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o·rig·i·nate

(ə-rĭjə-nāt′)

v. o·rig·i·nat·ed, o·rig·i·nat·ing, o·rig·i·nates

v.tr.

To bring into being; create or start: originated the practice of monthly reports.

v.intr.

To come into being; start: an invention that originated in China. See Synonyms at stem¹.

o·rig′i·nation n.

o·rigi·na′tive adj.

o·rigi·na′tive·ly adv.

o·rigi·na′tor n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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