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ordain

or-DAYN · verb

Origin

From Middle English ordeynen, from Old French ordiner, from Latin ordinare ("to order"), from ordo ("order").

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Journey

The word has stayed close to its root sense of putting things into proper order, extending that idea to the formal appointment of someone or something into a fixed role.

Related words

It's a doublet of ordinate, meaning both words descend from the same Latin root ordinare, having simply taken different paths into English.

More words

From Old French

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