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dominor

Etymology and origin of the Latin word dominor

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

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈdɔ.mɪ.nɔr][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈdɔː.mi.nor][1]

Forms

dominor (present infinitive dominārī or dominārier, perfect active dominātus sum); first conjugation, deponent[1]

Etymology

It is from dominus “lord, master” with the verb suffix -or.[2][1][3][4] Virgil has the old infinitive ⟨dominārier⟩, and an active ⟨dominō⟩ is also found.[5][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Accius, of abstract agencies ruling.[2] Köbler dates Accius 170–c. 90 BC.[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant to exercise sovereignty, rule as a despot, and in Cicero to be master of a household, as his in capite alicuius dominārī “to be master of someone's life”.[2][7] In Quintilian it meant to be in control of oneself.[2] From Accius it meant of things and forces to rule, dominate.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to dominate, rule, prevail over, have dominion over.[8] It was borrowed into French dominer and Italian dominare, and its participle dominātus or dominātiō gave English dominate in the 1610s; through Dutch domineren it gave English domineer.[1][4]

Timeline

  • 170–c. 90 BC – Accius uses it of ruling forces.[2][6]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a despot.[2][6]
  • c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it of self-control.[2][6]
  • 1610s – English dominate is recorded.[4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To rule, be a despot; to be master of a household.[2]
  2. To be in control (of oneself).[2]
  3. Of forces, to dominate.[2]

Word family

  • dominātiō
  • dominātor
  • dominātrīx
  • dominātus
  • perdominor
  • domināns
  • dominanter

References

  1. ^ a b c d e 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 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. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  7. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  8. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
Cite this entry

“Dominor.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/dominor. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·