ornament

Where does the word "ornament" come from? It comes from Latin ornare, passing through Latin before entering English (1300s).

Ornament’s story begins in Latin: ornare meant “to equip, to embellish.” The root of 'adorn' and 'ornate'. Within Latin, it grew into ornamentum by ancient. Equipment, embellishment, from ornare. It reached English by 1300s as ornament. Settled as the English word for an object used to decorate something. Today, ornament means an object used to decorate something, especially for its beauty rather than usefulness.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient ornare "to equip, to embellish", the root of 'adorn' and 'ornate'.
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient ornamentum "equipment, embellishment", equipment, embellishment, from ornare.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1300s ornament "an object used to decorate something", settled as the English word for an object used to decorate something.