Dominican
UK[dəˈmɪnɪkən]US[dəˈmɪnɪkən]
adj
Of or relating to St. Dominic or the religious order founded by him.
adj
Of or relating to the Dominican Republic or the Commonwealth of Dominica.
n
A member of the Roman Catholic order of preaching friars founded by St. Dominic.
n
A native or inhabitant of the Dominican Republic or the Commonwealth of Dominica.
Morpheme Breakdown
Dominic
an
Dominic
proper name
an
pertaining to
Etymology
The word 'Dominican' originates from the Latin name 'Dominicus', derived from 'dominus' meaning "lord" or "master". It was first applied to followers of Saint Dominic de Guzmán, a 13th-century Spanish priest who founded the Order of Preachers, emphasizing their belonging to the Lord's service. This adjectival form, via the suffix '-an', later extended to denote anything pertaining to the religious order. In the modern era, the name was applied geographically, most notably to the Dominican Republic, named after Saint Dominic because the island was discovered by Columbus on a Sunday (Latin 'dies Dominica', "the Lord's day").
Analysis
Structure: Dominic (proper name) + an (pertaining to)
'Dominic' is a male given name of Latin origin, from 'Dominicus' meaning "of the Lord". The suffix '-an' is from Latin '-anus', forming adjectives meaning "pertaining to" or "belonging to".
Examples
The Dominican friar delivered a sermon at the cathedral.
She is studying the unique biodiversity of the Dominican rainforest.
Dominican baseball players are renowned for their skill in the major leagues.