Etymology dictionary

delf (n.) — demi-tasse (n.)

delf (n.)

"anything made by delving or digging," late Old English dælf "trench, ditch, quarry," from gedelf "digging, a digging," from delfan "to dig" (see delve).

Delft

town in Holland,named from its chief canal, from Dutch delf, literally "ditch, canal;" which is related to Old English dælf and modern delve. As a short form of delftware, attested from 1714.

delftware (n.)

1714, from Delft, town in Holland where the glazed earthenware was made, + ware (n.).

Delhi

city in India, of unknown origin, perhaps connected to Hindi dehli "threshold," with reference to the watershed boundary between the Ganges and Indus, which is nearby.

1620s, "of Delos," the tiny island in the Aegean that was the reputed birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. Delian problem "find the length of the side of a cube having double the volume of a given cube," was set by the oracle at Delos when it answered (430 B.C.E.) that the plague in Athens would end when Apollo's (cube-shaped) altar was doubled. The Latin fem. form of the word became the proper name Delia.

deliberative (adj.)

1550s, "pertaining to deliberation," from French délibératif or directly from Latin deliberativus "pertaining to deliberation," from past-participle stem of deliberare "consider carefully, consult," literally "weigh well," from de, here probably "entirely" (see de-) + -liberare, altered (probably by influence of liberare "to free, liberate") from librare "to balance, make level," from libra "pair of scales, a balance" (see Libra). Meaning "characterized by deliberation" is by 1650s. Related: Deliberatively; deliberativeness.

deliberation (n.)

late 14c., deliberacioun, "act of weighing and examining," from Old French deliberation, from Latin deliberationem (nominative deliberatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of deliberare "consider carefully, consult," literally "weigh well," from de, here probably "entirely" (see de-) + -liberare, altered (probably by influence of liberare "to free, liberate") from librare "to balance, make level," from libra "pair of scales, a balance" (see Libra). De Vaan writes, "Dēlīberāre must be due to influence of libērāre 'to free' on *dē-librāre 'to weigh'."

The sense of "slowness in decision or action" is from early 15c. The meaning "mutual discussion and examination of the reasons for and against a measure" is from late 15c.

deliberate (v.)

1540s, "weigh in the mind, consider carefully;" 1550s, "discuss and examine the reasons for or against," from Latin deliberatus, past participle of deliberare "consider carefully, consult," literally "weigh well," from de, here probably "entirely" (see de-) + -liberare, altered (probably by influence of liberare "to free, liberate") from librare "to balance, make level," from libra "pair of scales, a balance" (see Libra). Related: Deliberated; deliberating. The earlier form of the verb in English was deliberen (late 14c.), from Old French deliberer and directly from Latin deliberare.

deliberate (adj.)

early 15c., "done with careful consideration," from Latin deliberatus "resolved upon, determined," past participle of deliberare "consider carefully, consult," literally "weigh well," from de, here probably "entirely" (see de-) + -liberare, altered (probably by influence of liberare "to free, liberate") from librare "to balance, make level," from libra "pair of scales, a balance" (see Libra). Meaning "characterized by slowness in decision, consciously unhurried" is attested by 1590s. Related: Deliberateness.

deliberately (adv.)

late 15c., "with due consideration, with a set purpose," from deliberate (adj.) + -ly (2).

delibrate (v.)

1620s, "to pull off the bark of a tree," from Latin delibrare "to peel," from de "off, away" (see de-) + liber "bark" (see library). Related: Delibrated; delibrating.

delicate (adj.)

late 14c., of persons, "self-indulgent, loving ease;" also "sensitive, easily hurt, feeble;" of things, "delightful," from Latin delicatus "alluring, delightful, dainty," also "addicted to pleasure, luxurious, effeminate," in Medieval Latin "fine, slender;" related to deliciae "pleasure, delight, luxury," and delicere "to allure, entice," from de "away" (see de-) + lacere "to lure, entice," which is of uncertain origin. Compare delicious, delectable, delight.

