dignus

Latin

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Italic *dek-no-, from Proto-Indo-European *deḱ-no-, from *deḱ- (“to take”). Cognate to Latin decus and decet, discō, doceō, Ancient Greek δέχομαι (dékhomai).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈdɪŋ.nʊs]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈdiɲ.ɲus]

Adjective

dignus (feminine digna, neuter dignum, comparative dignior, superlative dignissimus); first/second-declension adjective

1. appropriate, fitting, worthy, meet, deserving, fit, proper, suitable, becoming

   Synonyms: aptus, habilis, opportūnus, iūstus, lēgitimus, idōneus

   • 8 CE, Ovid, Fasti 4.270:

     dignus Rōma locus, quō deus omnis eat.

     Rome: a worthy place whereto every god can go.

   • Vere dignum et justum est... - "It is truly right and just..." (from the Preface of the Roman Liturgy)
2. (with ablative) worthy of

   Antonym: indignus

   memoria dignus ― memorable

   dignum est ― It is convenient

   • c. 52 BCE, Julius Caesar, Commentarii de Bello Gallico VII.25:

     Accidit [...] quod dignum memoria visum

     happened [...] a circumstance worthy of record

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

	singular				plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	dignus	digna	dignum		dignī	dignae	digna
genitive	dignī	dignae	dignī		dignōrum	dignārum	dignōrum
dative	dignō	dignae	dignō		dignīs
accusative	dignum	dignam	dignum		dignōs	dignās	digna
ablative	dignō	dignā	dignō		dignīs
vocative	digne	digna	dignum		dignī	dignae	digna

Derived terms

• condignus
• dignitās
• dignō
• dignor
• indignus

Descendants

• Albanian: denjë
• → Catalan: digne
• Dalmatian: denj
• → French: digne
• Friulian: degn
• Italian: degno
• Occitan: digne, dinhe
• Piedmontese: degn
• Portuguese: digno, dino
• Romanian: demn
• Romansch: degn
• Sardinian: dígnu
• Sicilian: dignu
• Spanish: digno, digna, dino

References

• “dignus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• dignus in Enrico Olivetti, editor (2003-2025), Dizionario Latino, Olivetti Media Communication
• “dignus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• "dignus", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• “dignus”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• De Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN