occupy
/ˈɒkjəˌpaɪ/O-kyuh-pigh
/ˈɑkjəˌpaɪ/AH-kyuh-pigh
Meaningto seize
Common meaning: to fill
Other meanings: to hold
- octowards, againstSkeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), p. 400 · scan
- cupyto grasp, takeLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 283 · scan
‘towards, against’ + ‘to grasp, take’ → occupy
Journey through time
- oc — Latin ob- “towards, against” (path traced)
- cupy — Latin capiō, cēpī, captum “to grasp, take” (path traced)
Parts join in Latin as occupare.
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Built on Latin occupare, which Skeat analyses as ob- ‘towards, against’ + capere ‘to grasp, take’.
Roots
- capiō, cēpī, captum Latin “to grasp, take”
- occupare Latin “to seize”
Related words
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