LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

officīna

officīna f (genitive officīnae)
Classical[ɔf.fɪˈkiː.na]Ecclesiastical[of.fiˈt͡ʃiː.na]
opificīna

Meaning

  1. workshop, manufactory
  2. a poultry house, henhouse
  3. New Latinespeciallyan apothecary's, a pharmacy
  4. New Latinfactory

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeofficīnaofficīnae
genitiveofficīnaeofficīnārum
dativeofficīnaeofficīnīs
accusativeofficīnamofficīnās
ablativeofficīnāofficīnīs
vocativeofficīnaofficīnae

offĭcīna, ae, f. contr. from opificina, from opifex; the uncontracted prim. form, opĭfĭcīna, is still found in Plaut. Mil. 3, 3, 7, and Jul. Val. Res Gest. Alex. M. 3, 83 fin. Mai,
I. a workshop, manufactory (class.; cf. fabrica).
I. Lit.: nec enim quicquam ingenuum potest habere officina, Cic. Off. 1, 42, 150: instituit officinam Syracusis in regiā maximam, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 24, § 54: armorum, a manufactory of arms, Caes. B. C. 1, 34; Cic. Phil. 7, 4, 13; Nep. Ages. 3, 2; for which, ferraria, Auct. B. Afr. 20: aerariorum, Plin. 16, 6, 8, § 23: fullonum, id. 35, 11, 40, § 143: pictoris, id. ib.: plastarum, id. 35, 12, 45, § 155: tingentium, id. 9, 38, 62, § 133: tonstrinarum, id. 36, 22, 47, § 165 al.: promercalium vestium, a shop in which garments are made for sale, Suet. Gram. 23: cetariorum, a place where fish are salted, Col. 8, 17: officina monetae, Liv. 6, 20: dum graves Cyclopum Volcanus ardens urit officinas, Hor. C. 1, 4, 8.—
2. In partic., in econom. lang. = ornithon, a place where fowls are kept, in order to lay their eggs and hatch their young, a poultry-house or yard, Col. 8, 3, 4.—
B. Transf., a making, formation: in magnis corporibus facilis officina sequaci materia fuit, Plin. 11, 2, 1, § 2.—
II. Trop., a workshop, manufactory, laboratory: mathematici, poëtae, musici, medici denique ex hac tamquam omnium artium officinā profecti sunt, Cic. Fin. 5, 3, 7: falsorum commentariorum, et chirographorum officina, id. Phil. 2, 14, 35: nequitiae, id. Rosc. Am. 46, 134: dicendi, id. Brut. 8, 32: sapientiae, id. Leg. 1, 13, 36: spirandi pulmo, Plin. 11, 37, 72, § 188: rhetoris, Cic. de Or. 2, 13, 57: ex rhetorum officinis, id. Or. 3, 12: domus ejus officina eloquentiae habita est, id. ib. 13, 40: corruptelarum omnis generis, Liv. 39, 11, 6; cf. 39, 8, 7: crudelitatis, Val. Max. 3, 1, 2: humanarum calamitatium, Sen. Contr. 5, 33, 2.

Origins

From opifex (“laborer, worker”) + -īna, with vowel syncope followed by assimilation of /pf/ to /ff/. Compare opificium /officium (“action of working”).

Borrowings
  • Catalanoficina
  • Englishofficina
  • Italianofficina
  • Frenchofficinefrom Middle French offechinne
  • Portugueseoficina
  • Romanianoficină
  • Spanishoficina
  • Galicianoficina
  • Polishoficyna
Italo-Romance
  • Italianfucina
  • Italianfuggina
Gallo-Romance
  • Frenchusinefrom Old French oechine
  • Walloonoujhenefrom Old French oechine
Rhaeto-Romance
  • Romanshfuschigna
Gallo-Italic
  • Old Ligurianfoxina
  • Piedmontesefusina
  • Piedmontesefusigna

In English words that came into English from officīna

  • officinaofficīna

Quick answers

What does officīna mean in Latin?
officīna, a noun, means “workshop, manufactory; a poultry house, henhouse; an apothecary's, a pharmacy”.
What is the genitive of officīna?
The genitive singular is officīnae. officīna is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce officīna?
In classical Latin, [ɔf.fɪˈkiː.na]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [of.fiˈt͡ʃiː.na].