Etymograph

English

dogma

Dogma comes from Latin dogma ‘philosophical tenet’, from Ancient Greek δοκέω ‘to seem good, think’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *deḱ- ‘to take’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deḱ-1‘to take’reconstructed
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδέχομαι1dékhomai‘to take, accept’
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδοκέω2dokéō‘to seem good, think’
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδόγμα2dógma‘opinion, tenet’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdogma2‘philosophical tenet’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1658dogma2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek δοκέω, which cites Beekes
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English dogma
  3. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1658, Thomas Browne, The Garden of Cyrus. […]. Chapter V.: “According to that Cabaliſticall Dogma: If Abram had not…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deḱ-Wiktionary, Ancient Greek δοκέω, which cites Beekes‘to take’reconstructed
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδέχομαιWiktionary, Ancient Greek δοκέω, which cites Beekesdékhomai‘to take, accept’
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδοκέωWiktionary, English dogmadokéō‘to seem good, think’
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδόγμαWiktionary, English dogmadógma‘opinion, tenet’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdogmaWiktionary, English dogma‘philosophical tenet’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1658dogmaWiktionary, English dogma. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1658, Thomas Browne, The Garden of Cyrus. […]. Chapter V.: “According to that Cabaliſticall Dogma: If Abram had not…”

The story

Treated in the 17th and 18th century as Greek, with plural dogmata.

Full etymology on Wiktionary

Linked words

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

doctor, decent, tail, document, dignity, decoration, doctrine, decor, paradox, disdain, indignation, dainty, indignant, doctrinal, docile, dodo, dignitary, deign, digne, dox, docent, 54 more

through Ancient Greek δέχομαι ‘to take, accept’

fonda, 14 more

Today it means

noun An authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion, especially one considered to be absolutely true and indisputable, regardless of evidence or without evidence to support it.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “dogma”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Ancient Greek δοκέω. 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- / dogma

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