Meaning "so fine or tender as to be easily broken" is recorded from 1560s. Meaning "requiring nice and skillful handling" is by 1742. Sense of "exquisitely adjusted in construction" is from 1756. Related: Delicateness.

delicately (adv.)

mid-14c., "luxuriously," from delicate + -ly (2). Meaning "softly, gently" is early 15c.

delicacies (n.)

"things dainty and gratifying to the palate," early 15c., plural of delicacy in the "fine food" sense.

delicacy (n.)

late 14c., "delightfulness; fastidiousness; quality of being addicted to sensuous pleasure," from delicate + abstract noun suffix -cy. Meaning "fine food, a dainty viand" is from early 15c. Meaning "fineness, softness, tender loveliness" is from 1580s; that of "weakness of constitution" is from 1630s.

delicatessen (n.)

1877, "delicacies, articles of fine food," American English, from German delikatessen, plural of delikatesse "a delicacy, fine food," from French délicatesse (1560s), from délicat "fine," from Latin delicatus "alluring, delightful, dainty" (see delicate). As a store where such things are sold, 1901, short for delicatessen shop.

delicious (adj.)

c. 1300, "delightful to the senses, pleasing in the highest degree" (implied in deliciously), from Old French delicios (Modern French délicieux), from Late Latin deliciosus "delicious, delicate," from Latin delicia (plural deliciae) "a delight, allurement, charm," from delicere "to allure, entice," from de- "away" (see de-) + lacere "to lure, entice," which is of uncertain origin.

Especially, but not exclusively, of taste. Related: Deliciously. As a name of a type of apple, attested from 1903, first grown by Jesse Hiatt of Iowa, U.S.A. Colloquial shortening delish is attested from 1920.

deliciousness (n.)

"delightfulness, quality of being delicious," late 14c., from delicious + -ness.

delict (n.)

"a transgression or offense," in civil law, a misdemeanor, 1520s, from Latin delictum "fault, offense, crime," neuter singular of past participle of delinquere "to fail; be wanting, fall short; offend," from de- "completely" (see de-) + linquere "to leave" (from PIE root *leikw- "to leave"). Related: Delictable "criminal, wicked," early 15c. Phrase in flagrant delict translates Latin in flagrante delicto.

deligation (n.)

in surgery, "a binding up," 1660s, noun of action from stem of Latin deligare "to bind fast," from de- (see de-) + ligare "to bind" (from PIE root *leig- "to tie, bind").

deligate (v.)

"to bind up, bandage," 1840 (implied in deligated), from Latin deligatus "bound fast," from deligare "to bind fast," from de- (see de-) + ligare "to bind" (from PIE root *leig- "to tie, bind").

delight (v.)

c. 1200, deliten, intransitive, "to have or take great pleasure;" c. 1300, transitive, "to affect with great pleasure," from Old French delitier "please greatly, charm," from Latin delectare "to allure, delight, charm, please," frequentative of delicere "entice" (see delicious). Related: Delighted; delighting.

delight (n.)

c. 1200, delit, "high degree of pleasure or satisfaction," also "that which gives great pleasure," from Old French delit "pleasure, delight, sexual desire," from delitier "please greatly, charm," from Latin delectare "to allure, delight, charm, please," frequentative of delicere "entice" (see delicious). Spelled delite until 16c.; the modern unetymological form is by influence of light, flight, etc.

delightsome (adj.)

"delightful," c. 1500, from delight (n.) + -some.

Delilah

"temptress, treacherous lover," 1590s, from the name of the woman who seduced and betrayed Samson in Judges, from Hebrew Delilah, literally "delicate, languishing, amorous," from Semitic root d-l-l "to hang down, to languish."

delimitation (n.)

"the fixing or marking of limits or boundaries," 1816, from French délimitation (18c.), noun of action from délimiter (see delimit).

delimiter (n.)

