# organum
## 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: /ˈɔː.ɡə.nəm/
* (US) IPA: /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 [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
## Latin
### Etymology

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

### Pronunciation

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

### Noun

organum n (genitive organī); second declension
* an implement, instrument, tool
* any musical instrument

#### Declension

Second-declension noun (neuter).

#### 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)
* 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

Borrowed from French organum.

### Noun

organum n (uncountable)
* organum