rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryRoot: otium
Latin

otium

leisure or freedom from public business

Forms

  • otium
  • oti- — Used before other endings.

Origin

An old Latin word whose deeper origin is uncertain.

Note

It could describe valued time for private life or study, not simply idleness.

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Two diverse business teams work toward agreement around a table with one shared unmarked document.
noun

negotiation

nih-goh-shee-AY-shun/nɪˌɡəʊʃiˈeɪʃn/

Discussion intended to reach an agreement.

Etymology
negLatinnot
+otiLatinleisure or freedom from public business
+ationLatinan action, process, or result

“Not” and “leisure” underlie the Latin idea of business as a lack of leisure. Doing business expanded to bargaining, giving negotiation its sense of discussing and arranging the terms of an agreement.

Full entry

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