Etymologically
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dominium

Etymology and origin of the Latin word dominium

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

Forms

dominium n (genitive dominiī or dominī); second declension[1]

Etymology

It is from dominus “master, owner” with the suffix -ium.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citation is Lucilius, who apparently uses it of a banquet.[2][4] Köbler dates Lucilius c. 180–102 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

In Lucilius it apparently meant a feast, banquet, but its usual sense is rule, dominion, as in Seneca, and especially in law ownership, the right of property, as in Ulpian, Velleius and Livy.[2][6][4]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant mastery, power, control, rule, property.[7] In Medieval Latin it meant power, the right of property, and an estate, domain.[8] It survives in Italian dominio, and Old French demaine gave French domaine.[1] English dominion came in the mid-15th century, English demesne through Anglo-French about 1300, and English domain about 1600 through Medieval Latin domānium.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius uses it of a banquet.[2][5]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of ownership.[6][5]
  • 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca uses it of rule.[2][5]
  • mid-15th century – English dominion is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Rule, dominion.[2]
  2. (law) Ownership, property.[2]
  3. A banquet.[2]
  4. (Medieval Latin) An estate, domain.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  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. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
Cite this entry

“Dominium.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/dominium. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·