1960, in computing, "sequence of one or more characters used to specify the beginning or end of separate, independent regions in text or other data streams," agent noun from delimit.

delimit (v.)

"to mark or fix the boundaries of," 1852, from French délimiter (18c.), from Late Latin delimitare "to mark out as a boundary," from de (see de-) + limitare, from limitem, limes "boundary, limit" (see limit (n.)). Related: Delimited; delimiting.

delineation (n.)

1560s, "act of representing or depicting;" 1590s, "representation, description;" a native formation from delineate, or else from Late Latin delineationem (nominative delineatio) "sketch, description," noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin delineare (see delineate).

delineate (v.)

1550s, "to mark out in lines," from Latin delineatus, past participle of delineare "to sketch out," from de- "completely" (see de-) + lineare "draw lines," from linea "line" (see line (n.)). From c. 1600 as "represent pictorially;" 1610s as "describe, represent to the mind or understanding, portray in words." Related: Delineated; delineator; delineating.

delinquent (n.)

late 15c., "one who fails to perform a duty or discharge an obligation," also, generally, "an offender against the law," a noun use from Latin delinquentum (nominative delinquens), present participle of delinquere "to fail; be wanting, fall short; do wrong, transgress, offend," from de- "completely" (see de-) + linquere "to leave" (from PIE root *leikw- "to leave"). As an adjective, "failing or neglectful in duty," from c. 1600 in English.

delinquency (n.)

"failure or omission of duty or obligation," 1630s, from Late Latin delinquentia "fault, crime, delinquency," from Latin delinquentem (see delinquent).

deliquescent (adj.)

1791, in chemistry, "liquefying in air," from Latin deliquescentem (nominative deliquescens), present participle of deliquescere "to melt away," from de- (see de-) + liquescere "to melt," from liquere "to be liquid" (see liquid (adj.)). Transferred or figurative sense of "apt to dissolve or melt away" is by 1837. Related: Deliquescence.

deliquesce (v.)

1756, in chemistry, "melt or dissolve gradually, become liquid by absorbing moisture from the air," from Latin deliquescere "to melt away," from de- (see de-) + liquescere "to melt," from liquere "to be liquid" (see liquid (adj.)). Transferred or figurative meaning "to melt away" is by 1858.

delirious (adj.)

1703, "wandering in the mind, affected with delirium" (as a result of fever or illness), from stem of delirium + -ous. The earlier adjective was delirous (1650s). Figurative sense of "characterized by or proceeding from wild excitement or exaggerated emotion" is by 1791. Related: Deliriously; deliriousness.

delirium (n.)

1590s, "a disordered state, more or less temporary, of the mind, often occurring during fever or illness," from Latin delirium "madness," from deliriare "be crazy, rave," literally "go off the furrow," a plowing metaphor, from phrase de lire, from de "off, away" (see de-) + lira "furrow, earth thrown up between two furrows," from PIE root *lois- "track, furrow." Meaning "violent excitement, mad rapture" is from 1640s.

Delirium tremens (1813) is medical Latin, literally "trembling delirium," introduced 1813 by British physician Thomas Sutton for "that form of delirium which is rendered worse by bleeding, but improved by opium. By Rayer and subsequent writers it has been almost exclusively applied to delirium resulting from the abuse of alcohol" ["The New Sydenham Society's Lexicon of Medicine and the Allied Sciences," London, 1882]. As synonyms, Farmer lists barrel-fever, gallon distemper, blue Johnnies, bottle ache, pink spiders, quart-mania, snakes in the boots, triangles, uglies, etc.

deliver (v.)

c. 1200, deliveren, "save, rescue, set free, liberate," from Old French delivrer "to set free; remove; save, preserve; hand over (goods)," also used of childbirth, from Late Latin deliberare, from de "away" (see de-) + Latin liberare "to free," from liber "free, unrestricted, unimpeded" (see liberal (adj.)).

