English word origin

Etymology of diary

From Latin diārium (“a daily allowance for soldiers, in Late Latin also ‘diary’”), neuter of *diārius, from diēs (“a day”) (whence also journal). Cognate with Spanish diario (“daily; diary”).

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 3 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 · variant 1/2

Original entry ↗

verb

To keep a diary or journal.

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

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Root classification mention*dyew-ine-pro
Derivation mentiondiāriumla
Cognate mentiondiarioes

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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    },
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Source etymology 1 · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗

noun

A daily log of experiences, especially those of the writer. · A personal organizer or appointment diary.

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

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Root classification mention*dyew-ine-pro
Derivation mentiondiāriumla
Cognate mentiondiarioes

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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    },
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    {
      "lang": "Hindi",
      "lang_code": "hi",
      "word": "डायरी",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "roman": "ḍāyrī"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Indonesian",
      "lang_code": "id",
      "word": "diari",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
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    },
    {
      "lang": "Kashmiri",
      "lang_code": "ks",
      "word": "ڈایری",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
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    },
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      "lang": "Punjabi",
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          "lang": "Gurmukhi script",
          "lang_code": "pa",
          "word": "ਡਾਇਰੀ",
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        },
        {
          "lang": "Shahmukhi script",
          "lang_code": "pa",
          "word": "ڈائِری"
        }
      ]
    },
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      "lang": "Sindhi",
      "lang_code": "sd",
      "word": "ڊائِرِي",
      "raw_tags": [
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      ],
      "roman": "ḍāirī"
    }
  ],
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        "A daily log of experiences, especially those of the writer.",
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      ],
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

adj

Lasting for one day.

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

From Latin diārius.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Borrowed-form mentiondiāriusla

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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      "pos": "adj",
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        "Lasting for one day."
      ],
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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 diary →

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: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-ZGlhcnk