English
dominical
Dominical comes from Middle English dominical ‘(adjective) of or pertaining to the Lord’s day…’, from Proto-Italic *domanos ‘master’, 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‘lord’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdominicus‘of or belonging to a lord or master’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500dominicālis‘of or pertaining to Sunday, dominical’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500dominical‘(adjective) of or pertaining to the Lord’s day or Sunday’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1595–1596same form
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‘lord’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdominicus‘of or belonging to a lord or master’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500dominicālis‘of or pertaining to Sunday, dominical’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500dominical‘(adjective) of or pertaining to the Lord’s day or Sunday’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1595–1596same form
Earliest quotation: c. 1595–1596, W. Shakespere [i.e., William Shakespeare]: “Let me not die your debtor, / My red…”
The story
Dominicus is derived from dominus (‘lord, master’) (used in Latin versions of the Bible to translate titles of the God of the Hebrew Tanakh and Greek New Testament; probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dem- (‘to arrange, put together; to build (up)’)) + -icus (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives). Adjective senses 3.1 (‘of printed text: in a large size’) and 3.2 (‘red, ruddy’) refer to the practice of printing dominical letters in a large size, or in red.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dem- ‘to build (up)’
timber, despotic, toft, teem, domesticate, 21 more
through Proto-Indo-European *dṓm ‘home’
domestic, despot, domicile, domus, 21 more
through Proto-Italic *domanos ‘master’
through Latin dominus ‘lord’
do, danger, dan, don, dame, domain, donna, dungeon, domination, dominatrix, 12 more
through Latin dominicus ‘of or belonging to a lord or master’
Today it means
adj Of or pertaining to Jesus Christ as Lord.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dem- / dominical