Original
/əˈrɪdʒ.ɪ.nəl/noun
Existing or occurring at the beginning; not derived from something else.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Latin *origo*, meaning a “beginning” or “birth,” the same root behind English words like *origin* and *originate*—so “original” is literally tied to the idea of first emergence.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
origo
“a beginning, source, birth”
Late Latin
Latin
originalis
“pertaining to an origin or source”
Old French
Old French
originel
“original, first, primary”
14th Century
English
original
“pertaining to the source or origin; first in order”
Modern English
English
original
“existing at the beginning; not copied or derived”
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