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Origin and history of dignify

dignify(v.)

early 15c., dignifien, "invest with honor or dignity, exalt in rank or office," also "deem suitable," from Old French dignefiier, from Medieval Latin dignificare "make worthy," from Latin dignus "worthy, proper, fitting" (from PIE root *dek- "to take, accept") + -ficare, combining form of facere "to make, do" (from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put"). From mid-15c. as "confer honor upon, give celebrity to, make illustrious." Related: Dignified; dignifying.

dignify

also from early 15c.

Entries linking to dignify

dignified(adj.)

1660s, "exalted, honored, ranking as a dignitary," past-participle adjective from dignify. By 1812 in the sense of "having a dignified manner, marked with dignity; of noble bearing; grave or stately."

dignification(n.)

"act of honoring, promotion," 1570s, noun of action from dignify (q.v.).

  • *dek-
  • *dhe-
  • See All Related Words (4)
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More to explore

warder
c. 1400, "guardian of an entrance," from Anglo-French wardere, wardour "guardian, keeper, custodian" (Old French gardeor), agent noun from Old North French warder "to guard, keep, maintain, uphold" (Old French garder), from Frankish *wardon, from Proto-Germanic *wardon "to guard,
reward
mid-14c., "what one deserves, just desserts," from Anglo-French and Old North French reward, rouwart, back-formation from rewarder (see reward (v.)). The meaning "return or payment for service, hardship, etc.," also "something given in recognition of merit, virtue, etc., a prize"
honor
c. 1200, onur, "glory, renown, fame earned," from Anglo-French honour, Old French onor, honor "honor, dignity, distinction, position; victory, triumph" (Modern French honneur), from Latin honorem (nominative honos, the form used by Cicero, but later honor) "honor, dignity, office
flit
c. 1200, flitten, flytten, flutten "convey, move (a thing) from one place to another, take, carry away," also intransitive, "go away, move, migrate," from Old Norse flytja "to remove, bring," from Proto-Germanic *flutjan- "to float," from extended form of PIE root *pleu- "to flow
lift
c. 1200, "elevate in rank or dignity, exalt;" c. 1300, "to raise from the ground or other surface, pick up; erect, set in place," also intransitive, "to rise in waves;" early 14c., "remove (someone or something) from its place," from Old Norse lypta "to raise" (Scandinavian -pt-
elevate
late 15c., "to raise above the usual position," from Latin elevatus, past participle of elevare "lift up, raise," figuratively, "to lighten, alleviate," from ex "out" (see ex-) + levare "lighten, raise," from levis "light" in weight (from PIE root *legwh- "not heavy, having littl
raise
c. 1200, reisen, "cause a rising of; lift upright, set upright; build, construct, bring into being," from a Scandinavian source, such as Old Norse reisa "to raise," from Proto-Germanic *raizjan (source also of Gothic ur-raisjan, Old English ræran "to rear;" see rear (v.)), causat
Aries
zodiacal constellation usually identified as "the Ram," late Old English, from Latin aries "ram" (related to arietare "to butt"), from a PIE root meaning "spring, jump" (source also of Lithuanian ėrytis, Old Church Slavonic jarici, Armenian oroj "lamb;" Greek eriphos, Old Irish h
arise
Middle English arisen, from Old English arisan "to get up from sitting, kneeling, or lying; have a beginning, come into being or action, spring from, originate; spring up, ascend" (cognate with Old Saxon arisan, Gothic urreisan), from a- (1) "of" + rise (v.). Mostly replaced by r
congregation
late-14c., congregacioun, "a gathering, assembly, a crowd; an organized group, as of a religious order or body of scholars; act of congregating," from Old French congregacion (12c., Modern French congrégation) and directly from Latin congregationem (nominative congregatio) "an as

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Dictionary entries near dignify
  • digitigrade
  • digitize
  • diglot
  • dignification
  • dignified
  • dignify
  • dignitary
  • dignity
  • digraph
  • digress
  • digression
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