Etymologically
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organum

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈɔr.ɡa.nũː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈɔr.ɡa.num][1]

Forms

organum n (genitive organī); second declension[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ὄργανον (órganon, “tool, instrument”), which Köbler traces to Proto-Indo-European *werǵ- (“to work”).[2][1][3][4] Cicero writes it in Greek.[5] Isidore calls it the general name of all musical instruments, the Greeks giving another name to the one with bellows.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Vitruvius, of a mechanical device and a musical instrument.[2] Köbler dates Vitruvius c. 84–c. 25 BC.[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant a mechanical device, an instrument, as in Vitruvius and Columella, and in Quintilian figuratively a means.[2][7] It meant a musical instrument, in Pliny the Elder organum hydraulicum the water organ, and in Vitruvius an organ pipe.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant a musical instrument, an organ, and an organ of the body.[8] Medieval Latin used it for the wind organ, the voice and power of speech, a mouthpiece, and singing.[9] It survives in Italian organo, and late Old English organe with Old French orgene gave English organ.[1][4] Medieval Latin organizātiō gave English organization.[4]

Timeline

  • c. 84–c. 25 BC – Vitruvius uses it of a device and a musical instrument.[2][3]
  • 1st century AD – Columella uses it of an implement.[7][3]
  • 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder uses organum hydraulicum.[2][3]
  • late Old English – organe is recorded.[4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A mechanical device, instrument.[2]
  2. A musical instrument; a water organ; an organ pipe.[2]
  3. (Ecclesiastical Latin) An organ of the body.[8]
  4. (Medieval Latin) The voice; singing.[9]

Word family

  • organālis
  • organārius
  • organicus

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h 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 Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  6. ^ Isidore of Seville, Etymologiarum sive Originum libri XX, ed. W. M. Lindsay (Oxford, 1911).
  7. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  8. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  9. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill