Where does “opportune” come from?
Opportune comes from Old French opportun, from Latin opportunus meaning "suitable" or "timely," formed from ob- "toward" and a root related to Proto-Indo-European per- "to go through" or "forward."
opportune (English): Suitable for some particular purpose; At a...
Definitions
- Suitable for some particular purpose; At a...
Ancestry of “opportune”, step by step
opportune traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle French opportunité
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | opportunité | — |
| 2 | Latin | opportūnitās | convenience, fitness |
| 3 | Latin | opportūnus | suitable |
| 4 | Latin | Portus | ” or, later, “Portus Rōmae”}} Portus large artificial harbour of Ancient Rome |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | portus | harbour |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pértus | crossing |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
via Old French opportun
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | opportun | — |