doctore
/ˈdɒktə/
noun
Origin
Latin
docere — to teach
Overview
Meaning Now
- A person who is qualified to practice medicine.
- A holder of the highest university degree.
Literal older meaning
teacher, instructor
Language path
Latin → Old French → English
Earliest form
doctor
Earliest period
13th century
Journey
The word originally referred to someone who held an academic license to teach. It was not until the 16th and 17th centuries that the term became strongly associated with medical practitioners.
Evolution
- Classical Latin
doctor
“teacher, instructor”
- Late Latin
doctore
“teacher (ablative/vocative)”
Base form for many Romance language developments
- Middle English
doctour
“a learned man, teacher”
Borrowed from Old French
- Modern English
doctor
“medical professional, academic rank”
Specialization of meaning toward medicine
Connections
Word parts
doct-
root
to teach
-or
suffix
agentive marker
Related across languages
French
docteur
doctor
Spanish
doctor
doctor
Italian
dottore
doctor
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Related to doctore
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.