Dicere
/ˈdi.ke.re/noun
Latin for “to say,” “speak,” or “declare.”
Did you know?In Roman culture, *dicere* wasn’t just casual speech; it could carry the force of formal pronouncement, which is why so many English words for authoritative speech descend from it.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*deyḱ-
“to show, point out, or indicate”
Latin
Latin
dicere
“to say, speak, declare”
Late Latin
Latin
dictāre
“to say often, dictate, prescribe”
Old French
Old French
dire
“to say”
Middle English
English
dite / dicten
“to write down or dictate words”
Modern English
English
dictate, dictionary, verdict
“to order, a reference book of words, a formal judgment”
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