ordinateur

French

Etymology

From Latin ōrdinātor (“one who orders”), from ōrdinō (“to order, to organize”).

In its application to computing, it was coined by the professor of philology Jacques Perret in a letter dated 16 April 1955, in response to a request from IBM France, who believed the word calculateur was too restrictive in light of the possibilities of these machines (this is a very rare example of the creation of a neologism authenticated by dated letter).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɔʁ.di.na.tœʁ/

• Audio (France, Paris)

  (file)

• Audio (Paris)

  (file)

• Homophone: ordinateurs

Noun

ordinateur m (plural ordinateurs)

1. A computer, a computing device. [from 1955]

   Synonyms: calculateur, micro, micro-ordinateur, mini-ordinateur, ordi, PC

   Il a un ordinateur. ― He has a computer.

   Elle est à l’ordinateur. ― She is at the computer.

2. (archaic, Christianity) One who performs an ordination ceremony.

Derived terms

• ordinateur portable
• ordiphone
• superordinateur

Further reading

• “ordinateur” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).