English
dean
Dean comes from Middle English den, from Anglo-Norman deen (Old French deien), from Latin decānus ‘chief of ten’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdecānus‘chief of ten’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400deen
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500den‘dean’
- Englishearliest quotation 1955dean
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdecānus‘chief of ten’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400deen
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500den‘dean’
- Englishearliest quotation 1955dean
Earliest quotation: 1955, Rex Stout, The Next Witness: “All of the switchboard operators had been parties to…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *déḱm̥ ‘ten’
ten, century, cent, hundred, dick, decade, sen, hectare, tenfold, dinero, deca, 49 more
through Proto-Italic *dekəm ‘ten’
through Latin decem ‘ten’
dozen, decimal, dicker, deni, 20 more
through Old French deien
through Middle English den
Today it means
noun A senior official in a college or university, who may be in charge of a division or faculty (for example, the dean of science) or have some other advisory or disciplinary function (for example, the dean of students).
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin decānus / dean