Etymograph

English

opportune

Opportune comes from Latin opportunus ‘favourable, opportune, convenient’, from portus ‘harbor, port’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-1reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pértus1‘crossing’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*portus1‘harbour’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEportus1‘harbor, port’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEopportunus2‘favourable, opportune, convenient’
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400opportun2
  7. Englishearliest quotation 2005opportune2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin opportunus
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English opportune
  3. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2005, Michael Weinberger, A Message from Jakie: “I staggered to an opportune wall and continued to…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-Wiktionary, Latin opportunusreconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pértusWiktionary, Latin opportunus‘crossing’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*portusWiktionary, Latin opportunus‘harbour’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEportusWiktionary, Latin opportunus‘harbor, port’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEopportunusWiktionary, English opportune‘favourable, opportune, convenient’
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400opportunWiktionary, English opportune
  7. Englishearliest quotation 2005opportuneWiktionary, English opportune. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2005, Michael Weinberger, A Message from Jakie: “I staggered to an opportune wall and continued to…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *per-

first, before, far, per, price, private, press, further, practice, fear, pre, primary, support, prime, report, prior, appreciate, prize, pregnant, practical, afford, precious, praise, transport, interpretation, privilege, parade, par, importance, sport, ferry, forth, pirate, fare, pardon, primitive, prix, export, import, interpreter, 152 more

through Proto-Indo-European *pértus ‘crossing’

ford, firth, fjord, 11 more

through Latin portus ‘harbor, port’

port, 10 more

Today it means

adj Suitable for some particular purpose.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “opportune”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Latin opportunus. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *per- / opportune

Shirt and support for this word