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dominator

Etymology and origin of the Latin word dominator

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Cicero
Ultimate origin
Latin (dominor)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin dominor
Latin dominator

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [dɔ.mɪˈnaː.tɔr][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [do.miˈnaː.tor][1]

Forms

dominātor m (genitive dominātōris); third declension[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin dominor (“to rule”) + -tor, from dominus “master”.[2][1][3] De Vaan reconstructs ⟨dominus⟩ as Proto-Italic ⟨*dom-o/u-no-⟩ “of the house”, from the word for “house”, domus.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's earliest source is Cicero, who calls God rērum dominātor “ruler of the world”.[3][5] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant a ruler, lord, master, often an arbitrary one, as in Cicero's rērum dominātor and in Lactantius and the Vulgate.[2][5][6] The Theodosian Code uses it as the title of an African magistrate.[6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it means ruler, lord.[7] British Medieval Latin used it also as a divine epithet.[8] It survives as Spanish dominador and French dominateur.[1]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of God.[5][3]
  • 390–406 AD – The Vulgate uses it.[5][3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A ruler, lord, master.[2][5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  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 Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  8. ^ 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

“Dominator.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/dominator. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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