original

English

Etymology

From Middle English original, from Old French original, from Late Latin orīginālis (“primitive, original”), from Latin orīgō (“beginning, source, origin”); see origin.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əˈɹɪd͡ʒɪnəl/, /əˈɹɪd͡ʒənəl/, /əˈɹɪd͡ʒnəl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• (obsolete) IPA^(key): /ɒˈɹɪd͡ʒɪnəl/
• Hyphenation: ori‧gi‧nal, orig‧i‧nal

Adjective

original (comparative more original, superlative most original)

1. (not comparable) Relating to the origin or beginning; preceding all others.

   the original state of mankind;  the original laws of a country;  the original inventor of a process

   • 1944, Miles Burton, chapter 5, in The Three Corpse Trick‎, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL:

     The hovel stood in the centre of what had once been a vegetable garden, but was now a patch of rank weeds. Surrounding this, almost like a zareba, was an irregular ring of gorse and brambles, an unclaimed vestige of the original common.

2. (not comparable) First in a series of copies or versions.

   Synonym: initial

   The original manuscript contained spelling errors which were fixed in later versions.

   This recording is by the original broadway cast.

   • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 1, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:

     The original family who had begun to build a palace to rival Nonesuch had died out before they had put up little more than the gateway, […].

3. (not comparable) Newly created.

   Tonight we will hear an original work by one of our best composers.

4. (comparable) Fresh, different.

   The paper contains a number of original ideas about color perception.

5. (not comparable) Pioneering.

   Parker was one of the original bebop players.

6. (not comparable) Having a specified place or time as its origin.

   This kind of barbecue is original to North Carolina.

7. (of a potato chip) Seasoned with salt but no other flavoring; ready salted

Synonyms

• autograph
• prototype

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of "first in a series"):
  • copy, reproduction, simile (imitation)
  • derivative (branch)
  • ultimate (last, extreme)

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Noun

original (plural originals)

1. An object or other creation (e.g. narrative work) from which all later copies and variations are derived.

   Synonym: prototype

   Antonyms: copy, derivative, remake, reproduction, ultimate

   Hyponym: autograph

   This manuscript is the original.

2. A person with a unique and interesting personality or creative talent.
   • 1700, Tom Brown, Amusements Serious and Comical, calculated for the Meridian of London, page 5:

     I have a great mind to be in Print; but above all, I would fain be an Original, and that is a true Comical Thought: When all the Learned Men in the World are but Tranſlators, is it not a Pleaſant Jeſt, that you ſhould ſtrive to be an Original! You ſhould have obſerved your Time, and have come into the World with the Ancient Greeks for that purpoſe; for the Latines themſelves are but Copies.

   • 1975, The Educational Trends, volumes 10-14, page 59:

     Ahmad (1969) studied the personality differences among middle school girls identified as originals and unoriginals on the Minnesota's test of creative thinking.

   • 2010, A. Kusuma, Creativity and Cognitive Styles in Children, page 73:

     The originals or the creatives were more dominant than the unoriginals or the low creatives.

3. (archaic) An eccentric person.
   • 1899 February, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number M, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, , →OCLC, part I, page 201:

     ‘Are you an alienist?’ I interrupted. ‘Every doctor should be - a little,’ answered that original, imperturbably.

4. A newly designed garment released by a fashion designer as part of a collection.
   • 1962, “It's Fashion fair time again”, in Ebony, volume 17, number 11, page 126:

     Fashion Fair will give every section first hand knowledge of the latest originals and 1962-63's exciting trends.

   • 1963, National Retail Merchants Association. Sales Promotion Division, The NRMA Sales Promotion Encyclopedia, Vol. II., page 175:

     One such show was built around the Du Pont spring collection of Paris originals.

5. A ridgeling.

Translations

References

Further reading

• “original”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “original”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin orīginālis. First attested in the 14th century.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central)
• IPA^(key): (Balearic)
• IPA^(key): (Valencian)

Adjective

original m or f (masculine and feminine plural originals)

1. original

Derived terms

• originalitat
• originalment

Related terms

• origen

References

Further reading

• “original” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “original” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “original” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Danish

Adjective

original (neuter originalt, plural and definite singular attributive originale)

1. original

Noun

original c (singular definite originalen, plural indefinite originaler)

1. an original

Declension

Further reading

• “original” in Den Danske Ordbog
• “original” in Ordbog over det danske Sprog

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin orīginālis. Doublet of originel.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɔ.ʁi.ʒi.nal/

• Audio

  (file)

• Homophones: originale, originales

Adjective

original (feminine originale, masculine plural originaux, feminine plural originales)

1. original

   Antonyms: banal, copié, reproduit, vulgaire

Related terms

Noun

original m (plural originaux)

1. an unusual or eccentric person

   Synonym: drôle d’oiseau

2. an original manuscript

   Synonym: autographe

Further reading

• “original”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé , 2012.

