"D" Word Origins

decadal

Origin

From decade + -al.

decade

Old French

From Old French decade, from Greek dekas, "a set of ten," from deka, "ten."

decadence

Medieval Latin

From French décadence, from Medieval Latin decadentia, "decay" — related to "decay" and "decadent."

decadent

Latin

From French décadent, related to décadence — ultimately from Latin dē- ("down") + cadere ("to fall").

decadic

Origin

From deca- + -adic.

decaf

Origin

A clipping of "decaffeinated."

decagon

Origin

From deca- + -gon.

decahedron

Origin

From deca- + -hedron.

decal

Origin

Clipping of decalcomania.

decalogy

Origin

From deca- + -logy.

decamp

Origin

* French décamper, Old French descamper.

decanal

Origin

From French décanal.

decant

Origin

From French décanter, from Medieval Latin dēcanthāre, from dē- + canthus (“beak of a cup or jug”).

decanter

Origin

From "decant" ("to pour off") + the agent suffix "-er."

decapitate

Late Latin

From Late Latin dēcapitāre, literally "to de-head" — dē- ("off") + caput ("head").

decapitation

French

From French décapitation, built the same way as "decapitate."

decathlete

Origin

From dec- + athlete.

decathlon

Origin · 1912

Coined from "dec-" ("ten") + "-athlon," modelled on "pentathlon," for the 1912 Stockholm Olympics.

Decatur

Origin · 1800

Named after Stephen Decatur, an American naval commander celebrated for his actions in the early 19th century.

decay

Latin

From Anglo-Norman decaeir, ultimately from Latin dē- ("down, away") + cadere ("to fall") — the same root as "decadent" and "decadence."

decaying

Origin

From "decay" + "-ing."

decease

Origin

From Old French deces (Modern French décès), from Latin dēcessus (“departure”).

deceased

Latin

From "decease" (to die), which came through Old French from Latin decessus, "a departure" — the same idea as "passing away."

decedent

Latin

From Latin decedens, "one who is departing" — from decedere, "to go away, to die."

deceit

Latin

From Old French deceite, from decevoir ("to deceive"), ultimately from Latin decipere, "to catch out, cheat."

deceitful

Origin

From "deceit" + the suffix "-ful."

deceive

Latin

From Latin decipere, "to catch, ensnare, cheat" — from de- + capere, "to seize" (the same root gives us "capture" and "captive").

deceiver

Anglo-Norman

From Anglo-Norman decevour, formed from "deceive" + "-er."

decelerate

Origin

Late 19th c., from de- + (ac)celerate. Compare deaccelerate.

deceleration

Origin

From de- + (ac)celeration.

December

Latin

From Latin December, based on decem ("ten") — it was the tenth month in the old Roman calendar, before January and February were added to the start of the year.

decenary

Origin

From Latin decenarius (“containing 10 items; related to the number 10”), from decem (“ten”) + -ārius (“-ary”) Doublet of decener.

decency

Latin

From Latin decentia, related to decens, "fitting, proper" — the same root as "decent."

decennary

Origin

From Latin decennis (“decennial, of ten years”) + -ary.

decennial

Origin

From Latin decennialis, from decennium (“10-year period”) + -ālis, from decennis (“10-year”) + -ium (“-ium”, suffix forming abstract nouns), from decem (“ten”) + annus (“year”) + -is (suffix forming compound adjectives).

decennium

Origin

From Latin decennium, from decennis (“10-year”) + -ium (suffix forming abstract nouns), from deciēs (“ten times”) + annus (“year”) + -is (suffix forming compound adjectives). Equivalent to decennial + -ium.

decent

Latin

From Latin decens, "fitting, suitable," from decet, "it is proper."

decently

Origin

From "decent" + the adverb-forming suffix "-ly."

decentralized

English

Formed from de- ('reverse, remove') plus centralize, itself from central.

deception

Latin

From Latin decipere, "to deceive," via Old French decepcion.

deceptive

Latin

From Latin deceptivus, from decipere, "to deceive."

deceptively

Origin

From "deceptive" + "-ly."

decern

Origin

First attested in late Middle English circa 1425; from the French décerner, from the Latin dēcernō (“to decide, pronounce a decision”), from dē (“of, from, away from”) + cernō (“to separate, distinguish”), whence the English cern. In Old French, the forms of décerner were frequently conflated with those of descerner, discerner; the two verbs were not clearly distinguished until the 16th century; hence, in English also, decern is found with the sense discern.

decet

Origin

From Italian decetto, from dieci (“ten”).

decharm

Origin

From de- + charm. Compare French décharmer.

decide

Latin

From Latin decidere, "to cut off, settle" — from de- ("off") + caedere ("to cut").

decidedly

Origin

From "decided" + "-ly."

decider

Origin

From decide + -er.