anno Domini

See also: anno domini and Anno Domini

English

Alternative forms

• anno domini
• Anno Domini
• Abbreviations: AD, A.D., a.d.

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin annō Dominī, from annō, (ablative of annus (“year”)) + Dominī (genitive of dominus (“lord”)); literally, in the year of the Lord.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈæn.əʊ ˈdɒ.mə.nɪ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈæn.oʊ ˈdɑ.mə.ni/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

anno Domini (countable and uncountable, plural annis Domini)

1. The current date era beginning approximately 2000 years ago in the Gregorian calendar, based on the birth of Jesus Christ.

Usage notes

• The Chicago Manual of Style as well as most house styles require placing the AD before the date (e.g., AD 250), although in casual use it is frequently found following the date.

Translations

in the year of our Lord — see Anno Domini

Further reading

• anno Domini on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

References

• Anno Domini on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• “anno Domini”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin, 2000, →ISBN.
• “anno Domini”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
• "anno Domini" in WordNet 2.0, Princeton University, 2003.

Latin

Alternative forms

• annō Dominī nostrī Iēsū Christī

Etymology

Literally, “in the year of the Lord” (ablative of annus (“year”), genitive of Dominus (“Lord”)). The numbering system and the appellation are ascribed to Dionysius Exiguus (c. 6th century), though he most likely drew on earlier sources. Dionysius gives the full name annī ab incarnātiōne Dominī (“years from the incarnation of the Lord”) to the series of years since AD 1, with annus Dominī and (annus) ab incarnātiōne serving as short forms in early uses. Annō Dominī is a fixed phrase by the 11th century.

Pronunciation

• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈan.no ˈdo.mi.ni/, [ˈänːo ˈd̪ɔːmini]

Phrase

annō Dominī (Medieval Latin, New Latin)

1. in the year of our Lord, anno Domini

   anno Domini millesimo quadringentesimo quinquagesimo nono ― in the 1459th year of our Lord

   • 1282–1285 — Simon de Keza, Gesta Hungarorum; section 7

     Igitur in aetate sexta saeculi multiplicati Huni in Scitia habitando ut arena, anno Domini septingentesimo in unum congregati, capitaneos inter se...

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 1476, “Commissio propria domini regis”, in Decreta Regni Hungariae 1458-1490, Budapest, published 1989:

     Datum Bude in Dominica reminiscere anno Domini millesimo quadringentesimo septuagesimo sexto regnorum nostrorum anno Hungarie etc.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

References

• McCarthy, Daniel P. (2003) “The Emergence of Anno Domini”, in Gerhard Jaritz, Gerson Moreno-Riaño, editors, Time and Eternity: The Medieval Discourse, →ISBN, pages 31–54

Norwegian Bokmål

Alternative forms

• AD / a.D.

Etymology

First part anno from Latin annō, ablative of annus (“year; time”), from Proto-Italic *atnos (“year”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂et-no-, from *h₂et- (“to go”).

Last part Domini from Latin Dominī, genitive singular of Dominus (“The Lord”), of dominus (“lord, master of a house”), from Proto-Italic *domanos, from Proto-Indo-European *domh₂nos (“subduing”), from *demh₂- (“to domesticate, tame”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈanːʊ.dʊˈmiːnɪ/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːnɪ
• Hyphenation: an‧no‧Do‧mi‧ni
• Homophones: AD, a.D.

Phrase

anno Domini

1. anno Domini (the current date era beginning approximately 2000 years ago in the Gregorian calendar, based on the assumed birth of Jesus Christ.)
   • 2002, Cecilie Høigård, Gategallerier:

     [AD] kan også bety noe annet enn Angel Devious, det kan bety Anno Domini

     [AD] can also mean something other than Angel Devious, it can mean Anno Domini

References

• Domini “anno Domini” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “anno” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).
• “anno Domini” in Store norske leksikon