German

Etymology

Borrowed from French original, from Old French original, from Late Latin orīginālis (“primitive, original”), from Latin orīgō (“beginning, source, origin”). Doublet of originell.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /oʁiɡiˈnaːl/
• Rhymes: -aːl

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

original (strong nominative masculine singular originaler, comparative originaler, superlative am originalsten)

1. original

Declension

Related terms

Adverb

original

1. (colloquial, intensifier) really, actually

   Synonyms: echt, wirklich

   • 1997, Alexa Hennig von Lange, chapter 1, in Relax‎:

     Wo ist jetzt diese verdammte Schachtel? Hier finde ich original nichts wieder.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Further reading

• “original” in Duden online
• “original” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Middle English

Alternative forms

• oryginall, origynall, orygynal, orygynall, origynal, oryginal, oregynall, originalle, originall

Etymology

From Old French original, from Late Latin orīginālis; equivalent to origyne +‎ -al.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɔriɡiˈnaːl/, /ɔriɡiˈnal/, /ɔriːɡiˈnal/

Adjective

original (plural and weak singular originale)

1. original, primordial; preceding everything else
2. connected to the origin or beginning of something

Derived terms

• originali

Descendants

• English: original
• Scots: original, oreeginal

References

• “orī̆ǧinā̆l(e, adj.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-02-26.

Noun

original (plural originals) (Late Middle English)

1. the origin, lineage, or provenance of something
2. the authoritative, authorial, or primordial version of a work or source
3. (rare) something that isn't living or artificial; a primordial element
4. (rare) a reason, factor, or generator of something
5. (rare) the root or etymological ancestor of a word
6. (rare, religion) the making of the universe
7. (rare, law) a legal document beginning legal action

Derived terms

• originali

Descendants

• English: original
• Scots: original, oreeginal

References

• “orī̆ǧinā̆l(e, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-02-26.

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Latin orīginālis; the noun being derived from the adjective.

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

original (neuter singular originalt, definite singular and plural originale)

1. original

Noun

original m (definite singular originalen, indefinite plural originaler, definite plural originalene)

1. an original

References

• “original” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Latin orīginālis; the noun being derived from the adjective.

Adjective

original (neuter singular originalt, definite singular and plural originale)

1. original

Noun

original m (definite singular originalen, indefinite plural originalar, definite plural originalane)

1. an original

References

• “original” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Occitan

Etymology

From Latin orīginālis.

Pronunciation

• Audio (Languedocien)

  (file)

Adjective

original m (feminine singular originala, masculine plural originals, feminine plural originalas)

1. original

Derived terms

• originalitat
• originalament

Related terms

• origina

Portuguese

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin orīginālis.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: o‧ri‧gi‧nal

Adjective

original m or f (plural originais)

1. original (relating to the origin or beginning)
2. original (being the first in a series)
3. original (different; unique)

Derived terms

• originalidade
• originalmente

Related terms

• origem

Further reading

• “original” in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa.
• “original” in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa.

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin originalis or French original. By surface analysis, origine +‎ -al.

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

original m or n (feminine singular originală, masculine plural originali, feminine and neuter plural originale)

1. original

Declension

Serbo-Croatian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /oriɡǐnaːl/
• Hyphenation: o‧ri‧gi‧nal

Noun

origìnāl m (Cyrillic spelling оригѝна̄л)

1. original

   Antonym: falsifikat

Declension

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin orīginālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /oɾixiˈnal/

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: o‧ri‧gi‧nal

Adjective

original m or f (masculine and feminine plural originales)

1. original

Derived terms

Related terms

Further reading

• “original”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014

Swedish

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

original n

1. an original
2. an eccentric or strange person (from notion of a one of a kind)

   Nisse är ett riktigt original

   Nisse is a real "one of a kind" (odd person)

Declension

Related terms

References

• original in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• original in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• original in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)