Online Etymology Dictionary

dig: early 14c. (diggen), of uncertain origin, probably related to dike and ditch, either via O.Fr. diguer (ult. from a Gmc. source), or directly from an unrecorded O.E. word. Native words were deolfan, grafan (medial -f- pronounced as "v" in O.E.). Meaning "thrust or poke" (as with an elbow) is from 1819; figurative sense of this is from 1840. Slang sense of "understand" first recorded 1934 in Black English, probably based on the notion of "excavate." A slightly varied sense of "appreciate" emerged 1939. Noun meaning "archaeological expedition" is from 1896. Related: Digging.
digamist: "person who has married a second time," 1650s, from di- + -gamy (see bigamy).
digest (n.): "collection of writing," late 14c., from L. digestus, pp. of digerere "to separate, divide, arrange," from dis- "apart" + gerere "to carry."
digest (v.): "assimilate food in bowels," mid-15c. (digestion is earlier), from L. digestus (see digest (n.)). Related: Digested.
digestion: late 14c., from Fr. digestion (13c.), from L. digestionem, noun of action from digerere (see digest (n.)).
digestive: late 14c. (n.); 1530s (adj.), from Fr. digestif (14c.), from L. digestivus, from digest-, pp. stem of digerere (see digest (n.)).
digit: late 14c., from L. digitus "finger or toe," related to dicere "tell, say, point out" (see diction). Numerical sense is because numerals under ten were counted on fingers.
digital: 1650s, "pertaining to fingers," from L. digitalis, from digitus (see digit). Meaning "using numerical digits" is from 1938, especially of computers after c.1945; in reference to recording or broadcasting, from 1960. Related: Digitize.
digitalis: 1664, Mod.L. translation of Ger. fingerhut, the Ger. name of "foxglove," lit. "thimble." Named by Fuchs (1542).
dignified: pp. adj. from dignify; 1660s in sense "ranking as a dignitary;" 1812 in sense "having a dignified manner."
dignify: 1520s, from O.Fr. dignefier, from M.L. dignificare, from dignus (see dignity) + -ficare, from facere "to make, do" (see factitious).
dignitary: 1670s, from dignity. Related: Dignitaries (pl.).
dignity: early 13c., from O.Fr. dignete, from L. dignitatem (nom. dignitas) "worthiness," from dignus "worth (n.), worthy, proper, fitting" from PIE *dek-no-, from base *dek- "to take, accept" (see decent).
digress: 1520s, from L. digress-, pp. stem of digredi "to go aside, depart" (see digression). Related: Digressed; digressing.
digression: late 14c., from L. digressionem, from digredi "to deviate," from dis- "apart, aside" + gradi "to step, go."
digs: "lodgings," slang attested from 1893, from dig.
bedight: c.1400, from be- + dight, from O.E. dihtan "to dictate, appoint, ordain," which exploded in M.E. to a vast array of meanings (including "to rule," "to handle," "to abuse," "to have sex with," "to kill," "to clothe," "to make ready," "to repair") till it was one of the most-used verbs in the language, but all senses have faded now into obscurity, dialect, or poetic use.
cardigan: 1868, from James Thomas Brudenell (1797-1868), 7th Earl of Cardigan, English general distinguished in the Crimean War, who set the style, in one account supposedly wearing such a jacket while leading the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava (1854). The place name is an anglicization of Welsh Ceredigion, lit. "Ceredig's land." Ceredic lived 5c.
condign: c.1470, "well-deserved," from Fr. condigne, from L. condignus "wholly worthy," from con- "together, altogether" + dignus "worthy" (see dignity). Of punishment, "deservedly severe," from 1510s, which by Johnson's day (1755) was the only use.
indigence: late 14c., from O.Fr. indigence (13c.), from L. indigentia, from indigentem (nom. indigens), prp. of indigere "to need," from indu "in, within" + egere "be in need, want."
