opacus Latin · revision 5710

+ {{infobox|confidence=unknown|attested=Lucretius}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ɔˈpaː.kʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [oˈpaː.kus]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''opācus''' (feminine opāca, neuter opācum); first/second-declension adjective^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ Its origin is unknown.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)^(OLD 2012) It has long been compared with [[sa|अपाक|tr=ápāka-|t=turned away]] and [[ru|опако|tr=opako|t=backwards]], but these go back to *h₂epo-h₃kʷ- and would give Latin *apōcus.^(de Vaan 2008)^(TLL) De Vaan mentions a possible *op-wāko- “towards the empty side”, from the root of [[vacuus]] and [[vānus]], as only a theoretical possibility.^(de Vaan 2008) It is the opposite of [[aprīcus]] “sunny”.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan dates it from Lucretius, Köbler from Cicero, who strolls on a green and shady river bank among tall poplars.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Lucretius 96–55 BC and Cicero 81–43 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant sheltered from the sun, shady, as Cicero's bank and Virgil's cool shade, and giving dense shade, as Virgil's elm in the underworld.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) Of night and darkness it meant dark and dim, as Lucretius' sun shining through a dark storm.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ It survives in [[es|obago]] and Catalan ''obac'' “shady slope”, and [[en|opaque]] was taken from it in the early 15th century, “dark, shaded”, with its spelling later changed after French.^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 96–55 BC – Lucretius speaks of a dark storm.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero speaks of a shady river bank.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 70–19 BC – Virgil speaks of the cool shade.^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * early 15th century – English ''opaque'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Sheltered from the sun, [[m|en|shady]].^(OLD 2012)

+ # Giving dense shade.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Dark, dim.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[opācitās]]

+ * [[opācō]]

+ * [[peropacus]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[vacuus]]

+ * [[vānus]]

+ * [[aprīcus]]

+ * [[umbra]]

+ * [[en|opaque]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}