Where does “ornament” come from?

Ornament comes from Middle English ornament, from Old French ornement, from Latin ornamentum, derived from the Latin verb ornāre meaning to arrange or adorn, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂er- meaning to join or fit together.

ornament (English): An element of decoration; that which embellishes...

Definitions

  1. An element of decoration; that which embellishes...

Ancestry of “ornament”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishornament—
2Old Frenchornementornament
3Latinornāmentumequipment, apparatus, furniture
4Latinornōto furnish, equip, outfit, prepare
5Latinōrdnō—
6Latinōrdōa methodical series, arrangement, or order; regular line, row, or series
7Proto-Italicored(h)-to arrange

Words derived from “ornament”

Every word from Proto-Italic ored(h)- →Every word from Latin ōrdō →Every word from Latin ōrdnō →