dominare / dominari

Summary

dominare/dominari (Latin, "to rule, to dominate") is Jerome's Vulgate translation of authenteō in 1 Timothy 2:12. This choice — rather than auctoritas, imperium, or potestas (standard Latin words for legitimate authority) — carried connotations of the dominus-servus (master-slave) relationship and shaped Western interpretation for over a millennium. Jerome's word choice itself may reflect a negative understanding of what Paul prohibits.

It is the word Jerome chose when translating 1 Tim 2:12 into Latin (c. 347-405 AD): "docere autem mulieri non permitto, neque dominari in virum." This translation had enormous influence because the Vulgate became the authoritative Bible of Western Christianity for over a millennium. The English word "dominate" (and "domineer") derives from the same Latin root. Article 340 discusses this in the context of Mike Winger's response to Linda Belleville: Winger argues that Belleville's reading of dominari as pejorative (domineering, oppressive) is influenced by English connotations rather than the Latin word's neutral range of meaning. Bartlett/Williams counter with four facts: (1) The Latin root dominus (lord/master) does carry connotations of the dominus-servus (master-slave) relationship; (2) Early medieval commentators reading the Vulgate understood the term as describing an illegitimate, excessive form of authority; (3) Other Latin words for legitimate authority (auctoritas, imperium, potestas) were available to Jerome but not chosen; (4) The word's choice by Jerome may itself reflect his negative view of women. The dominare debate illustrates how translation choices in one era shape the entire downstream tradition of interpretation. See also: authenteō, exousia.