Etymologically
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discrimino

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): [dɪsˈkriː.mɪ.noː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [disˈkriː.mi.no][1]

Forms

discrīminō (present infinitive discrīmināre, perfect active discrīmināvī, supine discrīminātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from discrīmen “dividing line, distinction” with the verb suffix ⟨-ō⟩.[2][1][3] ⟨Discrīmen⟩ is from discernō “to separate”.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Varro, of dividing and distinguishing.[2] Köbler dates Varro 116–27 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to divide up, separate, and to distinguish, differentiate, as in Varro.[2] Lewis & Short call it very rare.[6]

Its participle discrīminātus gave English discriminate in the 1620s, “to distinguish”.[4] It was borrowed into Italian discriminare and Spanish discriminar.[1]

Timeline

  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it.[2][5]
  • 1620s – English discriminate is recorded.[4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To divide, separate.[2]
  2. To distinguish, differentiate.[2]

Word family

  • discrīminātim
  • discrīminātiō
  • discrīminātor
  • discriminatrix

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press