I.earliest beginning, commencement, source, descent, lineage, birth, origin (class.; syn. ortus).
I. Lit.
A. In gen.: “originem rerum quaerere,” Cic. Univ. 3: “origo tyranni,” id. Rep. 2, 29, 51: “principii nulla est origo: nam e principio oriuntur omnia,” id. ib. 6, 25, 27: “nullius autem rei causā remotā reperiri origo potest,” id. Univ. 2, 3: “rerum genitalis,” Lucr. 5, 176: “ab origine gentem (corripiunt morbi),” Verg. G. 3, 473: “summi boni,” Cic. Fin 2, 10, 31: “omnium virtutum,” id. ib. 4, 7, 17: “fontium qui celat origines Nilus,” source, Hor. C. 4, 14, 45: “auctore ab aliquo ducere originem,” to derive one's origin from, to descend from, id. ib. 3, 17, 5: “mentis causa malae est origo penes te,” Juv. 14, 226: “accipere,” to take its origin, originate, Quint. 5, 11, 19: “ducere ex Hispaniā,” to be of Spanish derivation, id. 1, 5, 57: deducere ab aliquo, to derive one's origin from, descend from, Plin. 6, 20, 23, § “76: ab aliquo habere,” to draw one's origin from, descend from, id. 15, 14, 15, § 49: “trahere,” id. 5, 24, 21, § 86: “PATRONVS AB ORIGINE,” i. e. from his ancestors, Inscr. Fabr. p. 101, n. 232.—
B. In partic.: “Origines,” the title of a work by Cato upon the early history of the Italian cities, Nep. Cat. 3, 3: “quod (M. Cato) in principio scripsit Originum suarum,” Cic. Planc. 27, 66; id. Sen. 11, 38.—Hence, in allusion to this title: quam ob rem, ut ille solebat, ita nunc mea repetet oratio populi origines; “libenter enim etiam verbo utor Catonis,” Cic. Rep. 2, 1, 3.—
II. Transf.
A. A race, stock, family, Ov. M. 1, 186: “ille tamen nostrā deducit origine nomen,” Verg. A. 10, 618: “Vitelliorum originem alii aliam tradunt: partim veterem et nobilem, partim vero novam et obscuram, atque etiam sordidam,” Suet. Vit. 1.—Of animals, Verg. G. 3, 473. —
B. Of persons, an ancestor, progenitor, founder: “Aeneas, Romanae stirpis origo,” Verg. A. 12, 166: “celebrant carminibus antiquis Tuisconem deum terrā editum, et filium Mannum, originem gentis conditoresque,” Tac. G. 2: “hujus origo Ilus,” Ov. M. 11, 755: “mundi melioris origo,” the creator, id. ib. 1, 79; cf. Stat. Th. 1, 680: “eaeque (urbes) brevi multum auctae, pars originibus suis praesidio, aliae decori fuere,” their mother-cities, Sall. J. 19, 1; so Liv. 26, 13; 38, 39; also in sing., id. 37, 37; Inst. 23, 1.