Etymograph

English

docity

Docity may come from Latin doceō ‘I teach’, from Proto-Italic *dokeō ‘to cause to perceive’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *deḱ- ‘to take’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deḱ-1‘to take’uncertain
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*doḱ-éye-ti1uncertaincausative of *deḱ-
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*dokejō1uncertain
  4. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*dokeō1‘to cause to perceive’uncertain
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdoceō2‘I teach’uncertain
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1686docity2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin doceo
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English docity
  3. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1686, A[phra] Behn: “Very well Sirrah, they dy’d in an honourable Calling—but…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deḱ-Wiktionary, Latin doceo‘to take’uncertain
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*doḱ-éye-tiWiktionary, Latin doceouncertaincausative of *deḱ-
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*dokejōWiktionary, Latin doceouncertain
  4. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*dokeōWiktionary, Latin doceo‘to cause to perceive’uncertain
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdoceōWiktionary, English docity‘I teach’uncertain
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1686docityWiktionary, English docity. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1686, A[phra] Behn: “Very well Sirrah, they dy’d in an honourable Calling—but…”

The story

Origin doubtful; supposed to be an alteration of docility.uncertain The source flags this step as uncertain.

Full etymology on Wiktionary

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *deḱ- ‘to take’

decent, tail, decoration, decor, dignity, paradox, disdain, indignation, dogma, fonda, indignant, dainty, deign, digne, dignitary, 52 more

through Proto-Italic *dokeō ‘to cause to perceive’

documentary, 13 more

through Latin doceō ‘I teach’

doctor, document, doctrine, doctrinal, dodo, docile, dox, docent, 15 more

Today it means

noun Docility; quickness of comprehension.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “docity”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Latin doceo. 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 / Proto-Indo-European *deḱ- / docity

Shirt and support for this word