Etymology
1. c.1225, "body of persons living under a religious discipline," from O.Fr.
ordre (11c.), from earlier
ordene, from L.
ordinem (nom.
ordo) "row, rank, series, arrangement," originally "a row of threads in a loom," from Italic root
*ored(h)- "to arrange, arrangement" (cf.
ordiri "to begin to weave," e.g. in
primordial), of unknown origin. Meaning "a rank in the (secular) community" is first recorded c.1300; meaning "command, directive" is first recorded 1548, from the notion of "to keep in order." Military and honorary orders grew our of the fraternities of Crusader knights. Business and commerce sense is attested from 1837. In natural history, as a classification of living things, it is first recorded 1760. Meaning "condition of a community which is under the rule of law" is from 1483. Phrase
in order to (1655) preserves etymological notion of "sequence." The word reflects a very medieval notion: "a system of parts subject to certain uniform, established ranks or proportions," and was used of everything from architecture to angels. The verb is c.1240, from the noun.
In short order "without delay" is from 1834, Amer.Eng.;
order of battle is from 1769.
2. Etymology tree
3. Proto-Indo-European *h₂er-der.
4. Proto-Italic *ordōder.
5. Latin ōrdinem
6. Old French ordneder.
7. Middle English ordre
8. English order
9. From Middle English ordre, from Old French ordre, ordne, ordene (“order, rank”), from Latin ōrdinem, accusative of ōrdō (“row, rank, regular arrangement”, literally “row of threads in a loom”), from Proto-Italic *ordō (“to arrange”), probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂or-d-, from *h₂er-.
10. Related to Latin ōrdior (“begin”, literally “begin to weave”). In sense “request for purchase”, compare bespoke. Doublet of ordo.
11. Compare typologically Russian поря́док (porjádok) (akin to ряд (rjad)). See: Latin '
ōrdior'.
Verbs referencing "order"
Zulu
oda, Dutch
ordenen, Thai
ออร์เดอร์.