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derogo

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word derogo

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
234–149 BC, Cato
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*h₃roǵ-o-)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin rogo
Latin derogo
Latin prorogo
Latin abrogo
Latin irrogo
Latin interrogo
French interroger
Latin interrogatio
Latin erogo
Latin rogatus
Latin rogatio
Latin praerogativus

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈdeː.rɔ.ɡoː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈdɛː.ro.ɡo][1]

Forms

dērogō (present infinitive dērogāre, perfect active dērogāvī, supine dērogātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin dē- + rogō (“to ask; propose a law”).[2][1][3] De Vaan takes rogō for a verb made from a noun or adjective Proto-Italic *rogo- (“request; stretching out”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃roǵ-o- (“stretching”), perhaps of the arms stretched out in asking.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLL reads it from Cato on.[3]

Semantic evolution

It is a technical term of law, as Festus explains: to dērogāre is to provide by a new law that something in an old law shall not be done, that is, to take away part of it.[3] Cicero sets it beside obrogāre and abrogāre: it is not lawful to override this law, nor to take anything away from it, nor to repeal it whole.[5] A bill quoted in Cicero's letters forbids abrogating, derogating or overriding,[2] and Ulpian says the Aquilian law set aside all earlier laws on damage.[2] More generally it means to take away or detract from: Cicero says one man's good faith should not be diminished by another's treachery.[2] Stelten gives "detract from, repeal, restrict, modify" for Church Latin.[6] The English derogate first meant to impair authority or disparage.[7]

Timeline

  • 234–149 BC – Cato, its first use.[3]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of taking away from a law.[5][2]
  • before 223 AD – Ulpian of a law setting aside earlier ones.[2]
  • early 15th century – derogate appears in English.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. (law) To repeal part of a law, restrict or modify it; to set aside the force of (a law).[2][5][1]
  2. To take away, subtract;[2][5][1] (with dative) to detract from, diminish.[2][5][1]

Word family

  • dērogātiō
  • dērogātor
  • dērogātōrius

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Derogo.” Etymologically, 20 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/derogo. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·