English
office
Office comes from Middle English office, from Old French office, from Latin officium ‘duty; official position’, contracted from opificium, and ultimately from Latin opus ‘work’ (Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep- ‘to work’).
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃ep-‘to work’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃épos‘work’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*oposreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEopus‘work’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEopifex‘doer of work, craftsman’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEopificium‘construction: the act of building or the thing built’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEofficium‘duty; official position; function’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400office
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500office
- Englishearliest quotation 1526office
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃ep-‘to work’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃épos‘work’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*oposreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEopus‘work’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEopifex‘doer of work, craftsman’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEopificium‘construction: the act of building or the thing built’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEofficium‘duty; official position; function’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400office
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500office
- Englishearliest quotation 1526office
Earliest quotation: 1526, [William Tyndale, The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible): “[…]in as moche as I am the apoſtle off…”
The story
In the religious sense, Displaced native Old English hād. The computing sense is a genericization of various proprietary program suites, such as Microsoft Office.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep- ‘to work, toil, make’
operation, bus, operate, operator, opera, opus, omnibus, oeuvre, omnivore, 27 more
through Latin ops ‘resources, wealth’
Today it means
noun A ceremonial duty or service, particularly
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep- / office