Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “origin” come from?

Origin comes from Middle English origine, from Old French orine, from Latin origo, derived from the verb orior meaning "to rise" or "to begin."

origin (English): The beginning of something; The source of a...

Definitions

  1. The beginning of something; The source of a...

Ancestry of “origin”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishorigineAlternative form of origyne
2Old Frenchorigine—
3Latinorīgō—
4Latin-igoEnlargement of -ō; Suffixed to nouns and to...
5Proto-Italicagōdrive; push, impel; do, act
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂éǵetito be driving
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eǵ-to drive

Words derived from “origin”

  • originless
  • origins
  • originable
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ- →