Etymologically
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domina

Etymology and origin of the Latin word domina

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Latin (domus)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈdɔ.mɪ.na][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈdɔː.mi.na][1]

Forms

domina f (genitive dominae, masculine dominus); first declension[1]

Etymology

It is the feminine of dominus “master”, from domus “house”.[2][1][3] If Oscan ⟨diomanas⟩ is cognate, a Proto-Italic *domVnā can be set up.[1] Inscriptions have the syncopated form ⟨domna⟩.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citations are from Plautus, of a mistress of a household.[2] Köbler's first source is Cicero.[4] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant the mistress of a household, the owner, as in Plautus and Terence, and sometimes a wife, as in Virgil.[2][5] It meant a female ruler, of goddesses mistress, as in Virgil, and as an adjective imperial, ruling.[2] It was a title of respect or affection, and a lover's mistress, as in Lucilius and Ovid.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant a lady, mistress.[6] In Medieval Latin it meant a nun, a lady, an heiress or dowager, a lady-in-waiting and a princess.[7][8] It survives in Italian donna, French dame and Romanian doamnă.[1] Through Old French dame it is the source of English dame about 1200, and English donna is borrowed from Italian.[3] A diminutive *domnicella gave French damoiselle, whence English damsel.[4][3]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of the mistress of a house.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it.[4]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of a goddess and a wife.[2][5][4]
  • c. 1200 – English dame is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. The mistress of a household, owner; a wife.[2]
  2. A female ruler; a goddess.[2]
  3. (title) Lady; a lover's mistress.[2]
  4. (Medieval Latin) A nun; a lady-in-waiting.[7][8]

Word family

  • dominula

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 k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  8. ^ a b 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
Cite this entry

“Domina.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/domina. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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