English word origin

Etymology of ob-

From Latin ob-.

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

prefix

Against; facing; a combining prefix found in verbs of Latin origin. · Of a reversed shape.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Latin ob-.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Derivation mentionob-la

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "ob-"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin ob-"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "ob-",
      "ob-#Latin"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "prefix",
      "glosses": [
        "Against; facing; a combining prefix found in verbs of Latin origin.",
        "Of a reversed shape."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "morpheme"
      ],
      "recordId": "ff729ed0fc75174416495cd60c1161cb957e46c5db2d61e31a3fabf58763a27e",
      "rawRecordSha256": "01725c0fa59e4afb24b88725e29449d692701fbd8a320532c16857e27f679c70",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 309568
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

prefix

Obligatory; prepended to the name of a topic being mentioned to avoid accusations of being off-topic.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clipping of obligatory.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "clipping",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "obligatory"
      },
      "expansion": "Clipping of obligatory"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "obligatory",
      "obligatory#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "prefix",
      "glosses": [
        "Obligatory; prepended to the name of a topic being mentioned to avoid accusations of being off-topic."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Internet",
        "humorous",
        "informal",
        "morpheme"
      ],
      "recordId": "b788d5ce6b681ed8530df9583f90195d907b2c36df10bca24c9b06c53a06d709",
      "rawRecordSha256": "678a2ebd2240ee7cfa3bb1728820f615f076879070db916b062baba11f9f1052",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 309569
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for ob- →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-b2It