Originate

How to spell originate

9 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce originate

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does originate mean?

1. verbTo begin, arise, or be brought into existence in a particular place or way.

Originate in a sentence

• Many popular dishes originate in small family kitchens.

• The policy did not originate with the current management team.

Where does originate come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This verb traces back to the Latin noun origo, meaning 'source' or 'beginning', which itself grew from the verb oriri, 'to rise' or 'to come into being'. The same oriri also gave us 'orient', literally the direction where the sun rises, so the family is bound up with the idea of starting out and coming forth. English already had the noun 'origin' from the 1500s, and 'originate' was formed in the early 1600s by adding the verb-making suffix -ate to give a word meaning 'to bring into existence' or 'to begin'. The spelling trap lives in the unstressed middle: writers must remember the single 'g' and the 'i' that follows it, mirroring the parent word 'origin' rather than guessing at doubled letters. Keeping the root 'origin' clearly in mind is the surest guard against misspelling it.

How the word is built

• origin (from Latin origo: source, beginning)
• -ate (verb suffix)