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Origin and history of domain

domain(n.)

c. 1600, "territory over which dominion is exerted," from French domaine "domain, estate," from Medieval Latin domanium "domain, estate," from Latin dominium "property, dominion," from dominus "lord, master, owner," from domus "house" (from PIE root *dem- "house, household"). A later borrowing from French of the word which became demesne.

Sense of "dominion, province of action" is from 1727. Meaning "range or limits of any department of knowledge or sphere of action" is from 1764. Internet domain name is attested by 1985. Via the notion of "ownership of land" comes legal eminent domain "ultimate or supreme lordship over all property in the state" is attested from 1738.

also from c. 1600

Entries linking to domain

demesne(n.)

c. 1300, demeine, demeyne (modern spelling by late 15c.), "power; dominion; control, possession," senses now obsolete, from Anglo-French demesne, demeine, Old French demaine "land held for a lord's own use," from Latin dominicus "belonging to a master," from dominus "lord, master," from domus "house" (from PIE root *dem- "house, household").

Re-spelled by Anglo-French legal scribes under influence of Old French mesnie "household" (and the concept of a demesne as "land attached to a mansion") and their fondness for inserting -s- before -n-. Essentially the same word as domain.

Meaning "a manor house and near or adjacent land," kept and occupied by the lord and his family, is from late 14c., hence "any landed estate" (late 14c.). Related: Demesnial.

Anno Domini

"in the year of the Christian era," 1570s, Latin, literally "in the year of (our) Lord," from ablative of annus "year" (see annual (adj.)) + Late Latin Domini, genitive of Dominus "the Lord" (see domain). Also see A.D.

*dem-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "house, household." It represents the usual Indo-European word for "house" (Italian, Spanish casa are from Latin casa "cottage, hut;" Germanic *hus is of obscure origin).

It might form all or part of: Anno Domini; belladonna; condominium; dame; damsel; dan "title of address to members of religious orders;" danger; dangerous; demesne; despot; Dom Perignon; domain; dome; domestic; domesticate; domicile; dominate; domination; dominion; domino; don (n.) "Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese title of respect;" Donna; dungeon; ma'am; madam; madame; mademoiselle; madonna; major-domo; predominant; predominate; timber; toft.

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit damah "house;" Avestan demana- "house;" Greek domos "house," despotēs "master, lord;" Latin domus "house," dominus "master of a household;" Armenian tanu-ter "house-lord;" Old Church Slavonic domu, Russian dom "house;" Lithuanian dimstis "enclosed court, property;" Old Norse topt "homestead."

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    area
    1530s, "vacant piece of ground," from Latin area "level ground, open space," used of building sites, playgrounds, threshing floors, etc.; which is of uncertain origin. Perhaps an irregular derivation from arere "to become dry" (see arid), on notion of "bare space cleared by burni
    orbit
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    , a digest in Anglo-French of a survey of England undertaken at the order of William the Conqueror to inventory his new domain...
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    "a 'feud,' possession, holding, domain; feudal duties, payment," from Medieval Latin feodum "land or other property whose...
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    Meaning "extent or range of administrative power, domain over which a legal or judicial authority extends" is from late 14c...
    country
    mid-13c., "(one's) native land;" c. 1300, "any geographic area," sometimes with implications of political organization, from Old French contree, cuntrede "region, district, country," from Vulgar Latin *(terra) contrata "(land) lying opposite," or "(land) spread before one," in Me
    land
    Old English lond, land, "ground, soil," also "definite portion of the earth's surface, home region of a person or a people, territory marked by political boundaries," from Proto-Germanic *landja- (source also of Old Norse, Old Frisian Dutch, Gothic land, German Land), perhaps fro
    discipline
    c. 1200, "penitential chastisement; punishment for the sake of correction," from Old French descepline "discipline, physical punishment; teaching; suffering; martyrdom" (11c., Modern French discipline) and directly from Latin disciplina "instruction given, teaching, learning, kno

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