Etymograph

English

doctrinal

Doctrinal may come from Late Latin doctrīna ‘teaching, instruction’, 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‘to teach or instruct’uncertain
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdoctor2‘teacher’uncertain
  7. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEdoctrīna3‘teaching, instruction’uncertain
  8. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEdoctrīnālis3uncertain
  9. Frenchc. 1600–presentdoctrinal3
  10. Englishearliest quotation 1531doctrinal3

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin doceo
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Latin doctrina
  3. 3 Wiktionary, English doctrinal
  4. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1531, Thomas Elyot, The Boke Named the Governour […]: “The Doctrinal of Princes”.

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, Latin doctrina‘to teach or instruct’uncertain
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdoctorWiktionary, Latin doctrina‘teacher’uncertain
  7. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEdoctrīnaWiktionary, English doctrinal‘teaching, instruction’uncertain
  8. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEdoctrīnālisWiktionary, English doctrinaluncertain
  9. Frenchc. 1600–presentdoctrinalWiktionary, English doctrinal
  10. Englishearliest quotation 1531doctrinalWiktionary, English doctrinal. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1531, Thomas Elyot, The Boke Named the Governour […]: “The Doctrinal of Princes”

Linked words

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

decent, tail, dignity, decoration, decor, paradox, disdain, dogma, fonda, dainty, indignation, indignant, dignitary, deign, digne, 54 more

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

documentary, 15 more

through Latin doceō ‘to teach or instruct’

document, dodo, docile, dox, docent, 17 more

through Latin doctor ‘teacher’

doctor, 5 more

Today it means

adj Of, relating to, involving, belonging to or concerning a doctrine.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “doctrinal”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Latin doceo, Latin doctrina. 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- / doctrinal

Shirt and support for this word