Dictionary formofficium, officii(neuter)
Translation
duty, obligation; service; office
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Grammar
Cases
| Case | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominativethe subject | officium | officia |
| Vocativecalling someone: O ... | officium | officia |
| Accusativethe direct object; after ad, in (into), per | officium | officia |
| Genitiveof | officii | officiorum |
| Dativeto, for | officio | officiis |
| Ablativeby, with, from; after a, ab, cum, de, e, ex, in (in), sine | officio | officiis |
Examples
.
He did his duty.
.
We ought to stay at our post.
.
The duties of citizens are great.
.
He never failed in his duties.
.
He returned to his duty.
Officium, officii, n., is second declension, worn down from opificium, "the doing of work". Its range is wider than "duty": a moral obligation, a service or kindness done for somebody, an official post, and in the plural the courtesies you owe - attending a friend at court, seeing him off on a journey. In officio esse or manere is to stay loyal, which is why officium turns up in every account of a wobbling province.
Two notes. Cicero's De Officiis is about obligations, not office life; the word is not a room until modern Latin. And in the Church, officium divinum is the daily round of prayer, the Divine Office, from which the Book of Hours and English "officiate" both descend.
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officium: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Latin word "officium" (duty, obligation; service; office): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is taught in chapter 5, lesson 7: officium, saxum, quippe and 7 more words.