dominus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈdɔ.mɪ.nʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈdɔː.mi.nus]^[1]

Forms

dominus m (genitive dominī, feminine domina); second declension^[1] A syncopated domnus appears in inscriptions.^[2][3] Medieval texts also write dompnus, especially as a title.^[4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *dom-o/u-no- (“of the house”), a derivative of the word for “house”, domus.^[5][2][6] Pinault reconstructs Proto-Indo-European *dom-h₃n-o- (“one who profits from the house”) and compares Sanskrit दमूनस् (dámūnas-, “lord of the house”), but de Vaan doubts that the two go back to one inherited word.^[5] Wiktionary gives both the Proto-Italic form and a reconstruction Proto-Indo-European *domHnos (“homeowner”).^[1] Lewis & Short followed an older view connecting it with domō “to tame”.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus uses it of the master of slaves.^[5][2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[7]

Semantic evolution

In Classical Latin it was the master of a household or of slaves, an owner, and also the young master, the son of the house.^[2][6] It was the manager of a troupe or of games, the host of a feast, a ruler or despot and, of gods, a lord, dominus nāvis was the master of a ship.^[2] As a courtesy title it meant “sir”, and lovers used it as a term of endearment.^[2]

In Christian Latin Dominus was the Lord, God.^[1] Medieval writers used it of a vassal's lord, the emperor, the king and the holder of a seigniory, and dominus terrae was a territorial prince.^[8] The shortened domnus was common as a form of address and as an ecclesiastical title.^[4] It survives as Italian donno, Spanish dueño, Portuguese dono and Romanian domn.^[1]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a slave's master.^[2][7]
• mid-15th century – English dominion is recorded, from dominium, a derivative of dominus.^[9]
• 1520s – English don is recorded as a title of respect, through Spanish.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. The master of a household; an owner, proprietor.^[2][3]
2. The young master, the son of the house.^[2]
3. A manager of a troupe or of games; the host of a feast.^[2]
4. A ruler, lord, despot; of gods, lord.^[2]
5. Dominus nāvis, the master of a ship.^[2]
6. A courtesy title: sir; a lover's term of endearment.^[2]
7. (Ecclesiastical Latin) Dominus, the Lord, God.^[1]
8. (Medieval Latin) A feudal lord; the lord of a seigniory.^[8]

Word family

• domina
• dominicus
• dominium
• dominor
• dominulus
• domnifundus
• domnipraedius
• domicellus
• domināns
• dominanter
• dominātiō
• dominātor

Related words

• domus
• English don
• English dominion

Usage notes

Cicero wrote that the master should honour the house, not the house the master (nec domō dominus, sed dominō domus honestanda est).^[3][10]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ 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
5. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
6. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
7. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
8. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
10. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.