I.fut. ordibor for ordiar: non parvam rem ordibor, Att. ap. Non. 39, 22; part. perf. orditus, Sid. Ep. 2, 9; Vulg. Isa. 25, 7), v. dep., lit., to begin a web, to lay the warp; hence, also, in gen., to begin, undertake a thing: “ordiri est rei principium facere, unde et togae vocantur exordiae,” Fest. p. 185 Müll.; cf. Isid. 19, 29, 7: “telam,” Hier. in Isa. 9, 30, v. 1; Vulg. Isa. 25, 7.
I. Lit., to begin to weave a web, to weave, spin: “araneus orditur telas,” Plin. 11, 24, 28, § 80.—So of the Fates: “Lachesis plenā orditur manu,” Sen. Apoc. 4: “(Parca) hominis vitam orditur,” Lact. 2, 10, 20.—
II. In gen., to begin, commence, set about, undertake (class.; syn.: incipio, incoho, infit); constr. with acc., de, inf., or absol.
(α).
With acc.: “reliquas res,” Cic. Fam. 5, 12, 2: “alterius vitae quoddam initium ordimur,” id. Att. 4, 1: “reliquos,” to relate, describe, Nep. Alc. 11, 6: “querelae ab initio tantae ordiendae rei absint. Liv. praef. § 12: majorem orsa furorem,” Verg. A. 7, 386.—
(γ).
With inf.: “ea, de quā disputare ordimur,” Cic. Brut. 6, 22: “cum adulescens orsus esset in foro dicere,” id. ib. 88, 301: “cum sic orsa loqui vates,” Verg. A. 6, 125: “et orsa est Dicere Leuconoë,” Ov. M. 4, 167: “tunc sic orsa loqui,” id. ib. 4, 320.—
(δ).
Absol., to begin, commence, set out, take or have a beginning: “unde est orsa, in eodem terminetur oratio,” Cic. Marcell. 11, 33: Veneris contra sic filius orsus, thus began (to speak), Verg. A. 1, 325: “sic Juppiter orsus,” id. ib. 12, 806; so commonly with specification of the point from which: “unde ordiri rectius possumus quam a naturā?” Cic. Tusc. 5, 13, 37 init.: “a principio,” id. Phil. 2, 18, 44: “a facillimis,” id. Fin. 1, 5, 13: “a capite,” Plin. 25, 11, 83, § 132.—（ε) Of things or subjects, to begin, to be begun (where the verb may be taken in pass. sense): “tormina ab atrā bile orsa mortifera sunt,” Cels. 2, 8: “cum ex depressiore loco fuerint orsa fundamenta,” Col. 1, 5, 9: sed ab initio est ordiendus (Themistocles), i. e. I must begin (his life) at the beginning, Nep. Them. 1, 2; cf.: “ab eo nobis causa ordienda est,” Cic. Leg. 1, 7, 21.
