Where does “decorate” come from?
Decorate comes from Latin decorare, meaning to adorn, from Latin decus meaning glory or honor, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European deḱ- meaning to take or accept.
decorate (English): To furnish with decorations; To improve the...
Definitions
- To furnish with decorations; To improve the...
Ancestry of “decorate”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | decorat | — |
| 2 | Latin | decorātus | decorate, adorned, embellished, graced, beautified |
| 3 | Latin | decoro | I decorate, adorn, embellish, grace, beautify; I... |
| 4 | Latin | decus | honor, distinction, glory; pride, dignity; grace,... |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | dekos | dignity |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | déḱos | that which is proper |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | deḱ- | take; perceive |