organum

See also: orgánum

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin organum, itself a borrowing from Ancient Greek ὄργανον (órganon, “organ, instrument, tool”). Doublet of organ, organon, and orgue.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈɔː.ɡə.nəm/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈɔɹ.ɡə.nəm/

Noun

organum (countable and uncountable, plural organums or organa)

1. (music) A type of medieval polyphony which builds upon an existing plainsong.
2. (archaic) A method by which philosophical or scientific investigation may be conducted.
   • 1794, George Adams, Lectures on natural and experimental philosophy:

     He [Francis Bacon] has given us an organum of a different origin and construction from that of Aristotle […]

   • 1823, Thomas Wirgman, An Entirely New, Complete and Permanent Science of Philosophy:

     Another important circumstance respecting our transcendental esthetics is, that it does not insinuate itself merely as a plausible hypothesis, but is as certain and indubitable as we can require any theory to be in order to serve as an organum.

Derived terms

• organum triplum

Translations

type of medieval polyphony

• Italian: diafonia (it) f

archaic: method by which philosophical or scientific investigation may be conducted

Latin

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ὄργανον (órganon, “organ, instrument, tool”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈor.ɡa.num/, [ˈɔrɡänʊ̃ˑ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈor.ɡa.num/, [ˈɔrɡänum]

Noun

organum n (genitive organī); second declension

1. an implement, instrument, tool
2. any musical instrument

Declension

Second-declension noun (neuter).

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	organum	organa
Genitive	organī	organōrum
Dative	organō	organīs
Accusative	organum	organa
Ablative	organō	organīs
Vocative	organum	organa

Derived terms

• organālis
• organārius

 

Related terms

• organicus

Descendants

Note: In many Romance languages, it is unclear whether inherited or borrowed from Latin.

• Italian: organo, argano
• Old French: organe, orgene
  • → Middle English: organe, organ, orgayn, organt, orgene, orgeyn, orgyn, orgon, orgone, orgoyn, orgoun, orgun, orgne
    • English: organ
      • → Korean: 오르간 (oreugan)
      • → Maori: ōkana
      • → Vietnamese: oóc-gan
    • Scots: organ
• Old Leonese:
  • Asturian: muérganu, órganu
• Old Occitan:
  • Catalan: òrgan
  • Occitan: organ
• Old Galician-Portuguese: *orgão
  • Galician: orgo
  • Portuguese: órgão
• Old Spanish: huérgano, órgano
  • Spanish: órgano (see there for further descendants)
• Rhaeto-Romance:
  • Friulian: organ, argagn, orghin, vuarzine
• Sicilian: òrganu
• → Catalan: orgue
• → Czech: varhany
• → English: organum
• → Middle English: organum
• → French: orgue (earlier borrowing)
  • → English: orgue
  • → Haitian Creole: ògàn
  • → Norman: orgue
  • → Persian: ارگ (org)
  • → Romanian: orgă
• → French: organe (later borrowing)
  • Haitian Creole: ògàn
• → Galician: órgano
• → German: Organ (see there for further descendants)
• → Proto-West Germanic: *orgalā (see there for further descendants)
• → Hungarian: orgona
• → Old Irish: organ
  • Irish: orgán

References

• “organum”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “organum”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• organum in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• organum in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• “organum”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898), Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers

Middle English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin organum. Doublet of organe.

Noun

organum (plural organum)

1. A device used to produce music; a musical instrument.
2. A keyboard instrument that produces sound by air moved through pipes; an organ.

Synonyms

• (general musical instrument): instrument; organe; simphane; symphonye
• (keyboard instrument): organe

References

• “organum, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-02.

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French organum.

Noun

organum n (uncountable)

1. organum

Declension

declension of organum (singular only)

	singular
n gender	indefinite articulation	definite articulation
nominative/accusative	(un) organum	organumul
genitive/dative	(unui) organum	organumului
vocative	organumule