Etymology Map
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Domestic

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means relating to the home or one's own country

Where does the word "domestic" come from? It comes from Latin domesticus, passing through French before entering English (1500s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
domesticus
Latin · ancient
"of the house"
from 'domus', house
2
Stage 2 of 3
domestique
French · 1500s
"domestic"
Latin 'domesticus' came from 'domus', house; the sense 'internal to one's country' appears in English in the 1540s
3
Stage 3 of 3
domestic
English · 1500s
"of the household"
'domestic flights' date from the 1900s
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Read the full story

Domestic’s story begins in Latin: domesticus meant “of the house.” From 'domus', house. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in French as domestique. Latin 'domesticus' came from 'domus', house; the sense 'internal to one's country' appears in English in the 1540s. It reached English by 1500s as domestic. 'domestic flights' date from the 1900s. Today, domestic means relating to the home or one's own country.