dolo

See also: Appendix:Variations of "dolo"

English

Etymology

Possibly a blend of down low or modelled on solo. It can also be an example of so called dunn lingo.

Pronunciation

• (US, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈdoʊ.loʊ/
• Hyphenation: do‧lo

Adverb

dolo (comparative more dolo, superlative most dolo)

1. (African-American Vernacular, New York, hip-hop slang) Alone, by oneself, without a companion.
   • 1996, Nas, “Take It in Blood”, in It Was Written‎^[4]:

     I, dolo, challenge any team or solo
     You must be buggin' out — new to my shit, home on a furlough

   • 1997, Tupac Shakur, “Fuck All Y’all”, in R U Still Down? (Remember Me)‎^[5]:

     What's goin' on in the ghetto? Still struggle and strive
     I still roll with the heater, smokin' Chocolate Thai
     In '94, I'll be goin' solo
     Too many problems of my own so I'm rollin' dolo, fuck all y'all

Fijian

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Verb

dolo (transitive dolova or dolovaka) (intransitive)

1. to creep, to wriggle, to writhe, to crawl (to move slowly with the abdomen close to the ground)

   E dolo tiko na gata ena veico.

   The snake is writhing in the grass.

Usage notes

The verb dolo should only be used for creatures without legs, such as snakes, worms or eels, or for humans moving on their stomachs (e.g., babies unable to crawl on hands and knees, soldiers crawling cautiously on the ground). For creatures with legs (e.g., older children, crabs and insects), qasi is used instead.

Derived terms

• dolovaka (“to crawl bearing something”)
• gone dolodolo (“baby at the tummy crawling stage”)

See also

• qasi (“to crawl (for legged creatures)”)
• yaqa (“to sneak along while crouching”)

References

• Gatty, Ronald (2009), “dolo”, in Fijian–English Dictionary‎^[6], Suva, Fiji: Ronald Gatty, →ISBN, page 69

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin dolus (“fraud, trickery”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdɔ.lo/
• Rhymes: -ɔlo
• Hyphenation: dò‧lo

Noun

dolo m (plural doli)

1. (law) malice
2. fraud, deceit

Related terms

• doloso

Anagrams

• lodo, lodò

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈdɔ.ɫoː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈdɔː.lo]

Etymology 1

Uncertain. Ultimately from the root Proto-Indo-European *delh₁-. Perhaps from Proto-Italic *delaō, from Proto-Indo-European *dél-yeti. Alternatively, perhaps from Proto-Italic *dolaō, Proto-Indo-European *dl̥h₁-yé-ti. It has also been interpreted as a denominative to an otherwise unattested o-grade noun from the same root.

Verb

dolō (present infinitive dolāre, perfect active dolāvī, supine dolātum); first conjugation

1. to hew, chop into shape
2. to fashion, devise

Conjugation

   Conjugation of dolō (first conjugation)

indicative		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	dolō		dolās		dolat		dolāmus		dolātis		dolant
	imperfect	dolābam		dolābās		dolābat		dolābāmus		dolābātis		dolābant
	future	dolābō		dolābis		dolābit		dolābimus		dolābitis		dolābunt
	perfect	dolāvī		dolāvistī		dolāvit		dolāvimus		dolāvistis		dolāvērunt, dolāvēre
	pluperfect	dolāveram		dolāverās		dolāverat		dolāverāmus		dolāverātis		dolāverant
	future perfect	dolāverō		dolāveris		dolāverit		dolāverimus		dolāveritis		dolāverint
passive	present	dolor		dolāris, dolāre		dolātur		dolāmur		dolāminī		dolantur
	imperfect	dolābar		dolābāris, dolābāre		dolābātur		dolābāmur		dolābāminī		dolābantur
	future	dolābor		dolāberis, dolābere		dolābitur		dolābimur		dolābiminī		dolābuntur
	perfect	dolātus + present active indicative of sum
	pluperfect	dolātus + imperfect active indicative of sum
	future perfect	dolātus + future active indicative of sum
subjunctive		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	dolem		dolēs		dolet		dolēmus		dolētis		dolent
	imperfect	dolārem		dolārēs		dolāret		dolārēmus		dolārētis		dolārent
	perfect	dolāverim		dolāverīs		dolāverit		dolāverīmus		dolāverītis		dolāverint
	pluperfect	dolāvissem		dolāvissēs		dolāvisset		dolāvissēmus		dolāvissētis		dolāvissent
passive	present	doler		dolēris, dolēre		dolētur		dolēmur		dolēminī		dolentur
	imperfect	dolārer		dolārēris, dolārēre		dolārētur		dolārēmur		dolārēminī		dolārentur
	perfect	dolātus + present active subjunctive of sum
	pluperfect	dolātus + imperfect active subjunctive of sum
imperative		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	—		dolā		—		—		dolāte		—
	future	—		dolātō		dolātō		—		dolātōte		dolantō
passive	present	—		dolāre		—		—		dolāminī		—
	future	—		dolātor		dolātor		—		—		dolantor
non-finite forms		infinitive						participle
		active			passive			active			passive
present		dolāre			dolārī			dolāns			—
future		dolātūrum esse			dolātum īrī			dolātūrus			dolandus
perfect		dolāvisse			dolātum esse			—			dolātus
future perfect		—			dolātum fore			—			—
perfect potential		dolātūrum fuisse			—			—			—
verbal nouns		gerund								supine
		genitive		dative		accusative		ablative		accusative		ablative
		dolandī		dolandō		dolandum		dolandō		dolātum		dolātū

