Where does “operator” come from?
Operator comes from Latin operātor, an agent noun formed from Latin opus meaning "work" and the Latin agentive suffix -tor, ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European h₃ep- and the Proto-Indo-European agent suffix -tōr.
operator (English): One who operates; A telecommunications...
Definitions
- One who operates; A telecommunications...
Ancestry of “operator”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | operatōr | worker, operator |
| 2 | Latin | operor | I work, labor |
| 3 | Latin | opera | work, exertion, effort; service; care, attention... |
| 4 | Latin | Opus | The capital city of the Locri and birthplace of Patroclus |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | Ὀποῦς | Opus, Greece |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ὀπός | juice, vegetable/plant juice; fig-juice |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sokʷós | juice of plants |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | sekʷ- | to follow; to see; to say |