# ob + tenēre



## dcx97

Hello!

Merriam-Webster says that "obtinēre" means "to hold on to, possess, obtain". It also says that "tenēre" by itself means "to hold" while the prefix "ob-" means "in the way". I was wondering if someone could explain how "to hold + in the way" gave rise to the meaning "to hold on to, possess, obtain". As far a I can tell, "in the way" means "obstructing" or "blocking".

Thanks!


----------



## Cal inhibes

Ob-tenere alludes to the "process (or way leading) toward owning".
Regards


----------



## dcx97

Oh, I see. But then Merriam-Webster should have translated "ob-" as "on the way", not "in the way".


----------



## Scholiast

Greetings

It's a bit more complicated than this. Yes, _ob-_ implies 'blocking', 'preventing', as the numerous English derivatives ('to _obstruct_', 'to _object_', 'to _obfuscate_' &c.) suggest. And yes, _tenere_ means 'to hold', 'to have [in one's possession]'.

The sense of _obtinere_ is akin to the old English saying, 'possession is nine tenths of the law'. If a person is clearly and publicly in apparent ownership of property, the burden of proof that that person is not its legal owner lies with the challenger. So, in Latin terms, the possessor of a property is one who holds it, 'blocking' rival claimants.

Σ

Edited, thanks to correction from P2Grafn01, # 5.


----------



## P2Grafn0l

Scholiast said:


> , as the numerous English derivatives ('to obsruct', 'to object', 'to obfuscate' &c.) suggest.



In one's eyes, I may have misconstrued some things, but "to obsruct" is not 'to obstruct'.
Etsi non clericus sum, ego praetermissionem hanc videre possum, statim. (One may correct this, if I'm not.)


----------



## dcx97

P2Grafn0l said:


> In one's eyes, I may have misconstrued some things, but "to obsruct" is not 'to obstruct'.
> Etsi non clericus sum, ego praetermissionem hanc videre possum, statim. (One may correct this, if I'm not.)



Please translate.


----------



## P2Grafn0l

_'Etsi non clericus sum, ego praetermissionem hanc videre possum, statim.'_

Here's what I think it says: 

_Although I am not a cleric (a learned man), I can see this omission, instantly. _


----------



## dcx97

Thanks.


----------