Derived terms

• dolābra
• dolāmen
• dolātilis
• dolātōrium
• dolātus
• ēdolō

Related terms

• doleō
• dolor

Descendants

• Balkano-Romance:
  • Romanian: dura
• Italo-Romance:
  • Italian: dolare
  • Neapolitan: dulare (Calabrian)
  • Sicilian: duliri (Lecce)
• Rhaeto-Romance:
  • Friulian: dolá
• Gallo-Italic:
  • Emilian: dolèr (Reggiano)
• Gallo-Romance:
  • Catalan: dolar
• Ibero-Romance:
  • Spanish: dolar
• Borrowings:
  • →? French: doler

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Ancient Greek δόλων (dólōn), from δόλος (dólos).

Alternative forms

• dolōn

Noun

dolō m (genitive dolōnis); third declension

1. a dagger

   Synonym: pūgiō

   • 121 CE, Suetonius, De vita Caesarum Vita divi Claudi 13:

     E plebe homo nocte media iuxta cubiculum eius cum pugione deprehensus est; reperti et equestris ordinis duo in publico cum dolone ac venatorio cultro praestolantes, alter ut egressum theatro, alter ut sacrificantem apud Martis aedem adoreretur.

     A plebeian man was apprehended at midnight right next to his [Claudius'] bed; two other men of equestrian family were found waiting for him, one armed with a dagger and ready to stab him leaving the theater, the other one, wielding a huntsman's knife, to attack him as he would be sacrificing at the altar of Mars.

2. (unclear) a swordstick or steel-pointed pole
   • 29 BCE – 19 BCE, Vergilius, Aeneis 7.664-665:

     Pila manu saevosque gerunt in bella dolones
     et tereti pugnant mucrone veruque Sabello.

     They [comites Aventini] wield javelins and fierce swordsticks, and fight as well with smooth sword as with the Sicilian veru [of unclear meaning].

Declension

Third-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	dolō	dolōnēs
genitive	dolōnis	dolōnum
dative	dolōnī	dolōnibus
accusative	dolōnem	dolōnēs
ablative	dolōne	dolōnibus
vocative	dolō	dolōnēs

Descendants

• ⇒? German: Dolch m (“dagger”)

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

dolō m

1. dative/ablative singular of dolus

References

• “dolo”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “dolo”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• "dolo", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• “dolo”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• “dolo”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898), Harper’s Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “dolo”, in William Smith et al., editor (1890), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin

Louisiana Creole

Alternative forms

• dilo, dlo, lo

Etymology

Derived from French de l' (“some”) + French eau (“water”), with the partitive article re-analyzed as part of the noun.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /doˈlo/
• Rhymes: -o

Noun

dolo

1. water
2. (a) body of water
3. (a) tear (a drop of clear, salty liquid produced from the eyes by crying or irritation)

Derived terms

• dolo béni
• dolo ho
• dolo troub
• dolo wo
• fé dolo

See also

• larozé, séren (“dew”)

References

• Albert Valdman, Dictionary of Louisiana Creole (1998), →ISBN

Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdɔ.lɔ/
• Rhymes: -ɔlɔ
• Syllabification: do‧lo

Noun

dolo f

1. vocative singular of dola

Portuguese

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *delh₁-

Proto-Indo-European *-yeti

Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti

Proto-Indo-European *dolh₁éyeti

Proto-Italic *doleō

Latin doleō

Proto-Indo-European *-os

Proto-Indo-European *-s

Proto-Indo-European *-ōs

Proto-Italic *-ōs

Latin -or

Latin dolor

Latin doluslbor.

Portuguese dolo

Learned borrowing from Latin dolus.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈdɔ.lu/, (proscribed) /ˈdo.lu/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈdo.lu/

• Hyphenation: do‧lo

Noun

dolo m (plural dolos)

1. deceit, trick, fraud
2. (law) intentional transgression

Derived terms

• doloso

Further reading

• “dolo”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026

Réunion Creole French

Etymology

From French de l'eau.

Noun

dolo (Low Creole)

1. alternative form of lo (“water”)

References

• Armand, Alain (1987), Dictionnaire Kréol rénioné/Français [Reunionese Creole-French Dictionary] (in French), Océan Éditions, →ISBN, page 208

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin dolus (“fraud, trickery”), from Ancient Greek δόλος (dólos).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdolo/ [ˈd̪o.lo]
• Rhymes: -olo
• Syllabification: do‧lo

Noun

dolo m (plural dolos)

1. fraud
2. (law) malice

Derived terms

• dolo eventual

Related terms

• doloso

Further reading

• “dolo”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025

Tayo

Etymology

From French de l'eau.

Noun

dolo

1. water
   • Philip Baker,From Contact to Creole and Beyond (1995), page 139:

     dolo sa le sal

     the water which is dirty

   Synonym: delo

Wutunhua

Etymology

From Mandarin 朵落 (duǒluò).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [tolo]

Noun

dolo

1. head (body part)

References

• Juha Janhunen, Marja Peltomaa, Erika Sandman, Xiawu Dongzhou (2008), Wutun (LINCOM's Descriptive Grammar Series), volume 466, LINCOM Europa, →ISBN