obses

Latin

Alternative forms

• opses

Etymology

From ob (“in front of”) + sedeō (“sit”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈob.ses/, [ˈɔps̠ɛs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈob.ses/, [ˈɔbses]

Noun

obses m or f (genitive obsidis); third declension

1. a hostage
2. (figuratively) a security, pledge

Declension

Third-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	obses	obsidēs
Genitive	obsidis	obsidum
Dative	obsidī	obsidibus
Accusative	obsidem	obsidēs
Ablative	obside	obsidibus
Vocative	obses	obsidēs

Related terms

• obsideō
• obsidium

References

• “obses”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “obses”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• obses in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• obses in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • (ambiguous) to give hostages: obsides dare
    
  • (ambiguous) to compel communities to provide hostages: obsides civitatibus imperare