occupatus

Occupatus is a Latin adjective and the past participle of the verb occupare, meaning to seize or take possession of. The form occupatus (masculine singular), occupata (feminine), occupatum (neuter) agrees with the noun it modifies and is used predicatively or attributively to indicate someone or something that is taken up, seized, or busy. In classical and medieval Latin, it commonly expresses being occupied or engaged, as in phrases like vir occupatus negotiis, “a man busy with business,” or in the passive sense, castra occupata sunt, “the camps have been occupied.”

Etymology and form: occupare is derived from ob- “toward, against” plus capere “to take.” The participle occupatus literally means “taken possession of,” and by extension “busy” or “occupied.” The masculine, feminine, and neuter forms align with standard Latin gender and number inflection: occupatus, occupata, occupatum.

Usage and range: In Latin prose, occupatus serves as a regular adjective describing state or condition (e.g., being occupied with tasks) and can function attributively or predicatively with esse. The phrase multis negotiis occupatus captures the sense of being engaged in many duties. In ecclesiastical Latin, the word retains the same core meanings, often emphasizing obligation or preoccupation with duties.

Derivatives and cognates: English derivatives include occupancy, occupant, occupy, and occupational, all tracing back to the same Latin root occupare. In historical or literary contexts, occupatus appears as a standard descriptor of possession or preoccupation rather than a proper noun or technical term.