Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “original” come from?

original (French) comes from Old French original, from Latin orīginālis, from Latin orīgō, from Latin -igo, from Proto-Italic agō, from Proto-Indo-European h₂éǵeti, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ- — to drive.

original (French): original; an unusual or eccentric person; an...

Definitions

  1. original; an unusual or eccentric person; an...

Ancestry of “original”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchoriginal—
2Latinorīginālis—
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 “original”

  • originality
  • unoriginality
  • originalement
  • originalité
  • Originalzustand
  • original
  • originalitate
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ- →