English
officiant
Officiant comes from Medieval Latin officiāre ‘to perform a duty or service’, from Latin ops ‘power, ability, resources’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep- ‘to work, toil’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃ep-‘to work, toil’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃ep-(i)-reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*opisreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEopsas opis‘power, ability, resources’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500officium‘duty, service’
- Medieval Latin, derivedc. 600–1500officiāre‘to perform a duty or service’
- Medieval Latin, derivedc. 600–1500officiāns
- Englishearliest quotation 1965officiant
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃ep-‘to work, toil’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃ep-(i)-reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*opisreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEopsas opis‘power, ability, resources’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500officium‘duty, service’
- Medieval Latin, derivedc. 600–1500officiāre‘to perform a duty or service’
- Medieval Latin, derivedc. 600–1500officiāns
- Englishearliest quotation 1965officiant
Earliest quotation: 1965, Attila Zohar, Kings Cross Black Magic: “There are moments in a witchcraft ceremony when a…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep- ‘to work, toil’
operation, bus, operate, operator, opera, opus, omnibus, oeuvre, omnivore, 27 more
through Latin ops ‘power, ability, resources’
Today it means
noun A person who officiates at a religious ceremony (in Christianity, at any ceremony other than the Eucharist).
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep- / officiant