English
dance
Dance comes from Middle English dauncen, from Anglo-Norman dancier, from Vulgar Latin *dantiāre, of uncertain origin.
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*dantiāre1reconstructed
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400dancier1
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500dauncen1‘to dance’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1588–1593dance1
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, English dance
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1588–1593, William Shakespeare, The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus: “Thy grandsire loved thee well; / Many a time…”.
Lineage
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*dantiāreWiktionary, English dancereconstructed
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400dancierWiktionary, English dance
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500dauncenWiktionary, English dance‘to dance’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1588–1593danceWiktionary, English dance. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1588–1593, William Shakespeare, The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus: “Thy grandsire loved thee well; / Many a time…”
The story
Inherited from Middle English dauncen, borrowed from Anglo-Norman dauncer, from Vulgar Latin *dantiāre, of uncertain origin.uncertain The source flags this step as uncertain.
Word family
English words that share an ancestor with dance, grouped by the ancestor they share, most familiar first.
through Vulgar Latin *dantiāre ‘to dance’
- danza ← danzar ← dançar
Explore everything descended from *dantiāre →
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Today it means
noun A sequence of rhythmic steps or movements usually performed to music, for pleasure or as a form of social interaction.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “dance”. 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 / Vulgar Latin *dantiāre / dance