Language desk
< February 6	<< Jan \| February \| Mar >>	February 8 >

Welcome to the Wikipedia Language Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

February 7[edit]

Optim[edit]

I very much like the name Optim. I think this from the Latin root Optim which in English I think means “to be the best.” Is this accurate? Is Optim short for Optimization?

If not, does Optimization have a root word in English or any other language? 202.156.10.11 (talk) 15:42, 7 February 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Optimization comes from Latin optimus 'best'. I've never heard of a name Optim, though. Angr (talk) 15:50, 7 February 2012 (UTC)[reply]

What does Optimē mean? Does that relate to Optimus or Optimization? 202.156.10.11 (talk) 15:59, 7 February 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Optimē is the adverb corresponding to optimus. It means 'best' in the sense of "most well", while optimus means 'best' in the sense of "most good". Optimē can also mean "very well". Angr (talk) 16:03, 7 February 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Optimum and optima are both valid words in English and could also make for strange first names if that's what you are going for. Of course Optimus is a very well known first name. There is also Optus. --PalaceGuard008 (Talk) 21:15, 7 February 2012 (UTC)[reply]

202.156.10.11 -- You already asked basically this question less than a month ago... AnonMoos (talk) 23:43, 7 February 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, I haven't been able to find the meaning of Optim and hence needed to put it in context. Thank you for your patience. I am using this as my company name, so of course want to be sure. Can you please advise what does Optus mean and if there would be any other words that would capture the essence of Optimization that I can use as a company's name?

202.156.10.11 (talk) 01:11, 8 February 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Optus is already taken, at least down here. -- Jack of Oz ^{[your turn]} 01:23, 8 February 2012 (UTC)[reply]

"Optim" standing by itself doesn't mean anything on its own in any language, as far as I know (certainly not in Latin), but it's the STEM of various Latin words meaning "best" (or having closely related meanings), such as optimus masculine singular adjective, optimum neuter singular adjective, optime adverb, etc. If you want an etymology in pre-Latin terms, then "tim" is an altered form of an old Indo-European tam superlative suffix, while the "op" could be related to that in "opulent"... AnonMoos (talk) 01:35, 8 February 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Grammatically correct[edit]

Can i say - Trusting that good sense prevails- at the end of a sentence 65.183.7.11 (talk) 17:33, 7 February 2012 (UTC)[reply]

or Trusting that good sense will prevails.

Yes. After a comma, and provided that the subject of the main clause is the person doing the trusting. Your second option, though, is wrong. There should be no "s" after "prevail". Dominus Vobisdu (talk) 17:40, 7 February 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I guess the OP meant "will prevail", but forgot to cancel the s after they had pasted the previous sentence (to which they had added the "will"). 77.127.89.120 (talk) 17:56, 7 February 2012 (UTC)[reply]

And I guess you meant "the IP" but you were a finger short. Inter change able|talk to me 18:54, 7 February 2012 (UTC)[reply]

And maybe he did mean "OP", for "original poster". Dominus Vobisdu (talk) 18:57, 7 February 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe you can say it, but you probably shouldn't: it will usually be seen as an insult. Looie496 (talk) 19:09, 7 February 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Interesting take on an ostensibly positive statement. Are you saying it would be interpreted as "Good sense hasn't always prevailed in the past, so we have to take it on trust it will prevail this time, but we would never be surprised if it didn't"? In other words, when they say "trusting", do they really mean "hoping but not really trusting"? -- Jack of Oz ^{[your turn]} 19:54, 7 February 2012 (UTC)[reply]