English
dignitary
Dignitary comes from French dignité ‘dignity’, from Latin dignitas ‘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 CEdignitasas dignitātem‘worth, worthiness, merit, desert’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400dignité‘dignity’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘dignity’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentdignitaire
- Englishearliest quotation 1948dignitary
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 CEdignitasas dignitātem‘worth, worthiness, merit, desert’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400dignité‘dignity’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘dignity’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentdignitaire
- Englishearliest quotation 1948dignitary
Earliest quotation: 1948, Henry A. Wallace, Andrew Jacob Steiger: “Chinese dignitaries traveled with us from place to place,…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *deḱ- ‘to take’
doctor, document, decent, tail, doctrine, decoration, decor, paradox, dogma, fonda, docile, doctrinal, dodo, décor, dox, docent, 54 more
through Latin dignus ‘appropriate, fitting, worthy, meet, deserving,…’
disdain, indignation, indignant, deign, indignity, digne, 7 more
through Latin dignitas ‘worth, worthiness, merit, desert’
Today it means
noun An important or influential person, or one of high rank or position.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *deḱ- / dignitary