"O" Word Origins

obligate

Origin

First attested in 1533; borrowed from Latin obligātus, perfect passive participle of obligō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Doublet of oblige, taken through French.

obligation

Latin

From Latin obligatio, from obligare ("to bind"), from ob- + ligare ("to bind, tie").

obligatory

Latin

From Latin obligatorius, from the same root as obligation.

oblige

Latin

From Old French obliger, from Latin obligare, from ob- + ligare ("to bind"). A doublet of obligate.

obliged

Origin

See oblige. Compare obligated.

obligee

Origin

From oblige + -ee.

obligor

Origin

From oblige + -or.

oblique

Latin

From Latin obliquus, "slanting, sideways, indirect."

obliquity

Origin

From Middle French obliquité, from Latin oblīquitās, from oblīquus (“oblique”). Corresponding to oblique + -ity.

obliterate

Latin

From Latin obliterare, "to blot out, erase," probably from ob- + littera ("letter").

obliterated

Origin

From obliterate + -ed (suffix forming adjectives; and past tenses and past participles of regular verbs).

obliviate

Origin

From oblivion + -ate (verb-forming suffix), itself either from Old French oblivion (13th century) or directly from Latin oblīviō, ultimately from oblīvīscor (“to forget”), originally “even out, smooth over, erase”; further perhaps from ob- (“against, towards”) + the root of lēvis (“smooth”) + -scor (“forming inchoative verbs”).

oblivion

Latin

From Latin oblivio, "forgetfulness," from oblivisci ("to forget").

oblivious

Latin

From Latin obliviosus, "forgetful," from oblivium ("forgetfulness").

oblong

Origin

From Middle English oblong, oblonge, borrowed from Latin oblongus.

obloquy

Origin

From Late Latin obloquium (“contradiction”), from Latin obloquor (“speak against, contradict”).

obnoxious

Latin

From Latin obnoxiosus, "subject to someone's authority" — the meaning shifted over time to "offensive."

obnubilate

Origin

Borrowed from Latin obnūbilātus, perfect passive participle of obnūbilō (“to cover with clouds or fog”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from ob- + nūbilō (“be cloudy”), from nūbēs (“cloud”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)newdʰ- (“to cover”). By surface analysis, ob- + Latin nubil- + -ate.

oboe

French · 1770

Adopted into English around 1770 from Italian oboe, itself a spelling of the French hautbois ("high wood") — from haut ("high, loud") + bois ("wood").

obscene

Latin

From Latin obscenus, "disgusting, indecent," of uncertain further origin.

obscenity

Latin

From obscene + -ity, ultimately from Latin obscenitas.

obscure

Latin

From Latin obscurus, "dark, dusky, indistinct."

obscurity

Latin

From Latin obscuritas, from obscurus ("dark, obscure").

obsequious

Latin

From Latin "obsequiosus," compliant, from "obsequi" (to comply with).

observance

Origin

From Old French observance, from Latin observantia. Equivalent of observe + -ance.

observant

French

Borrowed from French observant, from the same root as observe.

observation

Latin

From Middle French observacion, from Latin observatio, built on observare ("to watch").

observatory

French

Borrowed from French observatoire, built on the same root as observe.

observe

Latin

From Latin observare, "to watch," from ob- ("before") + servare ("to keep, guard").

observer

Origin

From observe plus the agent suffix "-er", meaning someone who does the action of the verb.

obsess

Latin

From Latin obsessus, "besieged" — from ob- ("towards, against") plus sedere ("to sit"); the same root shows up in "session" and "possess".

obsession

Latin

From Latin obsessio, "a besieging", from the same root as "obsess".

obsessionally

Origin

From obsessional + -ly.

obsessive

Origin

From "obsess" plus the adjective suffix "-ive".

obsidian

Latin

From Latin obsidianus (lapis), traditionally said to be named after a Roman called Obsidius who was credited with discovering the stone.

obsolete

Latin

From Latin obsoletus, "worn out, gone out of use", from obsolescere, "to fall into disuse" — the source of the word "obsolescence".

obstacle

Latin

From Old French obstacle, from Latin obstaculum, related to obstare, "to stand in the way".

obstetrician

Origin

From "obstetrics" plus the suffix "-ician", used for professionals in a field.

obstetrics

Origin

From obstetric.

obstinacy

Origin

From "obstinate" plus the noun-forming suffix "-cy".

obstinance

Origin

From Middle English obstinance, obstinaunce, from Medieval Latin obstināntia, equivalent to obstinant + -ance.

obstinate

Latin

From Latin obstinatus, past participle of obstinare, "to set one's mind firmly on something", from ob- plus stare, "to stand".

obstruct

Latin

From Latin obstruere, "to build up against, block", from ob- ("against") plus struere ("to pile up, build").

obstruction

Latin

From Latin obstructio, "a blocking, hindrance", from obstruere — see "obstruct".

obtain

Latin

From Latin obtinere, "to gain, hold, possess", from ob- plus tenere ("to hold") — the same root as "tenant" and "contain".

obtainability

Origin

From obtain + -ability.

obtained

Latin

From Latin obtinere, 'to hold, possess', from ob-, 'towards', and tenere, 'to hold', through Old French obtenir.

obtrude

Origin

From Latin obtrūdō (“thrust off or against”), from ob- (“ob-”) + trūdō (“thrust”).