Etymograph

English

opportunist

Opportunist comes from French opportuniste ‘opportunistic’, from Latin portus ‘harbor, port’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pértus‘crossing’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*portus‘harbour’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEportus‘harbor, port’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEopportūnus‘favourable, opportune, convenient’
  6. Frenchc. 1600–presentopportun‘opportune, timely’
  7. French, derivedc. 1600–presentopportuniste‘opportunistic’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 2011opportunist

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pértus‘crossing’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*portus‘harbour’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEportus‘harbor, port’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEopportūnus‘favourable, opportune, convenient’
  6. Frenchc. 1600–presentopportun‘opportune, timely’
  7. French, derivedc. 1600–presentopportuniste‘opportunistic’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 2011opportunist

Earliest quotation: 2011, International friendly: England 1-0 Spain: “James Milner's angled free-kick was headed on to the…”

Formed from opportune + -ist

Proto-Indo-European *per-

…

Proto-Italic *portus ‘harbour’

Latin portus ‘harbor, port’

Latin opportunus ‘favourable, opportune, convenient’

Old French opportun

English opportune

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *per-

first, before, far, per, price, private, press, further, practice, fear, pre, support, primary, report, prime, prior, appreciate, prize, pregnant, practical, afford, precious, transport, interpretation, sport, privilege, importance, parade, par, praise, forth, ferry, pirate, fare, pardon, primitive, export, prix, import, portable, 153 more

through Proto-Indo-European *pértus ‘crossing’

ford, firth, fjord, 10 more

through Latin portus ‘harbor, port’

port, 9 more

through Latin opportūnus ‘favourable, opportune, convenient’

inopportune, 4 more

Today it means

noun Someone who takes advantage of any opportunity to advance their own situation, placing expediency above principle.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *per- / opportunist

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