optimus

See also: Optimus

Latin

Alternative forms

• optumus

Etymology

Perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *h₁epi (“at, near; on”), whence also ob + superlative suffix: -tumus/-timus. Less likely from Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep- (“to work, toil; ability, force”), whence also ops and opus. Displaced bonissimus as the superlative of bonus.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈop.ti.mus/, [ˈɔpt̪ɪmʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈop.ti.mus/, [ˈɔpt̪imus]

Adjective

optimus (feminine optima, neuter optimum); first/second declension

1. superlative degree of bonus; best

   Hic mundus perfectissimus est etiam mundorum possibilium omnium optimus

   This most perfect world is even the best of all possible worlds

   (Immanuel Kant, echoing Leibniz)

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

Number	Singular				Plural
Case / Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	optimus	optima	optimum		optimī	optimae	optima
Genitive	optimī	optimae	optimī		optimōrum	optimārum	optimōrum
Dative	optimō		optimō		optimīs
Accusative	optimum	optimam	optimum		optimōs	optimās	optima
Ablative	optimō	optimā	optimō		optimīs
Vocative	optime	optima	optimum		optimī	optimae	optima

Antonyms

• pessimus

Derived terms

• optimas
• optimē

Related terms

• bonus
• melior
• optō
• optiō

Descendants

• → Catalan: òptim
• → French: optime
• → Friulian: otim
• → Galician: óptimo
• → Italian: ottimo
• → Piedmontese: òtim
• → Portuguese: ótimo
• → Romanian: optim
• → Sardinian: òttimu
• → Spanish: óptimo

References

• “bonus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• optimus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • to wish prosperity to an undertaking: aliquid optimis ominibus prosequi (vid. sect. VI. 11., note Prosequi...)
    
  • an ideal: species optima or eximia, specimen, also simply species, forma
    
  • Plato's ideal republic: civitas optima, perfecta Platonis
    
  • the sciences; the fine arts: optima studia, bonae, optimae, liberales, ingenuae artes, disciplinae
    
  • to be interested in, have a taste for culture: optimarum artium studio incensum esse
    
  • to have received a liberal education: optimis studiis or artibus, optimarum artium studiis eruditum esse
    
  • at the time of a most satisfactory government: optima re publica
    
  • the aristocracy (as a party in politics): boni cives, optimi, optimates, also simply boni (opp. improbi); illi, qui optimatium causam agunt
    
  • with full right: optimo iure
    
  • to have a good case: causam optimam habere (Lig. 4. 10)
    
  • legitimately; with the fullest right: optimo iure (cf. summo iure, sect. XV. 1).
    
  • (ambiguous) to deserve well at some one's hands; to do a service to..: bene, praeclare (melius, optime) mereri de aliquo
    
  • (ambiguous) my dear father: pater optime or carissime, mi pater (vid. sect. XII. 10)
    
  • (ambiguous) to hope well of a person: bene, optime (meliora) sperare de aliquo (Nep. Milt. 1. 1)
    
  • (ambiguous) to have the good of the state at heart: bene, optime sentire de re publica
    
• De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “ob”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 421