dogma

the word 'dogma' entered english in the mid-16th century, directly from latin 'dogma', which itself was borrowed from greek 'dogma' meaning 'opinion, belief, decree'. the greek term derives from the verb 'dokein', meaning 'to seem, to think, to suppose'. this verb is traced back to the proto-indo-european root dek-, meaning 'to take, to accept', which is also the ancestor of words like 'decent' and 'doctor'. originally, 'dogma' in english could denote a philosophical tenet or a formal decree, particularly from a church council. over time, its meaning narrowed and acquired a more rigid, authoritative connotation, shifting from a general 'belief' to one that is prescribed as unquestionably true by an authority.

Structure: dogm (opinion) + a (noun suffix) dogm (from greek 'dokēma', meaning 'opinion', 'belief', 'that which seems good') + a (a latin/greek suffix used to form nouns, often indicating a result or thing)