dignus Latin · revision 6296

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=Plautus|origins=ine-pro *deḱ-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈdɪŋ.nʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈdiɲ.ɲus]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''dignus''' (feminine digna, neuter dignum, comparative dignior, superlative dignissimus); first/second-declension adjective^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|itc-pro|*dek-no-]], [[inh|ine-pro|*deḱ-no]], from the root [[ine-pro|*deḱ-|t=to take, accept]] of [[decet]] “it is fitting”, [[decus]] and [[doceō]].^(Wiktionary)^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) Cognate with [[grc|δέχομαι|tr=dékhomai|t=to receive]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The OLD's first citations are from Plautus.^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant appropriate, suitable, worthy, as in Plautus, impersonally ''dignum est'' “it is fitting”, and deserving, meriting good or ill, with an ablative, as Cicero's man most worthy of his ancestors.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Lewis & Short 1879) In Gaius it meant worth a certain value.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant worthy, deserving, merited.^(Stelten 1995) In Medieval Latin it meant merited, due, appropriate.^(DMLBS) It survives in Italian ''degno'', Spanish and Portuguese ''digno'' and Romanian ''demn'', and French ''digne'' is a borrowing.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of worthiness.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a man worthy of his ancestors.^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 140–180 AD – Gaius uses it of value.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Appropriate, suitable, [[m|en|worthy]], ''dignum est'', it is fitting.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Deserving, meriting.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Worth (a value).^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[condignus]]

+ * [[dignitās]]

+ * [[indignus]]

+ * [[perdignus]]

+ * [[dignō]]

+ * [[dignor]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[decet]]

+ * [[decus]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}