Etymologically

ordino

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 13:23. This address is a permanent link to this version.

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈoːr.dɪ.noː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈɔr.di.no][1]

Forms

ōrdinō (present infinitive ōrdināre, perfect active ōrdināvī, supine ōrdinātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from ōrdō “row, order” with the verb suffix -ō, a doublet of ōrnō.[2][1][3] A deponent ⟨ōrdinor⟩ also occurs, and inscriptions spell it ⟨urden-⟩.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Cicero, of arranging the parts of a speech.[2][4] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to put in rows, as Horace's trees, to arrange in a pattern, and to set out a subject in order, as Cicero's parts of a speech, and in Nepos to arrange chronologically.[2][4] It meant to draw up soldiers, as in Nepos and Livy, to organize a country's affairs, and to manage, direct.[2] From Seneca it meant to draw up a document, in Gaius to institute legal proceedings, and in Cicero to prescribe, appoint to office.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to ordain, arrange, order, establish, appoint.[6] Through Old French ordener it gave English ordain about 1300, of admitting to the ministry, and its participle gave English ordinate.[7] It survives in Spanish ordeñar and Portuguese ordenhar, and Romanian urdina.[1]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of arranging and appointing.[2][4][5]
  • c. 100–24 BC – Nepos uses it of drawing up troops.[2][5]
  • 65–8 BC – Horace uses it of trees in rows.[2][5]
  • c. 1300 – English ordain is recorded.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To set in rows; to arrange, set in order.[2]
  2. To draw up troops; to organize.[2]
  3. To regulate, manage.[2]
  4. To draw up a document; to institute proceedings.[2]
  5. To prescribe; to appoint.[2]
  6. (Ecclesiastical Latin) To ordain.[6]

Word family

  • adōrdinō
  • inōrdinātus
  • interordinatus
  • ōrdinātim
  • ōrdinātiō
  • ordinatiuus
  • ōrdinātor
  • ordinatrix
  • praeōrdinō
  • superōrdinō

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com