The sense of "to bring (a woman) to childbirth," in English is from c. 1300. Sense of "hand over, give, give up, yield" is from c. 1300 in English, which is in opposition to its etymological sense. Meaning "to project, cast, strike, throw" is from c. 1400. Related: Delivered; delivering.

deliverable (adj.)

"that may be delivered," 1727, from deliver + -able.

deliverance (n.)

c. 1300, deliveraunce, "action of setting free" in physical or spiritual senses, from Old French delivrance (12c., Modern French délivrance), from delivrer "to set free" (see deliver). Formerly also with senses now restricted to delivery: "childbirth; act of giving or transferring to another; utterance."

delivery (n.)

early 15c., "act of setting free from bondage," also "action of handing over to another," from Anglo-French delivrée, noun use of fem. past participle of Old French delivrer (see deliver). Sense of "childbirth, giving forth of offspring" is by 1570s; that of "manner of utterance or enunciation" is from 1660s. Of a blow, throw of a ball, etc., "act of sending or putting forth," from 1702. The hospital's childbirth delivery room is attested by 1849 (in early use often in a German context, translating Kreisszimmer).

dell (n.2)

rogue's cant 16c.-17c. for "a wench, a young girl of the vagrant class," 1560s, of uncertain origin.

dell (n.1)

Old English dell "dell, hollow, dale" (perhaps lost and then borrowed in Middle English from cognate Middle Dutch/Middle Low German delle), from Proto-Germanic *daljo (source also of German Delle "dent, depression," Gothic ib-dalja "slope of a mountain"); related to dale (q.v.).

Della Crusca

1796, from Italian Accademia della Crusca, literally "Academy of the Chaff," "the name of an Academy established at Florence in 1582, mainly with the object of sifting and purifying the Italian language; whence its name, and its emblem, a sieve" [OED]. From della "of the" (from Latin de "of" + illa "that") + crusca "bran." Related: Della-Cruscan.

Della Robbia (adj.)

1787, from name of a family of 15c. Florentine painters and sculptors; used of wares made by Luca Della Robbia (1400-1482), or those like them.

delocalize (v.)

"free from limitations of locality," 1839, from de- "do the opposite of" + localize. Related: Delocalized; delocalizing.

delouse (v.)

"clear of lice," 1918, from de- + louse (n.). First in reference to World War I armies. Related: Deloused; delousing.

Delphi

oracle town on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, in Phocis, from Greek delphis "dolphin" (see dolphin). Supposedly Apollo assumed this form to found his famous sanctuary at that place.

Delphic (adj.)

"of or pertaining to Apollo or to his priestess of the oracle at Delphi," 1590s, from Latin Delphicus, from Greek Delphikos, from Delphi (see Delphi). Related: Delphian.

delt (n.)

"deltoid muscle," short for deltoid (q.v.). Related: Delts.

delta (n.)

c. 1200, name of the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet (equivalent to our D), which was shaped like a triangle. The name is from Phoenician daleth "tent door." Sense of "triangular island or alluvial tract between the diverging branches of the mouth of a great river" is because Herodotus used it of the delta-shaped mouth of the Nile. It was so used in English from 1550s and applied to other river mouths, of whatever shape, by 1790. Related: Deltaic; deltification.

deltoid (adj.)

"triangular, resembling the Greek letter delta," 1741, in deltoid muscle, the large muscle of the shoulder, which is so called for its shape, from Greek deltoeides "triangular," literally "shaped like the letter delta;" see delta + -oid. As a noun, "deltoid muscle," by 1758 (delts, short for "deltoid muscles," is by 1977). Related: Deltoidal.

delude (v.)

"deceive, impose upon, mislead the mind or judgment of," c. 1400, from Latin deludere "to play false; to mock, deceive," from de- "down, to one's detriment" (see de-) + ludere "to play" (see ludicrous). Related: Deluded; deluding.

deluge (n.)

late 14c., "an overflowing of water, a great flood, Noah's Flood in Genesis," from Old French deluge (12c.), earlier deluve, from Latin diluvium "flood, inundation," from diluere "wash away," from dis- "away" (see dis-) + -luere, combining form of lavere "to wash" (from PIE root *leue- "to wash"). Figurative sense of "anything that overflows or floods" is from early 15c.

deluge (v.)

