Doctor is an academic title that originates from the Latin word of the same spelling and meaning. The word is originally an agentive noun of the Latin verb docēre ‘to teach’ In many parts of the world it is also used by medical practitioners, regardless of whether they hold a doctoral-level degree. The doctorate appeared in medieval Europe as a license to teach at a medieval university.
About Doctor (title) in brief
Doctor is an academic title that originates from the Latin word of the same spelling and meaning. The word is originally an agentive noun of the Latin verb docēre ‘to teach’ In many parts of the world it is also used by medical practitioners, regardless of whether they hold a doctoral-level degree. The doctorate appeared in medieval Europe as a license to teach at a medieval university. The Ph. D. entered widespread use in the 19th century at Friedrich Wilhelm University in Berlin as a degree to be granted to someone who had undertaken original research in the sciences or humanities. In some European countries, such as Italy and Portugal, Doctor became a title given to all or most degree holders, not just those with doctorates. The primary meaning of Doctor in English has historically been with reference to the holder of a doctoral degree. In the US it became similarly customary to use post-nominals rather than the Doctor when addressing letters. The title of doctor has not been used in English-speaking countries, where lawyers were traditionally not required to have a university degree and were trained by other apprenticeship or by other areas of the Court of Court. Despite being historically associated withDoctorates in law, the title is not customarily used in those areas, with the exception of those areas where lawyers are up to date on their doctorates in science, law, or art, or the art or science of the art of the court.
It has been used for lawyers in South America, where they have traditionally earned doctoral degrees, as well as in the former Portuguese territory of Macau in China. The D.D. has gradually become less common and studies outside theology, law and medicine have become more common. Over time the D. d. became less common as the Ph. d has become more and more common. It is now used by many professionals in these countries, including those such as lawyers who are not normally granted the title elsewhere. In many countries the title of Doctor is not protected by law, so it is used by quacks and the village apothecary to avoid classing them as academic doctors and the farce of being called a ‘doctor’ In the UK it was normal in the mid 19th Century to omit the title ‘Dr’ when addressing letter to those holding doctoral degrees and instead write the abbreviated form of the degree after the name, e.g. ‘The Reverend Robert Phelps, D. D,’ or ‘John Lindsey Elliotson, M.Esq’, or ‘Dr John Lindsey, Esq’, in order to avoid being classed as a ‘quacks’ and the class of ‘academic doctors’ It is also common in the US to use the abbreviation ‘D.D’ for ‘Doctor’ or ‘Doctor’, rather than ‘Dr’, as this is the more common way to refer to a person with a doctorate. The first doctorates were awarded in the 13th century, when the first university in Bologna and the University of Paris were established.
You want to know more about Doctor (title)?
This page is based on the article Doctor (title) published in Wikipedia (as of Dec. 21, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