indigenous: 1640s, from L.L. indigenus "born in a country, native," from L. indigena "a native," lit. "in-born person," from Old L. indu "in, within" (earlier endo) + gen-, root of gignere (perf. genui) "beget," from PIE *gen- "produce."
indigent: c.1400, from Fr. indigent, from L. indigentem (see indigence).
indigestion: 1450, from O.Fr. indigestion (13c.), from L.L. indigestionem, from in- "not" + digestionem (see digest (v.)).
indignant: c.1600, from L. indignantem, prp. of indignari (see indignation). Related: Indignantly.
indignation: late 14c., from O.Fr. indignation, from L. indignationem (nom. indignatio), from indignatus, pp. of indignari "regard as unworthy, be angry or displeased at," from indignus "unworthy," from in- "not" + dignus "worthy" (see dignity).
indigo: 1555, from Sp. indico, Port. endego, and Du. (via Port.) indigo, all from L. indicum "indigo," from Gk. indikon "blue dye from India," lit. "Indian (substance)," neut. of indikos "Indian," from India (see India). Earlier name in Mediterranean languages was annil, anil (see aniline).
infra dig: 1824, colloquial abbreviation of L. infra dignitatem "beneath the dignity of."
paradigm: late 15c., from L.L. paradigma "pattern, example," especially in grammar, from Gk. paradeigma "pattern, model," from paradeiknynai "exhibit, represent," lit. "show side by side," from para- "beside" + deiknynai "to show" (cognate with L. dicere "to show;" see diction). Related: Paradigmatic.
pedigree: c.1410, "genealogical table or chart," from Anglo-Fr. pe de gru, a variant of O.Fr. pied de gru "foot of a crane," from L. pedem "foot" + gruem (nom. grus) "crane," cognate with Gk. geranos, O.E. cran, see crane). On old manuscripts, "descent" was indicated by a forked sign resembling the branching lines of a genealogical chart; the sign also happened to look like a bird's footprint. Form infl. in M.E. by association with degree. Meaning "ancestral line" is c.1440; of animals, 1608.
prestidigitator: 1843, from Fr. prestidigitateur, coined 1830 by Jules de Rovère (who sought a new word, "qui s'accorderait mieux à ses nobles origines" to replace escamoteur and physicien), roughly based on L. præstigiator "juggler" (see prestigious); infl. by It. presto "quick," a conjuror's word (see presto), and by L. digitus "finger" (see digit).
prodigal: mid-15c., back formation from prodigiality (mid-14c.), from O.Fr. prodigalite (13c.), from L.L. prodigalitatem (nom. prodigalitas) "wastefulness," from L. prodigus "wasteful," from prodigere "drive away, waste," from pro- "forth" + agere "to drive" (see act). First ref. is to prodigial son, from Vulgate L. filius prodigus (Luke xv.11-32).
prodigious: 1550s, "having the appearance of a prodigy," from L. prodigiosus "strange, wonderful, marvelous," from prodigium (see prodigy). Meaning "vast, enormous" is from c.1600.
prodigy: 1494, "sign, portent, something extraordinary from which omens are drawn," from L. prodigium "sign, omen, portent, prodigy," from pro- "forth" + -igium, a suffix or word of unknown origin, perhaps from *agi-, root of aio "I say" (see adage). Meaning "child with exceptional abilities" first recorded 1658.
shindig: "dance, party, lively gathering," 1871, probably from shindy "a spree, merrymaking" (1821), perhaps from shinty, name of a Scottish game akin to hockey (1771), earlier shinny (see shinny (n.)).
undigested: 1528, from un- (1) "not" + pp. of digest (v.). Fig. sense is recorded from c.1610.
undignified: 1689, of clergy, "not holding a position of dignity," from un- (1) "not" + pp. of dignify (see dignity). Meaning "lacking in dignity of manner" is attested from 1782.
verdigris: 1300, from O.Fr. verte grez (13c.), verte de Grece (c.1170), lit. "green of Greece," from obs. Fr. verd, from L. viridis (see verdure). The reason for it being called that is not known.