1590s, "to pour over, overwhelm in a flood, inundate;" see deluge (n.). Figurative sense of "overrun like a flood, pour over in overwhelming numbers" is from 1650s. Related: Deluged; deluging.

delusion (n.)

"act of misleading someone, deception, deceit," early 15c., delusioun, from Latin delusionem (nominative delusio) "a deceiving," noun of action from past-participle stem of deludere (see delude). As a form of mental derangement, "false impression or belief of a fixed nature," 1550s.

Technically, delusion is a belief that, though false, has been surrendered to and accepted by the whole mind as a truth; illusion is an impression that, though false, is entertained provisionally on the recommendation of the senses or the imagination, but awaits full acceptance and may not influence action. Delusions of grandeur, the exact phrase, is recorded from 1840, though the two words were in close association for some time before that.

delusive (adj.)

"causing delusion, deceptive," c. 1600; see delusion + -ive. Related: Delusively; delusiveness.

delusional (adj.)

"pertaining to or of the nature of delusion; afflicted with delusions," 1858, from delusion + -al (1).

delusory (adj.)

late 15c., "false, deceitful," from Latin delusor "a deceiver," from stem of deludere "to play false, mock, deceive" (see delude).

deluxe (adj.)

also de luxe, 1819, from French de luxe, literally "of luxury," from Latin luxus "excess, abundance" (see luxury).

delve (v.)

Middle English delven, from Old English delfan "to dig, turn up with a spade or other tool, excavate" (class III strong verb; past tense dealf, past participle dolfen), common West Germanic (cognates: Old Saxon delban, Dutch delven, Middle High German telben "to dig"). This is perhaps from a PIE root *dhelbh- (source also of Lithuanian delba "crowbar," Russian dolbit', Czech dlabati, Polish dłubać "to chisel;" Russian dolotó, Czech dlato, Polish dłuto "chisel").

Weak inflections emerged 14c.-16c. Figurative sense of "carry on laborious or continued research" is from mid-15c. Related: Delved; delving; delver.

dem

representing pronunciation of them in Jamaican speech, from 1868. As a minced form of damn, attested from late 14c.

*dem-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "house, household." It represents the usual Indo-European word for "house" (Italian, Spanish casa are from Latin casa "cottage, hut;" Germanic *hus is of obscure origin).

It forms all or part of: Anno Domini; belladonna; condominium; dame; damsel; dan "title of address to members of religious orders;" danger; dangerous; demesne; despot; Dom Perignon; domain; dome; domestic; domesticate; domicile; dominate; domination; dominion; domino; don (n.) "Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese title of respect;" Donna; dungeon; ma'am; madam; madame; mademoiselle; madonna; major-domo; predominant; predominate; timber; toft.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit damah "house;" Avestan demana- "house;" Greek domos "house," despotēs "master, lord;" Latin domus "house," dominus "master of a household;" Armenian tanu-ter "house-lord;" Old Church Slavonic domu, Russian dom "house;" Lithuanian dimstis "enclosed court, property;" Old Norse topt "homestead."

demagnetization (n.)

"act or process of depriving of magnetic polarity," 1844, noun of action from demagnetize.

demagnetize (v.)

"deprive of magnetic polarity," 1835; see de- + magnetize. Related: Demagnetized; demagnetizing.

demagogic (adj.)

"relating to or like a demagogue, given to pandering to the rabble from self-interest," 1794; see demagogue + -ic. Greek had demagogikos "fit for or like a demagogue." Related: Demagogical (1734).

demagogue (n.)

