Lewis & Short

1. ŏrīgo, ĭnis, f. [orior], earliest beginning, commencement, source, descent, lineage, birth, origin (class.; syn. ortus).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. 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.
    2. 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.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. 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.
    2. 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.