Etymograph

English

dais

Dais comes from Old French deis, from Latin discus ‘discus, disc, quoit’, and perhaps ultimately from Ancient Greek δίκτυον ‘fishing net’.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδίκτυον1díktuon‘fishing net’uncertainearlier origin unknown
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδικεῖν2dikeîn‘to cast’
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδίσκος3‘quoit, disc, discus’
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdiscus4‘discus, disc, quoit’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdiscum4accusative singular of discus
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400deis4
  7. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400deis4
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500deis4‘podium, dais’
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1806dais4

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek δικεῖν, which cites Beekes, Rix
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek δίσκος
  3. 3 Wiktionary, Latin discus
  4. 4 Wiktionary, English dais
  5. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1806, The Mer-man, and Marstig's Daughter: “[page 211] The Mer-man he stept o'er ae deas,…”.

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδίκτυονWiktionary, Ancient Greek δικεῖν, which cites Beekes, Rixdíktuon‘fishing net’uncertainearlier origin unknown
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδικεῖνWiktionary, Ancient Greek δίσκοςdikeîn‘to cast’
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδίσκοςWiktionary, Latin discus‘quoit, disc, discus’
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdiscusWiktionary, English dais‘discus, disc, quoit’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdiscumWiktionary, English daisaccusative singular of discus
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400deisWiktionary, English dais
  7. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400deisWiktionary, English dais
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500deisWiktionary, English dais‘podium, dais’
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1806daisWiktionary, English dais. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1806, The Mer-man, and Marstig's Daughter: “[page 211] The Mer-man he stept o'er ae deas,…”

Linked words

through Ancient Greek δίσκος ‘quoit, disc, discus’

disk, discus, discal, 4 more

through Latin discus ‘discus, disc, quoit’

desk, dish, disc, tish, 4 more

Today it means

noun A raised platform in a room for a high table, a seat of honour, a throne, or other dignified occupancy, such as ancestral statues; a similar platform supporting a lectern, pulpit, etc., which may be used to speak from.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “dais”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Ancient Greek δικεῖν, Ancient Greek δίσκος, Latin discus. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Ancient Greek δίκτυον / dais

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