1640s, "an unprincipled popular orator or leader; one who seeks to obtain political power by pandering to the prejudices, wishes, ignorance, and passions of the people or a part of them," ultimately from Greek dēmagōgos "popular leader," also "leader of the mob," from dēmos "people, common people" (originally "district," from PIE *da-mo- "division," from root *da- "to divide") + agōgos "leader," from agein "to lead" (from PIE root *ag- "to drive, draw out or forth, move").

In a historical sense from 1650s, "a leader of the masses in an ancient city or state, one who sways the people by oratory or persuasion." Often a term of disparagement since the time of its first use (in Athens, 5c. B.C.E.). Form perhaps influenced by French démagogue (mid-14c.).

A Latin word in a similar sense was plebicola "one who courts (literally 'cultivates') the common people," from plebs "the populace, the common people" + colere "to cultivate."

demagogue (v.)

"to play the demagogue," 1650s (implied in demagoguing), from demagogue (n.). Related: Demagogued.

demagoguery (n.)

1855, "actions characteristic of a demagogue;" see demagogue + -ery. Demagogy in the same sense is from 1650s, from Greek demagogia "leadership of the people." Demagogism is by 1824.

demanding (adj.)

"that demands, insistent, habitually making demands," 1873 (implied in demandingly), present-participle adjective from demand (v.).

demand (v.)

late 14c., demaunden, "ask questions, make inquiry," from Old French demander (12c.) "to request; to demand," from Latin demandare "entrust, charge with a commission" (in Medieval Latin, "to ask, request, demand"), from de- "completely" (see de-) + mandare "to order" (see mandate (n.)).

Meaning "ask for with insistence or urgency" is from early 15c., from Anglo-French legal use ("to ask for as a right"). Meaning "require as necessary or useful" is by 1748. Related: Demanded; demanding.

demand (n.)

late 13c., demaunde, "a question," from Old French demande, from demander "to request; to demand" (see demand (v.)). Meaning "a request, a claim, an asking for by virtue of a right or supposed right to the thing sought," also "that which is demanded or required, exaction as a tribute or concession," without reference to right, is from c. 1300.

In the political economy sense of "desire to purchase and possess, coupled with the means to do so" (correlating to supply) it is attested from 1776 in Adam Smith. Meaning "state of being sought after" (especially by consumers) is from 1711. In demand "much sought after" is attested by 1825; on demand "on being requested" is from 1690s.

demarcate (v.)

1816, "mark off from adjoining lands or territory," a back-formation from demarcation. Figurative sense of "determine the relative limits of" is by 1858. Related: Demarcated; demarcating. The older verb is demark.

demarcation (n.)

"act of marking off limits or boundaries," 1737, from Spanish linea de demarcacion or Portuguese linha de demarcaçao, name of the line laid down by Pope Alexander VI on May 4, 1493, dividing the New World between Spain and Portugal on a line 100 leagues west of the Cape Verde Islands. Applied from 1801 to other lines dividing regions. From Spanish de- (see de-) + marcar "to mark the boundaries of," from a Germanic source (see mark (n.1)).

demarche (n.)

1650s, "walk, step, manner of proceeding," from French démarche (15c.) literally "gait, walk, bearing," from démarcher (12c.) "to march," from de- (see de-) + marcher (see march (v.)). Meaning "a diplomatic step" attested from 1670s. A word never quite nativized, though it appears in Century Dictionary (1897) as demarch.

demark (v.)

"mark off, fix the limits or boundaries of," 1650s, abstracted from demarcation and altered by influence of mark (v.).

dematerialization (n.)

"act of divesting of material qualities," 1877, originally in spiritualism, noun of action from dematerialize.

dematerialize (v.)

1877, transitive, "divest of material qualities or character," originally in spiritualism; see de- + materialize. Intransitive sense is by 1884. Related: Dematerialized; dematerializing.

demean (v.)

