Ordinandus

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A term used in academic or ecclesiastical contexts referring to something that is to be arranged or ordered
2. Drafted for systematic organization or classification in a specific field
3. Inherently tied to the process of establishing a sequence or hierarchy of elements for better understanding

Etymology: "Ordinandus" is a Latin gerundive, formed from "ordinare" ("to arrange, set in order, appoint") with the suffix "-andus," which marks something that must or is to be undergone. Literally it means "one who is to be ordained," and it was used in the Church for a candidate about to receive holy orders. The Latin verb itself came from "ordo," "order" or "row," so the idea of putting things into rank runs underneath the ecclesiastical sense. English has borrowed the term as a learned technical word, and it appears mainly in church historical and canon-law writing rather than everyday use. It is a direct borrowing from Latin rather than a word that passed through French, and it is not an old native English term. Its use in English is dated to the period when writers in Latin or about church procedure needed a precise label for those in the process of ordination.