English
operator
Operator comes from Latin operor ‘work, labour’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃ep-‘to work, toil, make’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃épos‘work’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*opos‘work’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEopus‘work, labor, accomplishment’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEopera
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEoperātus‘having worked, laboured, toiled’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEoperor‘work, labour’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEoperātor
- Englishearliest quotation 1709operator
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃ep-‘to work, toil, make’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃épos‘work’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*opos‘work’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEopus‘work, labor, accomplishment’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEopera
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEoperātus‘having worked, laboured, toiled’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEoperor‘work, labour’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEoperātor
- Englishearliest quotation 1709operator
Earliest quotation: 1709, Colley Cibber, The Rival Fools: […]: “Sir Ol. Sirrah! I got many a round Sum…”
Formed from operate + -or
Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep- ‘to work’
…
Proto-Italic *opos ‘work’
Latin opus ‘work’
Latin opera
Latin operātus ‘having worked’
English operate
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep- ‘to work, toil, make’
office, official, bus, copy, omnibus, copious, opulence, officiate, officiant, officious, omnivore, 24 more
through Latin opus ‘work, labor, accomplishment’
through Latin opera
ure, oeuvre, operetta, 11 more
through Latin operor ‘work, labour’
Today it means
noun A person or organisation that operates a device, system, service, etc.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep- / operator