English
danger
Danger comes from Middle English daunger ‘power, dominion’, from Old French dangier, from Vulgar Latin *dom(i)niarium, from Latin dominium, from dominus ‘master’.
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*domVnos‘master’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdominus‘master, owner’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdominium‘rule, dominion’
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*dom(i)niarium‘authority, power’reconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400dangier‘difficulty; danger’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500daunger‘power, dominion, peril’
- Englishearliest quotation 1500danger
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*domVnos‘master’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdominus‘master, owner’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdominium‘rule, dominion’
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*dom(i)niarium‘authority, power’reconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400dangier‘difficulty; danger’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500daunger‘power, dominion, peril’
- Englishearliest quotation 1500danger
Earliest quotation: 1500, Melusine:: “They of Coloyne made grete daunger to lete passe…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dem- ‘to build (up)’
timber, despotic, domesticate, toft, teem, 19 more
through Proto-Indo-European *dṓm ‘home’
domestic, domicile, despot, domus, 20 more
through Latin dominus ‘master, lord’
do, don, dominate, donna, dan, domination, dame, domino, dungeon, damsel, dominatrix, dominus, domaine, domine, 7 more
through Latin dominium ‘ownership’
Today it means
noun Exposure to likely harm; risk of death or serious injury.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Italic *domVnos / danger