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)

(music) A type of medieval polyphony which builds upon an existing plainsong.
(archaic) A method by which philosophical or scientific investigation may be conducted.
- 1794, George Adams, Lectures on natural and experimental philosophy:
  He has given us an organum of a different origin and construction from that of Arislotle […]
- 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.

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) IPA^(key): /ˈor.ɡa.num/, [ˈɔrɡänʊ̃ˑ]

(Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈor.ɡa.num/, [ˈɔrɡänum]

Noun

organum n (genitive organī); second declension

an implement, instrument, tool
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 Portuguese: *orgão
- Galician: orgo, → órgano
- Portuguese: órgão
Old Spanish: huérgano, órgano
- Spanish: órgano
  - → Basque: organo
  - → Tagalog: organo
Rhaeto-Romance:
- Friulian: organ, argagn, orghin, vuarzine
Sicilian: òrganu
→ Catalan: orgue
→ Czech: varhany
→ 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
→ Irish: orgán
→ German: Organ
- → Czech: orgán
→ Hungarian: orgona
→ Middle English: organum
→ Proto-West Germanic: *orgalā (see there for further descendants)

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)

A device used to produce music; a musical instrument.
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

From French organum.

Noun

organum n (uncountable)

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