-dom

See also Appendix:Variations of "dom"

English

Etymology

From Middle English -dom, from Old English -dōm (“-dom: state, condition, power, dominion, authority, property, right, office, quality”, suffix), from Proto-Germanic *-dōmaz (“-dom”). Cognate with Scots -dom (“-dom”), West Frisian -dom (“-dom”), Dutch -dom (“-dom”), German -tum (“-dom”), Swedish -dom (“-dom”), Icelandic -dómur (“-dom”). Same as Old English dōm (“doom, judgment, sentence, condemnation, ordeal, judicial sentence, decree, ordinance, law, custom; justice, equity; direction, ruling, governing, command; might, power, dominion, supremacy, majesty, glory, magnificence, splendor, reputation, honor, praise, dignity, authority; state, condition”). More at doom.

Suffix

-dom

1. Forming nouns denoting the condition or state of the suffixed word.
   • 1995, Isabel Fonseca, Bury Me Standing, Vintage 2007, p. 74:

     there always seemed to be one outrageous beauty: an angel who would have been forced into indentured topmodeldom had she been found on a Paris bus; or a wavy-lipped, chisel-chinned, almond-eyed boy-warrior out of the Iliad, as beautiful as humans come.

   • 2011, Caitlin Moran, The Times, 19 Mar 2011:

     It is only the English language that has let the cabbage down – giving it, quite frankly, the ugliest name in all of veg-dom.

Derived terms

[+] English words suffixed with -dom

Belonging to a domain or jurisdiction

Christendom computerdom dukedom earldom

fandom fiefdom filmdom kingdom moviedom gaydom

planetdom popedom princedom sheikdom

Condition or quality

boredom freedom halidom muscledom

heirdom martyrdom saintdom

selfdom whoredom wisdom

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Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch -dom, from Old Dutch -duom, from Proto-Germanic *dōmaz. Cognate with English -dom, German -tum.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /dɔm/

Suffix

-dom m

1. belonging to a domain or territory (e.g. groothertogdom (grandduchy); this sense is no longer productive)
2. quality or condition of the adjective stem (e.g. eigendom less productive than suffixes like -heid)

Derived terms

[+] Dutch words suffixed with -dom

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Norwegian

Etymology

From Old Norse -dómr

Suffix

-dom

1. Suffix used to form nouns out of adjectives, meaning the quality, property or condition of the adjective.

Derived terms

• sjukdom
• ungdom
• rikdom
• kristendom
• barndom
• trolldom

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Old English

Etymology

Old English -dōm from dōm "state, condition, authority, jurisdiction".

Suffix

-dom

1. Belonging to a domain or jurisdiction.
2. Condition or quality.

Descendants

• English ‎-dom‎

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Old Saxon

Etymology

Old Saxon -dōm from dōm "state, condition, authority, jurisdiction".

Suffix

-dom

1. Belonging to a domain or jurisdiction.
2. Condition or quality.

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Swedish

Suffix

-dom

1. -hood, -ledge, -ness; making a noun (representing a state) from an adjective or noun, e.g. rik (“rich”) → rikedom (“wealth, fortune”); ung (“young”) → ungdom (“youth”); barn (“child”) → barndom (“childhood”)

Usage notes

• These nouns don't double the m in definite or plural forms, e.g. rikedomen, ungdomar. This is the same for the noun dom (“judgement, verdict”).

See also

• -döme