Don
/dɒn/noun
A Spanish title of respect used before a man’s first name, or a university teacher in Oxford and Cambridge.
Did you know?The honorific Don comes through Spanish from Latin *dominus* (“master, lord”), the same root behind words of authority and household power in ancient Rome.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dem-
“to build, house, or domesticate”
Latin
Latin
domus
“house, home”
Latin
Latin
dominus
“master of the house, lord”
Old Spanish
Spanish
don
“title of respect for a man of rank”
Modern English
English
don
“title of respect or Oxford/Cambridge teacher”