officium

Latin

Etymology

A contraction of opificium, from Proto-Italic *opifakjom, an old derivative of ops, opis (“power, ability, resources”).

Pronunciation

(Classical) IPA^(key): /ofˈfi.ki.um/, [ɔfˈfɪkiʊ̃ˑ]

(Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ofˈfi.t͡ʃi.um/, [ofˈfiːt͡ʃium]
Audio (Classical) (file)

Noun

officium n (genitive officiī or officī); second declension

duty, service
Synonyms: mūnus, ministerium, negōtium, cūra, mūnia
office
(figuratively) obligation, an obligatory service, visit, or gesture
(act of) kindness, favor, courtesy

Declension

Second-declension noun (neuter).

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	officium	officia
Genitive	officiī officī¹	officiōrum
Dative	officiō	officiīs
Accusative	officium	officia
Ablative	officiō	officiīs
Vocative	officium	officia

¹Found in older Latin (until the Augustan Age).

Derived terms

officialis, officialiter
officīna

Descendants

→ Catalan: ofici
Esperanto: ofico
- Ido: ofico
→ French: office
- → English: office
  - → Cebuano: opis
  - Marshallese: wōpij
  - Swahili: afisi
→ Galician: oficio
→ Koine Greek: ὀφφίκιον (ophphíkion)
- Greek: οφίκιο (ofíkio)
→ Irish: oifig
Italian: ufficio, uffizio
Ladin: ufize
→ Portuguese: ofício
→ Romanian: oficiu
→ Spanish: oficio

References

“officium”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
“officium”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
officium in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
officium in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette
Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎, London: Macmillan and Co.
- to perform the last offices of affection: supremis officiis aliquem prosequi (vid sect. VI. 11., note Prosequi...)
- to do one's duty: officium suum facere, servare, colere, tueri, exsequi, praestare
- to fulfil one's duty in every detail: omnes officii partes exsequi
- to fulfil one's duty in every detail: nullam officii partem deserere
- to be exact, punctual in the performance of one's duty: diligentem esse in retinendis officiis
- to neglect one's duty: officium suum deserere, neglegere
- to return to one's duties: ad officium redire
- it is a breach of duty to..: contra officium est c. Inf.
- we are united by many mutual obligations: multa et magna inter nos officia intercedunt (Fam. 13. 65)
- to be courteous, obliging to some one: in aliquem officia conferre
- to be courteous, obliging to some one: aliquem officiis suis complecti, prosequi
- a most courteous letter: litterae officii or humanitatis plenae
- to reduce a people to their former obedience: aliquem ad officium (cf. sect. X. 7, note officium...) reducere (Nep. Dat. 2. 3)
- (ambiguous) to perform the last rites for a person: supremo officio in aliquem fungi
- (ambiguous) to do one's duty: officio suo satisfacere (Div. in Caec. 14. 47)
- (ambiguous) to do one's duty: officio suo fungi
- (ambiguous) to neglect one's duty: ab officio discedere
- (ambiguous) to neglect one's duty: de, ab officio decedere
- (ambiguous) to neglect one's duty: officio suo deesse (Fam. 7. 3)
- (ambiguous) to remain faithful to one's duty: in officio manere (Att. 1. 3)
- (ambiguous) to let oneself be perverted from one's duty: ab officio abduci, avocari
- (ambiguous) without violating, neglecting one's duty: salvo officio (Off. 3. 1. 4)
- (ambiguous) to keep good discipline amongst one's men: milites coercere et in officio continere (B. C. 1. 67. 4)
- (ambiguous) to keep some one in subjection: aliquem in officio continere
- (ambiguous) to remain in subjection: in officio manere, permanere

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Latin officium.

Noun

officium n (definite singular officiet, indefinite plural officier, definite plural officia or officiene)

(chiefly ecclesiastical) duty, office
(Christianity, historical) mass, service

References

“officium” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
“officium” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Latin officium.

Noun

officium n (definite singular officiet, indefinite plural officium, definite plural officia)

(chiefly ecclesiastical) duty, office
(Christianity, historical) mass, service

References

“officium” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.