English
domain
Domain comes from Old French demaine ‘entourage of a king or another important person’, from Latin dominium ‘ownership’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dem- ‘to build (up)’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dem-‘to build (up)’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dṓm‘home’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*domanos‘master’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdominus‘master, owner, possessor, proprietor’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdominium‘ownership’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400demaine‘entourage of a king or another important person’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500demayne
- Englishearliest quotation 1954domain
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dem-‘to build (up)’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dṓm‘home’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*domanos‘master’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdominus‘master, owner, possessor, proprietor’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdominium‘ownership’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400demaine‘entourage of a king or another important person’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500demayne
- Englishearliest quotation 1954domain
Earliest quotation: 1954, Trevor Holloway, Canada's Transcontinental Routes: “Bears and other ferocious beasts resented man's intrusion into…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dem- ‘to build (up)’
timber, despotic, toft, teem, domesticate, 20 more
through Proto-Indo-European *dṓm ‘home’
domestic, despot, domicile, domus, 21 more
through Latin dominus ‘master, owner, possessor, proprietor’
do, dan, don, dame, donna, dungeon, dominate, domination, damsel, domino, dominatrix, dominus, domine, 8 more
through Latin dominium ‘ownership’
through Middle English demayne
Today it means
noun A geographic area owned or controlled by a single person or organization.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dem- / domain