English
opulence
Opulence comes from Latin opulentia ‘wealth’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep- ‘to work, toil, make’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃ep-‘to work, toil, make’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*opisreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEops
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEopulentus‘wealthy’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEopulentia‘wealth’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentopulence
- Englishearliest quotation 1721opulence
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃ep-‘to work, toil, make’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*opisreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEops
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEopulentus‘wealthy’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEopulentia‘wealth’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentopulence
- Englishearliest quotation 1721opulence
Earliest quotation: 1721, John Gay, Goldſmith: “There in full Opulence a Banker dwelt, Who all…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep- ‘to work, toil, make’
bus, operation, operate, operator, opera, omnibus, oeuvre, opus, omnivore, 22 more
through Proto-Italic *opis
through Latin ops
office, official, copy, optimum, copious, officiate, officiant, officious, 11 more
Today it means
noun Wealth.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep- / opulence