Etymology Explorer › Middle French

Where does “dame” come from?

dame (Middle French) comes from Spanish dama, from French dame, from Old French dame, from Late Latin domna, from Latin domina, from Latin Dominus, from Latin domus, from Proto-Italic domos — to build; to arrange, to put together.

dame (Middle French): dame, double checkers piece

Definitions

  1. dame, double checkers piece

Ancestry of “dame”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Spanishdamalady, dame; queen
2FrenchdameA lady; A polite form of address for a woman;...
3Old Frenchdamelady; woman
4Late Latindomnalady, mistress
5Latindominalady or mistress of the house
6LatinDominusthe Lord; Lord; The Lord
7Latindomushouse, home; any building or abode; native place,...
8Proto-Italicdomoshouse, home
9Proto-Indo-Europeandṓmhome; house
10Proto-Indo-Europeandem-to build; to arrange, to put together

Words derived from “dame”

  • dammer
  • dammen
  • afdammen
  • dambord
  • damspel
  • indammen
  • indamming
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dem- →