*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of decan

From Late Latin decānus.

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
noun

One of a collection of 36 small constellations or zodiacal subdivisions that appear heliacally at intervals of 10 days or are separated by approximately 10 degrees.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Late Latin decānus.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la-lat",
        "3": "decānus"
      },
      "expansion": "Late Latin decānus"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "decānus",
      "decanus#Latin"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "One of a collection of 36 small constellations or zodiacal subdivisions that appear heliacally at intervals of 10 days or are separated by approximately 10 degrees."
      ],
      "tags": [],
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      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 2665242
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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    "lexicalRecords": 0,
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
verb

To remove (something, especially nuclear reactor fuel) from a can or similar protective enclosure, cladding, etc.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From de- + can.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Word-formation componentde-en
  • Word-formation componentcanen
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "affix",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "de-",
        "3": "can"
      },
      "expansion": "de- + can"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "de-",
      "de-#English"
    ],
    [
      "can",
      "can#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To remove (something, especially nuclear reactor fuel) from a can or similar protective enclosure, cladding, etc."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "992b02c1342ad9846931b67fd1f1dfb53e990f5c4a25b49942ac6d6174e2a676",
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  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for decan →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
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Import run
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Permanent entry ID
w-ZGVjYW4