dominical
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /dəˈmɪnɪk(ə)l/
ipa: /dəʊ-/
ipa: /dəˈmɪnək(ə)l/
Etymology: Inherited from Middle English dominical (“(adjective) of or pertaining to the Lord’s day or Sunday; (noun) a book containing the liturgy for Sunday (?)”), borrowed from Medieval Latin dominicālis (“of or pertaining to Sunday, dominical”), from Latin dominicus (“of or belonging to a lord or master; (Ecclesiastical Latin) God’s, the Lord’s”) (compare diēs Dominicus (“the day of the Lord, Sunday”)) + -ālis (suffix forming adjectives of relationship). Dominicus is derived from dominus (“lord, master”) (used in Latin versions of the Bible to translate titles of the God of the Hebrew Tanakh and Greek New Testament; probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dem- (“to arrange, put together; to build (up)”)) + -icus (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives).
Adjective senses 3.1 (“of printed text: in a large size”) and 3.2 (“red, ruddy”) refer to the practice of printing dominical letters in a large size, or in red.
Cognates
* French dominical
Senses: examples: text: The Dominical Prayer, and the Apoſtolical Creed, (vvhereof there vvas ſuch a hot diſpute in our laſt converſation) are tvvo Acts tending to the ſame object of devotion, yet they differ in this, that vve conclude all in the firſt, and ourſelves only in the ſecond, […]
ref: 1655, James Howell, “XXIX. To W. Roberts, Esq”, in Epistolæ Ho-Elianæ. Familiar Letters Domestic and Forren. […], 3rd edition, volume IV, London: […] Humphrey Mos[e]ley, […], →OCLC, section VI, page 472:
text: VVhereas 'tis clear, that Rome obſerved the firſt day of the vveek, becauſe 'tvvas the Dominical day, the day of our Lord's Reſurrection; vvhereas the proper Paſchal-day vvas tvvo or three days before the Lords day: […]
ref: 1692, G[eorge] T[rosse], “Sect[ion] XX. [The Tradition of the Lords-day’s Rest, or First-day of the Week from the Apostles Time to the End of the Fourth Century. […].]”, in The Lords Day Vindicated: Or The First Day of the Week the Christian Sabbath. […], London: […] Samuel Clement, […], →OCLC, page [130]:
text: [A]t the firſt Intervievv vvith Mrs. Heartfree, Mr. VVild had conceived that Paſſion, […] vvhich is indeed no other than that Friendſhip vvhich, after the Exerciſe of the Dominical Day is over, a luſty Divine is apt to conceive for the vvell-dreſt Sirloin, or handſome Buttock, vvhich the vvell-edified 'Squire, in Gratitude, ſets before him, and vvhich, ſo violent is his Love, he is deſirous to devour.
ref: 1743, Henry Fielding, “The History of the Life of the Late Mr. Jonathan Wild the Great. Chapter VIII. In which Our Hero Carries Greatness to an Immoderate Height.”, in Miscellanies, […], volume III, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book II, pages 155–156:
topics: Christianity
antonyms: undominical
glosses: Of or pertaining to Jesus Christ as Lord.
examples: text: And vvho knovvs not the ſuperſtitious rigor of his Sundays Chapel, and the licentious remiſſneſs of his Sundays Theater; accompanied vvith that reverend Statute for Dominical Jigs and Maypoles, publiſht in his ovvn Name, and deriv'd from the example of his Father James.
ref: 1649, J[ohn] Milton, “Upon the Kings Calling this Last Parlament”, in ΕΙΚΟΝΟΚΛΆΣΤΗΣ [Eikonoklástēs] […], London: […] Matthew Simmons, […], →OCLC, page 8:
topics: Christianity
antonyms: undominical
glosses: Of or pertaining to the Lord's Day, Sunday.
examples: text: I haue compoſde a Dictionary, in vvhich / He is inſtructed, hovv, vvhen, and to vvhom / To be proud or humble; at vvhat times of the yeare / He may do a good deed for it ſelfe, and that is / VVrit in Dominicall letters, […]
ref: 1631 (first performance), Philip Massinger, The Emperour of the East. A Tragæ-comœdie. […], London: […] Thomas Harper, for Iohn Waterson, published 1632, →OCLC, Act I, scene ii, signature C3, recto:
text: [S]uch obſerved that our Fights of greateſt importance vvere fought on the Lords day, As the Fight at Edgehill, Nevvbury, &c. as pointing at our ſin in the puniſhment, and Gods vvrath vvas vvritten in Dominical letters: […]
ref: 1668, John Wells, “Gods Tremendous Judgments Executed upon Those who have Prophaned and Violated His Holy Day”, in The Practical Sabbatarian: or Sabbath-holiness Crowned with Superlative Happiness, London: [s.n.], →OCLC, page 695:
topics: Christianity
glosses: Of or pertaining to the ancient system of dominical letters, used for determining Sundays (particularly Easter Sunday) in any given year.
Of printed text: in a large size.
examples: text: [T]hese nails that by good token have not been pared since eighty-eight, should have scratched your face till it had been a dominical one, and as full of red letters as any Pond's Almanac in Christendom.
ref: 1651, Thomas Randolph, “Hey for Honesty, Down with Knavery”, in W[illiam] Carew Hazlitt, editor, Poetical and Dramatic Works of Thomas Randolph […], volume I, London: Reeves and Turner […], published 1875, →OCLC, act IV, scene iii, page 469:
topics: Christianity
glosses: Of or pertaining to the ancient system of dominical letters, used for determining Sundays (particularly Easter Sunday) in any given year.
Red, ruddy.
Derived terms: dominical day
dominical letter
dominically
dominical year
undominical
Related terms: Dominic
Dominican