Etymograph

English

ditto

Ditto comes from Italian ditto, from dire ‘to say’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- ‘to show’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deyḱ-‘to show’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*déyḱeti‘to show, point out’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*deikō‘to show, indicate’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdīcō‘to say, to speak’
  5. Italianc. 1300–presentdire‘to say’
  6. Italian, derivedc. 1300–presentdittopast participle of dire
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1831ditto

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deyḱ-‘to show’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*déyḱeti‘to show, point out’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*deikō‘to show, indicate’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdīcō‘to say, to speak’
  5. Italianc. 1300–presentdire‘to say’
  6. Italian, derivedc. 1300–presentdittopast participle of dire
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1831ditto

Earliest quotation: 1831, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley: “[...] they entered a dismal-looking parlour, whose brick-red walls…”

first attested First attested in 1625 (as stated in the etymology)

The story

First attested in 1625. Not related to English dittography. The specific meaning of making copies of paper comes from ditto machine, a genericization from the brand name of a spirit duplicator.

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- ‘to show’

teach, toe, token, paradigm, indicative, syndicate, digit, syndicalism, tache, 41 more

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

interdiction, indexation, 15 more

through Latin dīcō ‘to say, to speak’

index, indicate, indication, predict, dictionary, dedication, preach, indicator, addict, dictate, dedicate, contradiction, dictator, contradictory, contradict, predicament, predicate, diction, dictum, interdict, dict, indicia, ditty, 22 more

Today it means

noun That which was stated before, the aforesaid, the above, the same, likewise.

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

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

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