Etymology — The Origins of English Words

diktat

Origin

Borrowed from German Diktat, from Latin dictātum (“that which has been dictated”), from the perfect passive participle of dictō (“dictate”). Doublet of dictate. Originally used with reference to Germany's penalties as dictated by the Treaty of Versailles.

dirigisme

Origin

Borrowed from French dirigisme, from diriger (“to run, to direct”), from Latin dirigere (“direct, steer”).

drencher

Origin

From Middle English *drencher (found in the Surname Drencher), equivalent to drench + -er.

drekly

Origin

From directly (“immediately”).

doghole

Origin

From Middle English doghole. By surface analysis, dog + hole.

dissimilation

Origin

From dis- + -similation, after assimilation.

divertisement

Origin

From French divertissement, from divertir (“to divert, to amuse”).

dohyo

Origin

Borrowed from Japanese 土(ど)俵(ひょう) (dohyō).

doodlebug

Origin

From doodle + bug.

displeasing

Origin

Perhaps a calque of Old French desplaisant, from the verb desplere (“to displease”). By surface analysis, dis- + pleasing.

distaff

Origin

From Middle English distaf (“distaff”), from Old English distæf (“distaff”), from *dis- (“bunch of flax”) (cognate with Middle Low German dise (“bunch of flax on a distaff”)) + stæf (“staff”) (from Proto-Germanic *stabaz (“staff, stick”), from Proto-Indo-European *stebʰ-). Senses 3 and 5 (“anything traditionally done by or considered of importance to women only”; “a woman, or women considered as a group”) refer to the fact that spinning was traditionally done by women.

disenchantment

Origin

From dis- + enchantment. In the social sciences sense a calque of German Entzauberung, as used by sociologist Max Weber.

disaffirm

Origin

From dis- + affirm.

disjoin

Origin

From Middle English disjoynen, from Old French desjoindre, from Latin disiungere (“to separate”), from dis-, di- (“apart”) + iungere (“to join”). Equivalent to dis- + join.

dividuality

Origin

From dividual + -ity.

dryness

Origin

Inherited from Middle English dryenesse, drynesse; equivalent to dry + -ness.

domina

Origin

From Latin domina (“mistress”). Doublet of dame and donna.

dicknut

Origin

From dick + nut.

donative

Origin

From Latin dōnātīvum (“a gratuity”), from dōnō (“to give [a present]”), from dōnum (“gift”).

dicklicker

Origin

From dick + licker.

dreck

Origin

From Yiddish דרעק (drek, “dirt, crap”), from Middle High German drek, from Old High German *threc (in mūsthrec), from Proto-West Germanic *þraki, from Proto-Germanic *þrakjaz, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)terǵ-, *(s)terḱ-, *(s)treḱ- (“manure, dung; to sully, soil, decay”). Compare Cimbrian drèkh (“excrement, manure”), Dutch drek (“dung; semi-liquid filth; mud”), German Dreck (“dirt; filth”), Latin stercus (“dung, manure”).

dirtbrain

Origin

From dirt + brain.

doggo

Origin

The noun is from dog + -o (colloquializing suffix), perhaps after the adverb. The adverb is probably of the same origin.

disinform

Origin

Back-formation from disinformation, equivalent to dis- + inform.