Etymologically
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dignus

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈdɪŋ.nʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈdiɲ.ɲus][1]

Forms

dignus (feminine digna, neuter dignum, comparative dignior, superlative dignissimus); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *dek-no-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *deḱ-no, from the root Proto-Indo-European *deḱ- (“to take, accept”) of decet “it is fitting”, decus and doceō.[1][2][3] Cognate with Ancient Greek δέχομαι (dékhomai, “to receive”).[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citations are from Plautus.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant appropriate, suitable, worthy, as in Plautus, impersonally dignum est “it is fitting”, and deserving, meriting good or ill, with an ablative, as Cicero's man most worthy of his ancestors.[2][3][5] In Gaius it meant worth a certain value.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant worthy, deserving, merited.[6] In Medieval Latin it meant merited, due, appropriate.[7] It survives in Italian degno, Spanish and Portuguese digno and Romanian demn, and French digne is a borrowing.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of worthiness.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a man worthy of his ancestors.[3][4]
  • 140–180 AD – Gaius uses it of value.[2][4]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Appropriate, suitable, worthy, dignum est, it is fitting.[2]
  2. Deserving, meriting.[2]
  3. Worth (a value).[2]

Word family

  • condignus
  • dignitās
  • indignus
  • perdignus
  • dignō
  • dignor

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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c 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. ^ 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. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press