.mɛn]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [ˈɔː.men]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''ōmen''' ''n'' (genitive ōminis); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+ Varro gives the old form ''osmen''.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The origin is uncertain.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)^(Etymonline) Varro gives an older form ⟨osmen⟩ and derives it from [[m|la|ōs|t=mouth]], as what is first uttered by the mouth; de Vaan doubts that ⟨osmen⟩ ever existed.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) Benveniste compared [[hit|hā-|t=to believe, trust]], which the TLL accepts but de Vaan does not find convincing in meaning; he prefers ⟨*h₃ekʷ-s-mn⟩ “a sighting”, from the root of [[grc|ὄμμα|tr=ómma|t=eye]], and also reports Meier-Brügger's ⟨*h₁oǵ-smen⟩ “what was said”, from the root of [[m|la|aiō|t=to say]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(TLL)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan and Köbler date it from Plautus,^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010) who has ''nostrō ōmine it diēs; iam victī vīcimus'', “the day goes as our omen said; beaten, we have won”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Ōmen'' is a sign that foretells an event or its outcome, an omen, augury.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary) It is especially a chance word or utterance taken as a good or bad sign for the future, as in greetings and good wishes.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ Döderlein contrasts ''augurium'' and ''auspicium'', signs read by experts, with ''ōmina'', signs that anyone can interpret for himself.^(Döderlein 1874) English [[m|en|omen]] (1580s) comes from it.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: ''nostrō ōmine it diēs''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 116–27 BC – Varro derives it from ''ōs''.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 1580s – English [[m|en|omen]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # An [[m|en|omen]], sign, [[m|en|portent]], augury.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A word or utterance taken as an omen; a good wish.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[ominalis]]

+ * [[ōminōsus]]

+ * [[ōminātus]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[oculus]]

+ * [[ōminor]]

+ * [[augurium]]

+ * [[auspicium]]

+ * [[portentum]]

+ * [[en|omen]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}