Etymograph

English

dictionary

Dictionary comes from Medieval Latin dictiōnārium, from Latin dictiō ‘a speaking’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- ‘to point out’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deyḱ-‘to point out’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*déyḱeti‘to be pointing out’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*deikō‘to show’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdīcō‘to speak’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdictiō‘a speaking’perfect past participle of dīcō
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdictiōnārius
  7. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500dictiōnārium
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500dixionare
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1864dictionary

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deyḱ-‘to point out’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*déyḱeti‘to be pointing out’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*deikō‘to show’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdīcō‘to speak’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdictiō‘a speaking’perfect past participle of dīcō
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdictiōnārius
  7. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500dictiōnārium
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500dixionare
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1864dictionary

Earliest quotation: 1864, The Alphabeticals: “They [dictionary-makers] may have had their romance at home—may…”

Equivalent to diction + -ary

Middle English diccion ‘something said’

English diction

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- ‘to point out, to show’

teach, toe, token, digit, paradigm, syndicate, indicative, tache, syndicalism, 43 more

through Proto-Italic *deikō ‘to show, indicate’

contradiction, interdiction, indexation, 16 more

through Latin dīcō ‘to speak’

index, indicate, preach, indicator, predict, indication, dedication, dedicate, dictator, ditto, addict, dictate, predicament, contradictory, contradict, predicate, ditty, dictum, interdict, indicia, 25 more

Today it means

noun A reference work listing words or names from one or more languages, usually ordered alphabetically, explaining each term's meanings or senses, often also containing information on its etymology, pronunciation, usage, semantic relations, translations, as well as other relevant information.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- / dictionary

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