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dignatio

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word dignatio

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
81–43 BC, Cicero
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*deḱ-no-)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin dignor
Latin dedignor
Latin dignatio

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [dɪŋˈnaː.ti.oː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [diɲˈɲat.t͡si.o][1]

Forms

dignātiō f (genitive dignātiōnis); third declension[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin dignor (“to deem worthy”) + -tiō.[2][1][3] dignor is from dignus (“worthy”), which de Vaan derives from Proto-Italic *dek-no- and Proto-Indo-European *deḱ-no-, treating it under decet.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler and the TLL date it from Cicero, who writes in a letter of a man who cares only about his standing.[5][3][2]

Semantic evolution

Lewis & Short call it mostly post-Augustan, frequent in Tacitus and Suetonius.[6] It is esteem for someone, as when Seneca asks whether he should not receive Zeno into his mind with the highest regard, and more often the esteem one enjoys, repute, honour.[2] Livy uses it of rank: someone reached the standing of the leading men.[2] Cassiodorus contrasts it with indignātiō: God's dignātiō is when he receives us mercifully.[3] Medieval Latin has it for favour and for the grace of God.[7] Church Latin glosses it condescension, graciousness.[8]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of standing.[2][3][5]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy of rank.[2][5]
  • 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca of esteem.[2][5]
  • c. 75–c. 150 AD – Suetonius uses it often.[6][5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Esteem, regard, respect for someone.[2][6][1]
  2. The esteem one enjoys, repute, honour, dignity.[2][6][1]
  3. Rank, status.[2]
  4. (Ecclesiastical Latin) Condescension, graciousness;[8][7] (Medieval Latin) favour; the grace of God.[8][7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  8. ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
Cite this entry

“Dignatio.” Etymologically, 20 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/dignatio. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·