Where does “ob-” come from?
ob- (English) comes from English obligatory, from Middle English obligatorie, from Latin obligātōrius, from Latin obligō, from Latin ob-, from Latin obolus, from Ancient Greek ὀβολός, from Ancient Greek ὀβελός — to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing.
ob- (English): Against; facing; a combining prefix found in...
Definitions
- Against; facing; a combining prefix found in...
Ancestry of “ob-”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | obligatory | Imposing obligation, legally, morally, or... |
| 2 | Middle English | obligatorie | Making someone obligated to pay a charge;... |
| 3 | Latin | obligātōrius | binding, obligatory |
| 4 | Latin | obligō | to bind in obligation, obligate, make liable |
| 5 | Latin | ob- | towards; against |
| 6 | Latin | obolus | obolus (Greek coin) |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | ὀβολός | obol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and... |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | ὀβελός | a spit, rod; a horizontal line |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | βέλος | missile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷélHos | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷelH- | to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing |