Etymograph

English

optative

Optative comes from Late Latin optātīvus, from Latin optō ‘to wish’, and ultimately from optātus ‘wished for, desired, pleasant, having been…’.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEoptātus‘wished for, desired, pleasant, having been desired’
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEoptō‘to wish’
  3. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEoptātīvus
  4. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600optatif
  5. Englishearliest quotation a. 1662optative

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEoptātus‘wished for, desired, pleasant, having been desired’
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEoptō‘to wish’
  3. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEoptātīvus
  4. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600optatif
  5. Englishearliest quotation a. 1662optative

Earliest quotation: a. 1662, Thomas Fuller, The History of the Worthies of England: “an optative blessing”.

Linked words

through Latin optō ‘to wish’

option, opt, 6 more

Today it means

adj Expressing a wish or a choice.

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

Etymograph / Latin optātus / optative

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