"to lower in dignity, lower the standing of, debase," c. 1600, perhaps from de- "down" + mean (adj.) and modeled on debase. It is indistinguishable in some uses from obsolete demean (Middle English, from Old French demener; see demeanor) which likely influenced it and might be its ultimate source. It was much-criticized in late 19c. by purists (Fitzedward Hall, etc.), and Century Dictionary (1897) reports "the word is avoided by scrupulous writers." Related: Demeaned; demeaning.

demeaning (adj.)

"lowering in character or repute," by 1848, present-participle adjective from demean (v.). Related: Demeaningly.

demeanor (n.)

late 15c., demenure, "conduct, management, treatment, behavior toward someone," from obsolete Middle English demean, demeinen "to handle, manage, conduct," later "behave in a certain way, conduct oneself" (early 14c.), from Old French demener (11c.) "to guide, conduct; to live, dwell," from de- "completely" (see de-) + mener "to lead, direct," from Latin minari "to threaten," in Late Latin "to drive (a herd of animals);" see menace (n.). Meaning "behavior, bearing, deportment" is from late 15c. Spelling changed by influence of nouns in -or, -our.

demeanour

chiefly British English spelling of demeanor; for suffix, see -or.

demented (adj.)

"having lost the normal use of reason, afflicted with dementia," 1640s, from obsolete dement "drive mad." Related: Dementedness.

dement (v.)

"drive mad, bring to a state of dementia," now obsolete or archaic but for the past-participle adjective demented, 1540s, probably from French démenter, from Late Latin dementare "to drive out of one's mind," from stem of Latin demens "out of one's senses, insane, raving, foolish; distracting, wild, reckless" (a less technical term than insanitas), from phrase de mente, from de "from, away from" (see de)+ mente, ablative of mens "mind" (from PIE root *men- (1) "to think").

dementia (n.)

"extremely low condition of mental function, mental incapacity," 1806, from Latin dementia "madness, insanity," literally "a being out of one's mind," from dement-, stem of demens "mad, raving" (see dement) + abstract noun suffix -ia.

It existed earlier in an Englished form, demency (1520s), from French démence. Especially in reference to senile dementia "the failure of mind which occurs in old age" (1822). Dementia praecox for what now would be called schizophrenia is a Modern Latin form recorded from 1899 in English, 1891 in German, from French démence précoce (1857). See precocious.

demerit (n.)

late 14c., "that which is censurable, wrong-doing, an offense, a crime," from Old French desmerite "blame, demerit" (Modern French démérite), from des- "not, opposite" (see dis-) + merite "merit" (see merit (n.)) or from Latin demeritum "fault," from past-participle stem of demereri "to merit, deserve," from de- in its completive sense.

Both senses, "that which one deserves," whether good or bad, existed in the French and Middle English words. The positive sense in English faded mid-17c. Meaning "penalty point in school" is by 1862, short for demerit mark.

Demerol

trademark name, by 1942; originally a morphine substitute.

demesne (n.)

c. 1300, demeine, demeyne (modern spelling by late 15c.), "power; dominion; control, possession," senses now obsolete, from Anglo-French demesne, demeine, Old French demaine "land held for a lord's own use," from Latin dominicus "belonging to a master," from dominus "lord, master," from domus "house" (from PIE root *dem- "house, household").

Re-spelled by Anglo-French legal scribes under influence of Old French mesnie "household" (and the concept of a demesne as "land attached to a mansion") and their fondness for inserting -s- before -n-. Essentially the same word as domain.

Meaning "a manor house and near or adjacent land," kept and occupied by the lord and his family, is from late 14c., hence "any landed estate" (late 14c.). Related: Demesnial.

Demeter

in Greek religion, the Olympian goddess of agriculture and useful vegetation, protectress of the social order and of marriage, mother of Persephone, from Greek Dēmētēr; the second element generally given as māter (see mother (n.1)); the first element possibly from da, Doric form of Greek gē "earth" (see Gaia), but Liddell & Scott find this "improbable" and Beekes writes, "there is no indication that [da] means 'earth', although it has also been assumed in the name of Poseidon." The Latin masc. proper name Demetrius means "son of Demeter."

demi-

word-forming element meaning "half, half-sized, partial," used in English from mid-14c., especially in technical terms from French, from Old French demi "half" (12c.), from Late Latin dimedius, from Latin dimidius "half, one-half," which contains the elements dis- "apart" (see dis-) + medius "in the middle, between; from the middle," as a noun "the middle;" from PIE root *medhyo- "middle." Formerly also demy-, and in early use often written as a separate word.

demigod (n.)

