dignity

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*dḱ-nos
2. Proto-Italic · derived from*degnos
3. Latin · derived fromdignitās“worthiness, merit, dignity, grandeur, authority, rank, office”
4. Old French · derived fromdignité
5. Middle English · inherited fromdignyte
6. English todaydignity

Inherited from Middle English dignyte, from Old French dignité, from Latin dignitās (“worthiness, merit, dignity, grandeur, authority, rank, office”), from dignus (“worthy, appropriate”), from Proto-Italic *degnos, from Proto-Indo-European *dḱ-nos, from *deḱ- (“to take”). See also decus (“honor, esteem”) and decet (“it is fitting”). Cognate to deign. Doublet of dainty. In this sense, displaced native Old English weorþsċipe, which became Modern English worship. It also displaced native Old English hād (“honor, dignity”).