originate
/əˈrɪdʒɪneɪt/
verb
Origin
Latin
origo — source, beginning, birth
Overview
Meaning Now
- To have a specified beginning; to arise or spring from.
- To bring into being; to initiate or create.
Literal older meaning
to produce a beginning
Language path
Latin → Late Latin → English
Earliest form
originate
Earliest period
17th century
Journey
The term is a scholarly formation derived from the Latin 'origo'. It entered English usage primarily to describe the point of emergence for ideas, customs, or physical phenomena, distinct from simpler words like 'begin' by its association with a structured source.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*h₃er-
“to move, stir, rise”
Base root denoting rising or starting.
- Latin
oriri
“to rise, appear, be born”
The verb from which the noun 'origo' is derived.
- Late Latin
originatus
“having been caused to arise”
Past participle of originare.
- English
originate
“to begin or create”
Back-formation from 'origination' or adaptation of Latin roots.
Connections
Word parts
origin-
root
source
-ate
suffix
verb-forming suffix
Related across languages
French
originer
to originate
Italian
originare
to originate
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Related to originate
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.