“Ditto” as a response meant as “same here” has a modern slangy feel to it, which might make to not seem like a real word. But where did it really come from, is it an English word?
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“Ditto” as a response meant as “same here” has a modern slangy feel to it, which might make to not seem like a real word. But where did it really come from, is it an English word?
Ditto, as is the case of many similar, mysterious, yet familiar small words like “ibid” derives from Latin. “Dictus,” meaning “it has been said.” Dictus became ditto, or detto in the more modern languages (Spanish and Italian). Though, that usage did not remain and in both languages now the direct term for “ditto” is “idem.” It first entered the English language as part of the legal Latin vocabulary meaning, “already spoken of” or “said” as in “aforesaid.” The first recorded use in English in that sense dates to 1625.
It comes from Italian ditto, a dialect variation on ”detto” meaning “said,” the past participle of “dice” which means “to say.” It was used in Italian as in “il ditto libro”, “the aforesaid book.” In English, it came to be used in the 17th century to avoid having to repeat words and phrases in commercial language.