dom

dom¹ gift

Etymology tree of dom¹

inherited borrowed derived

Latin dōnum

French don

Italian dono

Portuguese dom

Spanish don

English don

From the same root · dom¹

Latin dōnō ← dōnum

Pronunciation

• Brazil: /ˈdõ/^[1]
• Portugal: /ˈdõ/, /ˈdɐ̃w̃/^[1]

Forms

dom m (plural dons)^[1] The old plural was dões, doões, dõos, doons or doens.^[2][3]

Etymology

The word for the gift is inherited from Latin dōnum (“gift, present”), from the verb dō (“to give”), and is written Old Galician-Portuguese don in the 13th century.^[2][4][5] The neuter plural of the Latin noun gave the old doa “jewel”, which survives in Galician doa “bead of a rosary”.^[6]

The same Latin word is Spanish don, Catalan do, French don and Italian dono.^[7]

The Latin noun goes back to Proto-Indo-European *déh₃nom, from *deh₃- (“to give”), and is cognate with Sanskrit दान (dā́na, “gift”).^[1][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The cantigas use the word for a gift: Pero da Ponte tells a lady vosso dom é mui caro “your gift is very dear”.^[9] The Miragres de Santiago have tal dom for a grace received from the apostle.^[3]

Semantic evolution

Pereira in 1697 equates the word with mercê “favour”, and Bluteau records the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit and the sense of natural talent, as in dom de orador.^[10][11] Morais notes that in the romances of chivalry conceder um dom was to grant a favour asked of a knight.^[12] The sense of an inborn talent is now the commonest, and it is often used ironically of a knack for something bad.^[2][13]

Timeline

• 13th century – the cantigas use dom for a gift.^[9][2]
• 14th century – the plural doões.^[2]
• 1697 – Pereira equates it with mercê.^[10]
• 1712–1728 – Bluteau lists the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the sense of talent.^[11]
• 1813 – Morais records conceder um dom from the romances of chivalry.^[12]
• 1899 – Figueiredo enters the gift and the title as two words.^[14]

Meanings

Noun

1. The act of giving; a gift, present.^[2][4]
2. A blessing or grace held to come from God or nature.^[2][15]
3. A natural talent or aptitude: tem o dom do desenho.^[2][4]
4. (often ironic) A knack: o dom de complicar tudo.^[2][13]
5. (chiefly plural) A quality or merit.^[2][4]

dom² title

Etymology tree of dom²

inherited borrowed derived

Latin dominus

French domino

English domino

Latin domnus

Italian donno

Italian don

Portuguese dom

Portuguese dono

Romanian domn

Spanish don

English don

Spanish dueño

From the same root · dom²

Latin domina ← dominus

Latin dominicus ← dominus

Latin dominium ← dominus

Latin dominor ← dominus

Romanian domni ← domn

Romanian domnie ← domn

Forms

dom m (plural dons); usually capitalised Dom and abbreviated D.^[1]

Etymology

The word for the title is inherited from Late Latin domnus, the syncopated form of Latin dominus (“master of the house, lord”), itself from domus (“house”).^[2][16][1] Nascentes explains the loss of the final syllable by its use before a name;^[16][17] Nascentes's fuller dictionary also cites Leite de Vasconcelos's derivation from the vocative dom'ne.^[16][17] The full form of the same Latin word is dono “owner”.^[2][1]

The same short form is Spanish don and Italian don, beside the full forms dueño and donno.^[18][19]

Earliest recorded meaning

Houaiss dates the title to 994, in a Latin charter.^[2] Galician-Portuguese charters write Eu Don Alfonso per la gracia de Deus in 1228 and Dom M. Perez in 1257, and the Miragres de Santiago have Dom Turpim, arçibispo de Reens.^[3]

Semantic evolution

Bluteau writes that the title was once given only to kings and their descendants, to the great nobles, and to knights privileged by the king for great services, and derives it from Domnus.^[11] Morais notes that the romances of chivalry put it before insults, as in dom traidor.^[12] In Brazil it is now used mainly for bishops and abbots.^[15][4] In Rio Grande do Sul, under the influence of the River Plate, it is put before the name of a stranger or of a respected man.^[20]

Timeline

• 994 – don in a Latin charter.^[2]
• 1228 – Don Alfonso in a charter.^[3]
• 1257 – Dom M. Perez in a charter.^[3]
• 1712–1728 – Bluteau explains who had the right to the title.^[11]
• 1813 – Morais records its use before insults in the romances of chivalry.^[12]
• 1899 – Figueiredo defines it as a title before men's names in certain social ranks.^[14]

Meanings

Noun

1. (usually capitalised) A title placed before the given name of kings, princes and members of the high nobility of Portugal and Spain.^[2][4][5]
2. A title of bishops and some other churchmen.^[2][15]
3. (historical) A title granted by the king to men of great merit.^[2]
4. Among Spanish speakers, a courtesy title before any man's given name.^[2]
5. (Portugal, obsolete, ironic) Placed before an insult: dom traidor.^[2][12]