opus
UK[ˈəʊpəs]US[ˈoʊpəs]
n
A musical composition or set of compositions by a particular composer, numbered to show the order of publication or composition.
n
An artistic work, especially one on a large scale.
Etymology
The English word 'opus' is a direct loanword from Latin, where it simply meant "work" or "labor." This Latin term is itself derived from the Proto-Indo-European root op-, meaning "to work, to produce in abundance." In the context of classical music, beginning in the 17th century, composers adopted the Latin term 'opus' (often abbreviated 'Op.') to catalogue their works sequentially. Thus, the word's journey from a general term for labor in an ancient language to a specific marker of artistic creation in modern English illustrates the formalization of artistic production.
Analysis
The word is a direct borrowing from Latin and functions as a single, unsegmentable lexical unit in English.
Examples
Beethoven's Opus 131 is a string quartet in C-sharp minor.
The filmmaker considered this trilogy his magnum opus.
The composer's early opus numbers do not reflect his chronological order of writing.