originate

Formsoriginates, originating, originated

1. 1
   verbintransitive

   To come into existence or have a beginning; to spring or be derived from a particular source.

   Several major rivers originate high in the snowfields of the mountains.

   The trading tradition originated among merchants who crossed the desert.

   Similararise, begin, start (entry), emerge, rise

   Note

   Here the thing begins by itself, with no object, and the preposition does the work. Originate with points to whoever started it: a scheme that originated with the governor and council. Originate from points to a source or derivation. Because the verb takes no object, it has no passive. For something a person deliberately started, the causative use is the transitive partner.

2. 2
   verbtransitive

   To bring someone or something into existence; to produce or initiate a person or thing.

   The committee originated a program to support emerging artists.

   Few inventors originate entirely new concepts without building on earlier work.

   Similarinitiate, create, devise, invent, launch

   Note

   The causative use comes from Medieval Latin orīginō, "to begin, give rise to", built on orīgō, "origin". It always takes an object, which separates it from the "come into being" meaning. Theater gives it a special job: the actor who originated a role played it first, as Douglas Fairbanks Sr. did with Zorro in the 1920 silent The Mark of Zorro. Projects and railway signal transmissions are originated too.

3. 3
   adjectiveobsolete

   Having something as its basis or source.

   My Testimony to and Abhorrence of every Invasion..against Christs Royal prerogative,..Originate upon and derivate from that which they call the Supremacy

   1679, John Kid, The last speeches of the two ministers Mr. John King

   Note

   A separate formation made with the adjective-forming -ate, as if origin + -ate. A thing could be originate upon something, meaning grounded in it. John Kid, in 1679, pairs it with a matching form: "Originate upon and derivate from." The adjective is now obsolete and was always rare. Modern English says originating in or derived from instead.

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