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digesta

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word digesta

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 165 AD, Aulus Gellius
Ultimate origin
Latin dīgerō
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin gero
Latin digero
Latin digesta
English digest
From the same root
Latin aggero ← gero
Latin congero ← gero
Latin egero ← gero
Latin gesta ← gero
Latin ingero ← gero
Latin morigerus ← gero

Forms

dīgesta n pl (genitive dīgestōrum); second declension, plural only[1][2]

Etymology

It is the neuter plural of the past participle from Latin dīgerō (“to distribute, arrange”), used as a noun: “things arranged”.[1][2][3] The name refers to works divided into books and chapters.[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Aulus Gellius uses digesta as the title of legal writings arranged in order.[2][3][4]

Semantic evolution

In the OLD it is an abstract of a body of law set out systematically.[1] It became above all the name of the Pandects, the part of Justinian's law books in which everything is divided into books, titles and paragraphs, as in the Code of Justinian.[2][3]

Tertullian applied the word to the Bible, and in the singular to a gospel: digestum Lucae is the Gospel of Luke.[2][3][5] Sedulius has per digesta for “briefly, in summary”.[5] Italian Digesto continues the name of the law book.[5]

Timeline

  • c. 165 AD – Aulus Gellius uses it as the title of legal works.[2][4]
  • c. 160–220 AD – Tertullian calls the Bible digesta and the Gospel of Luke digestum Lucae.[2][3][4]
  • 528–534 AD – The Code of Justinian uses it for the Pandects.[2][4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A digest: a work arranged in books or chapters, especially a systematic abstract of the law.[1][3]
  2. The Digest or Pandects of Justinian.[2][3]
  3. (Ecclesiastical Latin) The Bible; in the singular, a gospel.[2][3][5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b c d Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier

Borrowed into

Cite this entry

“Digesta.” Etymologically, 24 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/digesta. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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