dies Dominicus

Latin

Etymology

From diēs (“day”) +‎ dominicus (“of the Lord (adj.)”). Since the head-noun diēs could be either masculine or feminine, the phrase has a feminine counterpart in diēs Dominica.

Found from about 200 CE onwards as a Christian replacement for the pagan diēs Sōlis (“Sunday”, literally “day of the sun-god Sol”). Completely erased the latter, as far as Romance is concerned.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈdi.eːs doˈmi.ni.kus/, [ˈd̪ieːs̠ d̪ɔˈmɪnɪkʊs̠]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈdi.es doˈmi.ni.kus/, [ˈd̪iːes d̪oˈmiːnikus]

Noun

diēs Dominicus m (genitive diēī Dominicī); fifth declension

1. (Late Latin) Sunday

Declension

Fifth-declension noun with a second-declension adjective.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	diēs Dominicus	diēs Dominicī
Genitive	diēī Dominicī	diērum Dominicōrum
Dative	diēī Dominicō	diēbus Dominicīs
Accusative	diem Dominicum	diēs Dominicōs
Ablative	diē Dominicō	diēbus Dominicīs
Vocative	diēs Dominice	diēs Dominicī

Descendants

See also diēs Dominica.

• Northern Gallo-Romance:
  • Norman: Dînmanche
  • Old French: diemenche, diemaine
    • French: dimanche
  • Walloon: dimegne
• Southern Gallo-Romance:
  • Catalan: diumenge
  • Occitan: dimenge
• Via a shortening to dominicus:
  • Ibero-Romance:
    • Asturian: domingu
    • Galician: domingo
    • Leonese: domingu
    • Mirandese: demingo
    • Portuguese: domingo (see there for further descendants)
    • Spanish: domingo (see there for further descendants)
  • Borrowings:
    • → Old Irish: domnach (see there for further descendants)

References

• von Wartburg, Walther (1928–2002), “domĭnicus”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German), volume 30, page 129