"inferior or minor deity, a being partly of divine nature," 1520s, from demi- + god, rendering Latin semideus. It can mean the offspring of a deity and a mortal, a man raised to divine rank, or a minor god. Related: Demigoddess.

demijohn (n.)

"large bottle with a bulging body and a narrow neck," typically holding about 5 gallons, 1769, partial translation and word-play from French damejeanne (late 17c.), literally "Lady Jane," a term used for a large globular wicker-wrapped bottle, perhaps because its shape suggested a stout woman in the costume of the period. A general Mediterranean word, with forms found in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Arabic.

demilitarize (v.)

also demilitarise; "remove military organization from," 1869, see de- + militarize. Demilitarized zone attested by 1921 (the Versailles Treaty uses neutralized zone). Abbreviation DMZ, for the one between North Korea and South Korea, is attested by 1960. Related: Demilitarization.

demi-monde (n.)

also demimonde, "women of equivocal reputation and standing in society," 1855, from French demi-monde "so-so society," literally "half-world," from demi- "half" + monde, from Latin mundus "world" (see mundane).

Popularized by its use as title of a comedy by Alexandre Dumas fils (1824-1895). Dumas' Demi-Monde "is the link between good and bad society ... the world of compromised women, a social limbo, the inmates of which ... are perpetually struggling to emerge into the paradise of honest and respectable ladies" ["Fraser's Magazine," 1855]. Thus not properly used of courtesans, etc.

Compare 18th-century English demi-rep (1749, the second element short for reputation), defined as "a woman that intrigues with every man she likes, under the name and appearance of virtue ... in short, whom every body knows to be what no body calls her" [Fielding].

de minimis

Latin, literally "of little things," thus, "so minor as to not be worth regarding."

demise (n.)

mid-15c., "transference of property, grant of land for life or a period of years," via Anglo-French from Old French demis, fem. past participle of desmetre "dismiss, put away" (Modern French démettre), from des- "away" (from Latin dis-) + metre "put," from Latin mittere "let go, send" (see mission).

Originally especially "a conveyance of an estate by will or lease," then "transfer of sovereignty," as by the death or deposing of a king (1540s). The sense was transferred to "death" (as the occasion of such a transfer) by 1754, at first especially the death of a sovereign or other important person, but also as a euphemism for "death."

demisemiquaver (n.)

"musical note half the value of a semiquaver, 32nd note," 1706; see demi- + semi- + quaver (n.). A semiquaver (also demiquaver) was a 16th note.

demission (n.)

"act of putting away or letting go, a giving up or laying down," 1570s, from French démission, from Latin demissionem "a sending away," noun of action from past-participle stem of demittere, literally "to send down," from de "down" (see de-) + mittere "to let go, send, release" (see mission).

demiss (adj.)

"submissive, humble, lowly," 1570s, from Latin demissus "let down, lowered," past participle of demittere, literally "to send down," from de "down" (see de-) + mittere "to let go, send, release" (see mission).

demit (v.)

early 15c., demitten, "to run or flow down," also figurative, "to humble oneself," from Old French demetre "to send, put, or let down," and directly from Latin demittere "to send down," from de "down" (see de-) + mittere "to release, let go; send, throw" (see mission).

demi-tasse (n.)

also demitasse, "small coffee cup," 1842, from French, literally "half-cup," from demi- + tasse "cup," an Old French borrowing from Arabic tassah, from Persian tasht "cup, saucer." Also from Arabic are Italian tazza, Spanish taza "cup." German Tasse is from French.