Home

dignari

Dignari is a Latin verb of the deponent class meaning to deem worthy or to deign, to condescend to do something. It is commonly cited in its principal parts as dignor, dignari, dignatus sum, with the infinitive dignārī. As a deponent verb, dignari is passive in form but active in meaning, and its tenses are built from the participle dignatus and the corresponding auxiliary forms, rather than from a fully active paradigm. The root dign- comes from Latin dignus, meaning worthy.

In classical and later Latin, dignari is used to express condescension or courtesy, often in contexts where

Cognate forms exist in Romance languages, reflecting the Latin lineage. Italian dignarsi, Spanish dignarse, and Portuguese

Overall, dignari denotes a specific sense of condescension—deigning to undertake an action—anchored in Latin literary and

a
person
of
higher
status
deigns
to
perform
a
modest
or
gracious
action.
The
verb
appears
in
phrases
such
as
the
perfect
passive
participle
dignatus
sum,
“I
have
deigned,”
or
with
the
imperative
dignāre,
meaning
“deign
(to)
…”
or
“please
deign
to
…”
In
practice,
dignari
is
most
frequently
found
in
formal,
literary,
or
ecclesiastical
Latin
rather
than
in
everyday
prose.
dignar-se
retain
a
reflexive
sense
of
deigning
to
perform
an
action
and
are
used
in
polite
or
formal
contexts.
In
these
languages,
the
term
often
carries
a
slightly
arch
or
ceremonial
tone,
echoing
its
Latin
origins.
religious
usage,
with
continued
though
more
limited
reflection
in
modern
Romance
languages.