dirigo

Dirigo (Latin: "I guide, lead, conduct") is an irregular verb belonging to the first conjugation. Its principal parts are dirigo, dirigere, duxi, dirutum, from the late 1st century BCE in classical Latin. The verb describes both physical and abstract guidance, and it appears in a wide range of classical texts. In the Cambridge Latin Course, characters often use dirigo when ordering troops or giving moral exhortations.

The Latin root is dux ("leader") and the derivative directus ("directed"). The verb is frequently used in the passive sense, e.g., diriguntur ("they are directed"), and it frequently forms compound expressions such as in domum dirigere ("to direct homeward"). In idiomatic usage the imperative form dirige ("Guide!") is common in pastoral and military contexts.

In English, derivatives of dirigo include director, dialectic, directing, and directive, all of which share the idea of guiding or steering. In legal contexts the phrase dirigendum appears in civil and ecclesiastical law, expressing the need to direct a piece of writing or a process. The verb has also been used metaphorically by writers to describe the influence of government policy or religious teachings on society, as in dirigere populum ("to guide the people").

The term “Dirigo” has spread into the modern era as a brand name for a line of educational software that helps students organize and guide their learning paths. It is also the name of a small community in western Kansas that was established in the late 19th century, named for the Latin word’s connotation of leadership.