English
dainty
Dainty comes from Middle English deynte ‘Admiration’, from Latin dignitās ‘worth, worthiness, merit, desert’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *deḱ- ‘to take’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deḱ-‘to take’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*deḱ-noreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*dek-no-reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdignus‘appropriate, fitting, worthy, meet, deserving, fit, proper, suitable, becoming’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdignitāsas dignitātem‘worth, worthiness, merit, desert’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400deintié
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500deynte‘Admiration’
- Englishearliest quotation 1485dainty
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deḱ-‘to take’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*deḱ-noreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*dek-no-reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdignus‘appropriate, fitting, worthy, meet, deserving, fit, proper, suitable, becoming’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdignitāsas dignitātem‘worth, worthiness, merit, desert’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400deintié
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500deynte‘Admiration’
- Englishearliest quotation 1485dainty
Earliest quotation: 1485, Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur Book XVI: “And she receyued hym with grete Ioye and made…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *deḱ- ‘to take’
doctor, document, decent, tail, decoration, doctrine, decor, paradox, dogma, docile, dodo, doctrinal, fonda, décor, dox, docent, 53 more
through Latin dignus ‘appropriate, fitting, worthy, meet, deserving,…’
indignation, disdain, indignant, deign, indignity, digne, 6 more
through Latin dignitās ‘worth, worthiness, merit, desert’
Today it means
adj Elegant; delicately small and pretty.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *deḱ- / dainty