"D" Word Origins

deform

Origin

From Middle English deforme (“out of shape, deformed”) [and other forms], from Middle French deforme (modern French difforme (“misshapen, deformed”)), or directly from its etymon Latin dēfōrmis (“departing physically from the correct shape, deformed, malformed, misshapen, ugly; (figuratively) departing morally from the correct quality, base, disgraceful, shameful, unbecoming”), from dē- (prefix meaning ‘away from; from’) + fōrma (“form, appearance, figure, shape; fine form, beauty; design, outline, plan; model, pattern; mould, stamp; (figuratively) kind, manner, sort”) (further etymology unknown; perhaps related to Ancient Greek μορφή (morphḗ, “form, shape; appearance; outline; kind, type”), probably from Pre-Greek, but there is no consensus) + -is (suffix forming adjectives of the third declension).

deformation

Origin

From Old French deformation, see deform. Morphologically deform + -ation.

deformity

Latin

From Latin dēfōrmitās, from dēfōrmis ("misshapen") — built from dē- + fōrma ("shape, form").

defoul

Origin

Inherited from Middle English defoulen, from Old French defouler.

defraud

Old French

From Old French defrauder, from de- + frauder — from the same root as "fraud."

defray

Origin

From Middle French desfrayer, French défrayer, from dé- + Old French fraier (“to spend”).

defrayment

Origin

From defray + -ment.

defrost

Origin

From de- + frost.

deft

Old English

From Old English dæfte ("mild, fitting"), from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "suitable." A doublet of "daft," which took a very different meaning path over the centuries.

defunct

Latin

From Latin dēfunctus, past participle of dēfungor ("to finish, discharge, be done with").

defunkify

Origin

From de- + funk + -ify.

defuse

Origin

From de- + fuse.

defy

Latin

From Old French desfier, ultimately from Latin dis- ("away") + fidus ("faithful") — originally meaning to renounce loyalty, later shifting to mean "challenge."

degas

Origin

From de- + gas.

degeneracy

Origin

From degener(ate) + -acy.

degenerate

Latin

A learned borrowing from Latin dēgenerātus, from dē- ("down from") + genus ("kind, birth") — literally "having fallen from one's kind."

degeneration

Latin

From French dégénération, from Latin dēgenerātiō — the noun form of "degenerate."

degenerative

Origin

From "degenerate" + the adjective suffix "-ive."

degradation

French

From French dégradation, built from "degrade" + "-ation."

degrade

Latin

From Middle French dégrader, from Latin dē- ("down") + gradus ("step, rank").

degraded

Origin

degrade + -ed. See degrade and compare French degré (“step”).

degree

Latin

From Old French degré, from Latin gradus ("step"), with the prefix dē- added — literally "a step down or along."

degust

Origin

From French déguster. Doublet of degustate.

degustation

Origin

Borrowed from French dégustation, from Latin degustatio, degustationem, from degusto.

dehex

Origin

From de- + hex.

dehydration

Origin

From de- + hydration.

deific

Origin

From Middle French déifique, from Latin deificus, from deus (“god”) + facio (“to make”).

deign

Latin

From Old French daigner, from Latin dignāre ("to deem worthy"), from dignus ("worthy, fitting").

deinitialize

Origin

From de- + initialize.

deinstallation

Origin

From de- + installation.

deipnophobia

Origin

From deipno- + -phobia.

Deirdre

Old Irish

From Old Irish Derdriu.

deity

Latin

From Middle French deité, from Latin deitās, built from deus ("god").

deityforsaken

Origin

Alteration of godforsaken, with deity.

deja vu

French

From French déjà vu, literally 'already seen'.

deject

Origin

From Old French dejeter, from Latin dēiectus, past participle of dēicere (“to throw down”), from dē- (“from, down from”) + iacere (“to throw”).

dejected

Latin

From "deject," from Latin deicere, "to throw down" — the same idea as feeling "cast down" in spirit.

dejection

Origin

From Old French dejection, from Latin dejectio (“a casting down”). By surface analysis, deject + -ion.

deke

Origin

Canadian in origin, shortened from "decoy."

del

Origin

From "delta," since the symbol is an upside-down delta.

Delaney

Old French

From a Norman surname referring to a place in France, literally "from the alder grove" in Old French; in Ireland it can also be an anglicization of Ó Dubhshláine.

Delano

French

An Americanized form of the French surname Delannoy, ultimately referring to a place named for an alder grove.

Delaware

Origin

Named after Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, an early colonial governor of Virginia; the river, the Lenape people, and the state all take their name from his title.

delay

Old French

From Old French delaier, ultimately tied to Old Frankish roots meaning "to hinder" — a distant cousin of the word "dally."

delectable

Latin

From Latin delectare, "to delight" — the same root that gives us "delight" and "delicious."

delection

Origin

From Latin dēlectiō. By surface analysis, delect + -ion.

delegate

Latin

From Latin delegatus, "sent" or "assigned" — related to "legate," an official envoy.

delegation

Latin

Borrowed from Latin dēlēgātiō, dēlēgātiōnis, from dēlēgō: compare French délégation.