ordinateur

Borrowed from Latin ōrdinātōrem (“one who orders”), from ōrdinō (“to order, 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).

• IPA^(key): /ɔʁ.di.na.tœʁ/

• Audio (France, Paris)

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• Audio (Paris)

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• Homophone: ordinateurs

ordinateur m (plural ordinateurs)

1. (computing) a computer, a computing device. [from 1955]

   Synonyms: calculateur, ordi

   Hyponyms: micro, micro-ordinateur, mini-ordinateur, 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

• “ordinateur”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.