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Origin and history of dignity

dignity(n.)

c. 1200, "state of being worthy," from Old French dignite "dignity, privilege, honor," from Latin dignitatem (nominative dignitas) "worthiness," from dignus "worth (n.), worthy, proper, fitting," from PIE *dek-no-, suffixed form of root *dek- "to take, accept."

From c. 1300 as "an elevated office, civil or ecclesiastical," also "honorable place or elevated rank." From late 14c. as "gravity of countenance."

dignity

also from c. 1200

Entries linking to dignity

dignitary(n.)

"one who holds an exalted rank or office," 1670s; see dignity + -ary. Related: Dignitaries (plural).

infra dig.

"beneath one's dignity, unbecoming to one's position in society," 1824, colloquial abbreviation of Latin infra dignitatem "beneath the dignity of." See infra- + dignity.

*dek-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to take, accept."

It might form all or part of: condign; dainty; decent; decor; decorate; decorous; deign; dignify; dignity; diplodocus; disciple; discipline; disdain; docent; Docetism; docile; docimacy; doctor; doctrine; document; dogma; dogmatic; doxology; heterodox; indignance; indignant; indignation; indignity; orthodox; paradox; synecdoche.

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit daśasyati "shows honor, is gracious," dacati "makes offerings, bestows;" Greek dokein "to appear, seem, think," dekhesthai "to accept;" Latin decere "to be fitting or suitable," docere "to teach," decus "grace, ornament."

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    nobility
    honor, renown; majesty, grandeur;" late 14c., "quality of being excellent or rare," from Old French nobilite "high rank; dignity...Sense of "dignity of mind, elevation of the soul, loftiness of tone" is from 1590s....
    majesty
    rulership," from Old French majeste "grandeur, nobility" (12c.), from Latin maiestatem (nominative maiestas) "greatness, dignity...Earliest English use is with reference to God or Christ; as a title of address or dignity to kings and queens (late 14c.)...
    indignity
    "unworthy treatment; act intended to lower the dignity of another," 1580s, from Latin indignitatem (nominative indignitas...
    dishonesty
    honestatem (nominative honestas) "honorableness," from honestus "honorable; deserving honor, respectable," from honos "honor, dignity...
    pretension
    The sense of "ostentation" is from 1727, from the notion of "act of putting forth a (false) claim to merit, dignity, or importance...
    pompous
    More literal (but less common) meaning "characterized by magnificence and dignity" is attested from early 15c....
    governance
    Fowler writes that the word "has now the dignity of incipient archaism," but it might continue useful in its original sense...
    presence
    mid-14c., "fact of being present, state of being in a certain place and not some other," also "space before or around someone or something," from Old French presence (12c., Modern French présence), from Latin praesentia "a being present," from praesentem (see present (adj.)). Fro
    mine
    Old English min "mine, my," (pronoun and adjective), from Proto-Germanic *minaz (source also of Old Frisian, Old Saxon Old High German min, Middle Dutch, Dutch mijn, German mein, Old Norse minn, Gothic meins "my, mine"), from the base of me. As an adjective, "belonging to me," pr
    position
    late 14c., posicioun, as a term in logic and philosophy, "statement of belief, the laying down of a proposition or thesis," from Old French posicion "position, supposition" (Modern French position) and directly from Latin positionem (nominative positio) "act or fact of placing, s

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