Etymologically
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demando

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 18:04. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [deːˈman.doː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [deˈman.do][1]

Forms

dēmandō (present infinitive dēmandāre, perfect active dēmandāvī, supine dēmandātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from dē- and mandō “to entrust, commit”.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Livy, “to entrust”.[2] Köbler dates Livy 59 BC–17 AD.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to entrust, hand over, as in Livy, and with ut in Gaius to charge someone to do something.[2] Suetonius has dēmandārī in cīvitātem “to be placed for safety in a town”.[5] Lewis & Short note it is not ante-Augustan, unlike commendō.[6]

In Medieval Latin it came to mean to ask, request, and through Old French demander “to request” it gave English demand in the late 14th century, first “to ask questions”.[3] It survives in Italian domandare and Spanish demandar.[1]

Timeline

  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it.[2][4]
  • 140–180 AD – Gaius uses it of a charge.[2][4]
  • late 14th century – English demand is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To entrust, hand over.[2]
  2. To charge (someone to do something).[2]

Word family

  • demandatio

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press