Original, a.
Etymology: [F. original, L. originalis.]
1. Pertaining to the origin or beginning; preceding all others; first in order; primitive; primary; pristine; as, the original state of man; the original laws of a country; the original inventor of a process. His form had yet not lost All her original brightness. Milton.
2. Not copied, imitated, or translated; new; fresh; genuine; as, an original thought; an original process; the original text of Scripture.
3. Having the power to suggest new thoughts or combinations of thought; inventive; as, an original genius.
4. Before unused or unknown; new; as, a book full of original matter. Original sin (Theol.), the first sin of Adam, as related to its consequences to his descendants of the human race; -- called also total depravity. See Calvinism.
1 other Webster entry under this spelling
Original, n.
1. Origin; commencement; source. It hath it original from much grief. Shak. And spangled heavens, a shining frame, Their great Original proclaim. Addison.
2. That which precedes all others of its class; archetype; first copy; hence, an original work of art, manuscript, text, and the like, as distinguished from a copy, translation, etc. The Scriptures may be now read in their own original. Milton.
3. An original thinker or writer; an originator. [R.] Men who are bad at copying, yet are good originals. C. G. Leland.
4. A person of marked eccentricity. [Colloq.]
5. (Zoöl. & Bot.)
The natural or wild species from which a domesticated or cultivated variety has been derived; as, the wolf is thought by some to be the original of the dog, the blackthorn the original of the plum.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for original; he lists it under authentic, ideal, model, native, primeval, radical, transcendental.
Where he writes about it:
We speak of accepted conclusions, certain evidence, current money, genuine letters, a legitimate conclusion or legitimate authority, original manuscripts, real value, received interpretation, sure proof, a true statement, a trustworthy witness, a veritable discovery. — from authentic
The original is the first specimen, good or bad; the original of a master is superior to all copies. — from ideal
Aboriginal, autochthonic, and primeval combine the meanings of ancient and original; aboriginal inhabitants, autochthonic races, primeval forests. — from primeval
Pristine is an elegant word, used almost exclusively in a good sense of that which is original and perhaps ancient; as, pristine purity, innocence, vigor. — from primeval
That which is both an original and natural product of a soil or country is said to be indigenous; that which is actually produced there is said to be native, though it may be of foreign extraction; humming-birds are indigenous to America; canaries may be native, but are not indigenous. — from primeval
The widely divergent senses in which the word radical is used, by which it can be at some time interchanged with any word in the above list, are all formed upon the one primary sense of having to do with or proceeding from the root (L. radix); a radical difference is one that springs from the root, and is thus constitutional, essential, fundamental, organic, original; a radical change is one that does not stop at the surface, but reaches down to the very root, and is entire, thorough, total; since the majority find superficial treatment of any matter the easiest and most comfortable, radical measures, which strike at the root of evil or need, are apt to be looked upon as extreme. — from radical