Etymology Map
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Origin

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means the point where something begins

Where does the word "origin" come from? It comes from Latin origo, passing through Old French before entering English (1400s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
origo
Latin · ancient
"beginning, source"
from 'oriri', to rise, the root of 'orient'
2
Stage 2 of 3
origine
Old French · medieval
"origin"
first meant ancestry or lineage in English, around 1400; Latin 'oriri' also meant to rise, as the sun does
3
Stage 3 of 3
origin
English · 1400s
"ancestry"
Darwin's 'Origin of Species' appeared in 1859
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Read the full story

Origin’s story begins in Latin: origo meant “beginning, source.” From 'oriri', to rise, the root of 'orient'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as origine. First meant ancestry or lineage in English, around 1400; Latin 'oriri' also meant to rise, as the sun does. It reached English by 1400s as origin. Darwin's 'Origin of Species' appeared in 1859. Today, origin means the point where something begins.