English

Noun

organum ‎(plural organums or organa)

1. (music) a type of medieval polyphony which builds upon an existing plainsong
2. (archaic) A method by which philosophical or scientific investigation may be conducted.
   • 1794, George Adams, Lectures on natural and experimental philosophy

     He has given us an organum of a different origin and construction from that of Arislotle […]

   • 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.

Translations

Latin

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈor.ɡa.num/

Noun

organum n ‎(genitive organī); second declension

1. an implement, instrument, tool
2. any musical instrument

Inflection

Second declension.

Derived terms

• organālis
• organārius

Related terms

• organicus

Descendants

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, 1883–1887)
• Félix Gaffiot (1934), “organum”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.
• organum in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers