opaque (English)
Where does "opaque" come from?
The English word 'opaque' traveled from the Latin adjective 'opacus', meaning 'shaded, shady, dark'[1], into Middle English as 'opake'[1]. The term was later reinforced by Middle French 'opaque'[1]. While its ultimate origin remains unknown, scholars have historically compared the Latin base to various Indo-European roots, though these connections remain uncertain[2].
Open questions
- The ultimate origin of the Latin word opacus is unknown, with various disputed comparative etymologies proposed. [1] [2]
Full etymology tree
- opaque (English), 'Neither reflecting nor emitting light.'
- inherited opake (Middle English), 'dark, shaded, unlit'
- borrowed opacus (Latin), 'shaded, darkened; in the shade'
- influenced by opaque (Middle French), 'opaque'
- borrowed opacus (Latin), 'shaded, darkened; in the shade'
- inherited opake (Middle English), 'dark, shaded, unlit'
Ancestors
- opake (Middle English)
- opacus (Latin)
Cognates and doublets
- ubac (English)
- opaque (Middle French)
Descendants and derived words
- nonopaque (English)
- opacify (English)
- opaque box (English)
- opaquely (English)
- opaquen (English)
- opaqueness (English)
- radio-opaque (English)
- radiopaque (English)
- referentially opaque (English)
- semiopaque (English)
- subopaque (English)
- unopaque (English)
Sources
- opaque (English) - Wiktionary
- opacus (Latin) - Wiktionary
- opake (Middle English) - Wiktionary
- h₁epi (Proto-Indo-European) - Wiktionary
- h₂epó (Proto-Indo-European) - Wiktionary
Updated September 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris