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Donation of Constantine

A document fabricated probably during the 8th century, in which the emperor Constantine I purportedly grants to the Papacy temporal dominion over Italy and other western regions. Used throughout much of the Middle Ages as evidence in justifying Papal claims in secular affairs, it was demonstrated to be false in the 15th century.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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