danger (French)
Where does "danger" come from?
The word 'danger' originates from the Latin 'dominus', meaning 'lord' or 'master', which evolved into the Vulgar Latin term '*domniārium', representing authority or power. In Old French, this concept of having power over someone shifted to describe the 'difficulty' or 'problem' of being subject to another's mastery. Over time, this evolved into the modern English 'danger', moving from the abstract authority of a lord to the state of being at risk of harm or loss.
Full etymology tree
- danger (French), 'danger'
- inherited dangier (Old French), 'difficulty; problem'
- inherited dongier (Old French), 'alternative form of dangier'
- inherited *domniārium (Vulgar Latin)
- derived dominium (Latin), 'feast, banquet'
- compound dominus (Latin), 'master, possessor, ruler, lord, proprietor'
- inherited *domonos (Proto-Italic)
- inherited *domHnos (Proto-Indo-European)
- derived *dṓm (Proto-Indo-European), 'home'
- derived *dem- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to build (up)'
- derived *dṓm (Proto-Indo-European), 'home'
- inherited *domHnos (Proto-Indo-European)
- inherited *domonos (Proto-Italic)
- compound -ium (Latin), 'Suffix used to form abstract nouns, sometimes denoting offices and groups. May no longer be productive.'
- compound dominus (Latin), 'master, possessor, ruler, lord, proprietor'
- derived dominium (Latin), 'feast, banquet'
- inherited *domniārium (Vulgar Latin)
- influence damnum (Latin), 'damage or injury'
- inherited *domnarium (Vulgar Latin)
- derived dominium (Latin), 'feast, banquet'
- compound dominus (Latin), 'master, possessor, ruler, lord, proprietor'
- inherited *domonos (Proto-Italic)
- inherited *domHnos (Proto-Indo-European)
- derived *dṓm (Proto-Indo-European), 'home'
- derived *dem- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to build (up)'
- derived *dṓm (Proto-Indo-European), 'home'
- inherited *domHnos (Proto-Indo-European)
- inherited *domonos (Proto-Italic)
- compound -ium (Latin), 'Suffix used to form abstract nouns, sometimes denoting offices and groups. May no longer be productive.'
- compound dominus (Latin), 'master, possessor, ruler, lord, proprietor'
- derived dominium (Latin), 'feast, banquet'
- inherited dongier (Old French), 'alternative form of dangier'
- inherited dangier (Old French), 'difficulty; problem'
Ancestors
- dangier (Old French)
- dominus (Latin)
Cognates and doublets
- damnum (Latin)
- dongier (Old French)
Descendants and derived words
- danĝero (Esperanto)
- dangereux (French)
- danger public (French)
- en danger (French)
- hors de danger (French)
- non-assistance à personne en danger (French)
Updated May 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris