Etymograph

English

deign

Deign comes from Old French daigner ‘to condescend, deign’, from Latin dignō ‘to deem fitting, suitable, or worthy’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *deḱ- ‘to perceive’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deḱ-‘to perceive’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*deḱ-noreconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*dek-no-reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdignus‘fitting, suitable, worthy’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdignō‘to deem fitting, suitable, or worthy’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdignārepresent active infinitive of dignō
  7. Old Frenchc. 842–1400daigner‘to condescend, deign’
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500deinen
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1579deign

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deḱ-‘to perceive’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*deḱ-noreconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*dek-no-reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdignus‘fitting, suitable, worthy’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdignō‘to deem fitting, suitable, or worthy’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdignārepresent active infinitive of dignō
  7. Old Frenchc. 842–1400daigner‘to condescend, deign’
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500deinen
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1579deign

Earliest quotation: 1579, Immeritô pseudonym; Edmund Spenser, Ianuarye. Ægloga Prima.: “Shee deignes not my good will, but doth reprove…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *deḱ- ‘to perceive’

doctor, document, tail, decent, doctrine, decoration, paradox, decor, dogma, fonda, docile, doctrinal, dodo, décor, dox, docent, 53 more

through Proto-Italic *dek-no-

indignity, 6 more

through Latin dignus ‘fitting, suitable, worthy’

dignity, dainty, indignation, dignitary, digne, 7 more

through Latin dignō ‘to deem fitting, suitable, or worthy’

disdain, indignant, 1 more

Today it means

verb To consider it appropriate or worthy to do or give (something), often when it is seen as beneath one's dignity; to condescend, to vouchsafe.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *deḱ- / deign

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