Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “organic” come from?

organic (Middle English) comes from Old French organique, from Latin organicus, from Latin -icus, from Ancient Greek -ικός, from Ancient Greek -κός, from Proto-Indo-European -ḱos — -y, -ic.

organic (Middle English): Resembling or functioning like an organ; composed...

Definitions

  1. Resembling or functioning like an organ; composed...

Ancestry of “organic”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchorganique—
2Latinorganicusmusician, instrumentalist; instrumental; organic
3Latin-icusbelonging to; derived from; of or pertaining to;...
4Ancient Greek-ικόςof or pertaining to, in the manner of; -ic
5Ancient Greek-κόςforms adjectives with the sense of 'of or...
6Proto-Indo-European-ḱos-y, -ic

Words derived from “organic”

  • organic
  • inorganic
  • organically
  • nonorganic
  • organicism
  • organicist
  • organicity
  • metalorganic
  • superorganic
  • homorganic
  • bioorganic
  • inorganically
  • bioinorganic
  • intraorganic
  • disorganic
  • nonorganically
  • microorganic
  • inorganical
  • metalloorganic
  • antiorganic
  • organicness
  • interorganic
  • electroorganic
  • organyl
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -ḱos →