organicus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ɔrˈɡa.nɪ.kʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [orˈɡaː.ni.kus]^[1]

Forms

organicus m (genitive organicī); second declension^[1] Varro has a neuter organicon.^[2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ὀργανικός (organikós, “of instruments”), from ⟨órganon⟩ “tool, instrument”, Latin organum.^[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lucretius uses the noun organicus “musician”.^[4][3] Köbler dates Lucretius 96–55 BC.^[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant concerned with mechanical devices or instruments, mechanical, as in Vitruvius' tēlārum organica administrātiō “the mechanical working of looms”, and in music instrumental; as a noun it meant a player on an instrument, as in Lucretius.^[2][5][4]

In Medieval Latin it meant organic.^[6] British Medieval Latin used it of a body supplied with organs.^[7] It gave English organic in the 1510s, “serving as an organ or instrument”.^[8]

Timeline

• 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses the noun.^[4][3]
• c. 84–c. 25 BC – Vitruvius uses it of machines.^[2][3]
• 1510s – English organic is recorded.^[8]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Mechanical, instrumental.^[2]
2. (music) Instrumental.^[2]
3. (Medieval Latin) Organic.^[6]

Noun

1. A musician.^[4]

Related words

• organum
• English organic
• English organ

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c d Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com