obtempero

Latin

Alternative forms

• optemperō

Etymology

From ob- +‎ temperō (“show restraint, moderate”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ɔpˈtɛm.pɛ.roː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [obˈtɛm.pe.ro]

Verb

obtemperō (present infinitive obtemperāre, perfect active obtemperāvī, supine obtemperātum); first conjugation

1. (often with dative) to comply with; to conform to, obey

   Synonyms: oboediō, exaudiō, pāreō

   Antonym: recalcitrō

   • 106 BCE – 43 BCE, Cicero, Letters to Friends 107.2:

     tecum loquere, [et] te adhibe in consilium, te audi, tibi obtempera

     Speak with yourself, consult yourself in counsel, listen to yourself, obey yourself

   • c. 190 BCE – 185 BCE, Plautus, Amphitryon 1.1.448:

     non ego illi optempero quod loquitur

     I will not obey what he says

Usage notes

The term can be impersonal in the passive:

1. 44 BCE, Cicero, De Officiis 1.35:

   In quo si mihi esset optemperatum, si non optimam, at aliquam rem publicam, quae nunc nulla est, haberemus.

   • Translation by Walter Miller

     If my advice had been heeded on this point, we should still have at least some sort of constitutional government, if not the best in the world, whereas, as it is, we have none at all.

Conjugation

   Conjugation of obtemperō (first conjugation)

indicative		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	obtemperō		obtemperās		obtemperat		obtemperāmus		obtemperātis		obtemperant
	imperfect	obtemperābam		obtemperābās		obtemperābat		obtemperābāmus		obtemperābātis		obtemperābant
	future	obtemperābō		obtemperābis		obtemperābit		obtemperābimus		obtemperābitis		obtemperābunt
	perfect	obtemperāvī		obtemperāvistī, obtemperāstī1		obtemperāvit, obtemperāt1		obtemperāvimus, obtemperāmus1		obtemperāvistis, obtemperāstis1		obtemperāvērunt, obtemperārunt, obtemperāvēre1
	pluperfect	obtemperāveram, obtemperāram1		obtemperāverās, obtemperārās1		obtemperāverat, obtemperārat1		obtemperāverāmus, obtemperārāmus1		obtemperāverātis, obtemperārātis1		obtemperāverant, obtemperārant1
	future perfect	obtemperāverō, obtemperārō1		obtemperāveris, obtemperāris1		obtemperāverit, obtemperārit1		obtemperāverimus, obtemperārimus1		obtemperāveritis, obtemperāritis1		obtemperāverint, obtemperārint1
passive	present	obtemperor		obtemperāris, obtemperāre		obtemperātur		obtemperāmur		obtemperāminī		obtemperantur
	imperfect	obtemperābar		obtemperābāris, obtemperābāre		obtemperābātur		obtemperābāmur		obtemperābāminī		obtemperābantur
	future	obtemperābor		obtemperāberis, obtemperābere		obtemperābitur		obtemperābimur		obtemperābiminī		obtemperābuntur
	perfect	obtemperātus + present active indicative of sum
	pluperfect	obtemperātus + imperfect active indicative of sum
	future perfect	obtemperātus + future active indicative of sum
subjunctive		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	obtemperem		obtemperēs		obtemperet		obtemperēmus		obtemperētis		obtemperent
	imperfect	obtemperārem		obtemperārēs		obtemperāret		obtemperārēmus		obtemperārētis		obtemperārent
	perfect	obtemperāverim, obtemperārim1		obtemperāverīs, obtemperārīs1		obtemperāverit, obtemperārit1		obtemperāverīmus, obtemperārīmus1		obtemperāverītis, obtemperārītis1		obtemperāverint, obtemperārint1
	pluperfect	obtemperāvissem, obtemperāssem1		obtemperāvissēs, obtemperāssēs1		obtemperāvisset, obtemperāsset1		obtemperāvissēmus, obtemperāssēmus1		obtemperāvissētis, obtemperāssētis1		obtemperāvissent, obtemperāssent1
passive	present	obtemperer		obtemperēris, obtemperēre		obtemperētur		obtemperēmur		obtemperēminī		obtemperentur
	imperfect	obtemperārer		obtemperārēris, obtemperārēre		obtemperārētur		obtemperārēmur		obtemperārēminī		obtemperārentur
	perfect	obtemperātus + present active subjunctive of sum
	pluperfect	obtemperātus + imperfect active subjunctive of sum
imperative		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	—		obtemperā		—		—		obtemperāte		—
	future	—		obtemperātō		obtemperātō		—		obtemperātōte		obtemperantō
passive	present	—		obtemperāre		—		—		obtemperāminī		—
	future	—		obtemperātor		obtemperātor		—		—		obtemperantor
non-finite forms		infinitive						participle
		active			passive			active			passive
present		obtemperāre			obtemperārī			obtemperāns			—
future		obtemperātūrum esse			obtemperātum īrī			obtemperātūrus			obtemperandus
perfect		obtemperāvisse, obtemperāsse1			obtemperātum esse			—			obtemperātus
future perfect		—			obtemperātum fore			—			—
perfect potential		obtemperātūrum fuisse			—			—			—
verbal nouns		gerund								supine
		genitive		dative		accusative		ablative		accusative		ablative
		obtemperandī		obtemperandō		obtemperandum		obtemperandō		obtemperātum		obtemperātū

¹At least one rare poetic syncopated perfect form is attested.

Derived terms

• obtemperanter
• obtemperātor

Related terms

• temperō

Descendants

• → English: obtemper
• → French: obtempérer
• → Spanish: obtemperar

References

• “obtempero”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “obtempero”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “obtempero”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.

Portuguese

Verb

obtempero

1. first-person singular present indicative of obtemperar