View source for digitus

==English==

===Etymology===
Borrowed from {{bor|en|la|digitus}}. {{doublet|en|digit}}.

===Noun===
{{en-noun|digiti}}

# {{lb|en|historical}} An Ancient Roman [[unit]] of [[length]], approximately 0.73 [[inch]]es.

==Latin==
[[Image:Finger.agr.jpg|thumb|digitus manūs (digit of the hand)]]

===Alternative forms===
* {{alter|la|dictus}}

===Etymology===
{{etymon|la|der|ine-pro>*deyḱ->to point out|id=digit}}
Traditionally derived from {{inh|la|itc-pro|*digitos}}, from {{der|la|ine-pro|*deyǵ-||to show, point out, pronounce solemnly}}, variant of the root {{m|ine-pro|*deyḱ-}} that also gave Latin {{m|la|dīcō||I say, speak talk}} and English {{m|en|toe}} (though De Vaan is skeptical due to the presumed phonetic processes resulting in the change of a ''ḱ-'' to a ''ǵ-'' having no other examples in Latin).<ref>{{R:itc:EDL|pages=170-1}}</ref> Fingers were thus "pointers, indicators". The "digit" sense comes from the fact that they were used for counting up to ten.

Indo-European cognates include Sanskrit {{m|sa|दिशति|tr=diśáti||to show, point out}}, {{cog|grc|δείκνυμι||to show}}, {{m|grc|δίκη||manner, custom}}, Old English {{m|ang|tǣċan||to show, point out}} (English {{m|ang|teach}}) and {{m|ang|tācen}} (English {{m|en|token}}). The relation to {{cog|grc|δᾰ́κτῠλος|t=finger}} is unclear, particularly as the latter term's phonetics suggest a substrate origin.

Compare similar semantic shift in English in the cognate word {{m|en|teacher||forefinger, index finger}}.

===Pronunciation===
* {{la-IPA}}

===Noun===
{{la-noun|digitus<2>}}

# a [[finger]], [[toe]]
# {{lb|la|mathematics}} a [[digit]]
# an [[inch]] {{gl|in ancient times, a 16th part of a Roman foot}}
# a [[twig]]

====Declension====
{{la-ndecl|digitus<2>}}
* Note: the genitive plural {{m|la|digitum}} is attested in Vitruvius and in a fragment of Varro (quoted by the grammarian Charisius).

====Derived terms====
{{top2}}
* {{l|la|computō digitīs}}
* {{l|la|digitābulum}}
* {{l|la|digitālis}}
* {{l|la|digitātus}}
* {{l|la|digitulus}}
* {{l|la|digitus salūtāris}}
* {{l|la|prōferō digitum}}
{{bottom}}

====Descendants====
{{top2}}
* Eastern Romance
** {{desc|rup|dzeadzit|dzeadit|deadzit|deazit|dezet|dzedzut}}
** {{desc|ruo|žåžet}}
** {{desc|ruq|zeazit|zęzit}}
** {{desc|ro|deget}}
* Gallo-Italic
** {{desc|lij|dîo}}
** {{desc|lmo|did|di}}
** {{desc|pms|di}}
** {{desc|rgn|dòit}}
* Italo-Dalmatian
** {{desc|co|ditu}}
** {{desc|dlm|detco|alts=1}}
** {{desc|it|dito}}
** {{desc|nap|dito}}
** {{desc|scn|jìditu|jitu}}
* {{desctree|fro|doit}}
* {{desc|pro}}
** {{desc|ca|dit}}
** {{desc|oc|det|alts=1}}
* Rhaeto-Romance
** {{desc|fur|dêt}}
** {{desc|rm|det}}
* {{desc|sc|didu}}
* {{desc|vec|déo}}
* West Iberian
** {{desc|an|dido}}
** {{desc|ast|deu|alts=1}}
** {{desc|mwl|dedo}}
** {{desctree|roa-opt|dedo}}
** {{desc|osp|dedo}}
*** {{desc|lad|dedo}}
*** {{desc|es|dedo}}
* {{desc|ca|dígit|bor=1}}
* {{desctree|enm|digit|bor=1}}
* {{desc|pt|dígito|bor=1}}
* {{desc|es|dígito|bor=1}}
{{bottom}}

===References===
* {{R:L&S}}
* {{R:Elementary Lewis}}
* {{R:du Cange}}
* {{R:Gaffiot}}
* {{R:M&A}}
* {{R:Peck}}
* {{R:Smith's Antiquities}}
<references />

{{C|la|Anatomy}}

==Middle English==

===Noun===
{{head|enm|noun}}

# {{alternative form of|enm|digit}}