dis-

See also Appendix:Variations of "dis"

English

Etymology

Middle English, from Old French des-, from Latin dis-.

Prefix

dis-

1. Meaning reversal or removal.

   disassociate

   disarray

2. Meaning apart.

   disconnect

3. Used as an intensifier of words with negative valence.

   disembowel, disannul

Usage notes

When attached to a verbal root, prefixes often change the first vowel (whether initial or preceded by a consonant/consonant cluster) of that verb. These phonological changes took place in Latin and usually do not apply to words created (as in Modern Latin) from Latin components since Latin became a 'dead' language. Note: the combination of prefix and following vowel did not always yield the same change. (see examples below at con- + -a-) Also, these changes in vowels are not necessarily particular to being prefixed with dis- (i.e. other prefixes sometimes cause the same vowel change- see con-, ex-).

Derived terms

[+] English words prefixed with dis-

Translations

NOTE: Words using the prefix dis- do not necessarily use the prefixes given here when translated. See individual words for more accurate translations.

reversal or removal

Armenian: ապ- (hy) (ap-) French: dé- (fr)

Greek: απο- (el) (apo-) Scottish Gaelic: di- (gd)

apart

French: dé- (fr)

Greek: απο- (el) (apo-)

See also

• de-
• dys-
• un-
• di-
• dif-

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Esperanto

Etymology

From Latin dis-, from Proto-Indo-European *dwis.

Prefix

dis-

1. shows separation, dissemination, e.g. semi (“sow”) > dissemi (“disseminate”) ; ŝiri (“tear”) > disŝiri (“tear to pieces”).

Derived terms

[+] Esperanto words prefixed with dis-

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Gothic

Romanization

dis-

1. Romanization of 𐌳𐌹𐍃-

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Ido

Etymology

From Esperanto dis-, from Latin dis-, from Proto-Indo-European *dwis.

Prefix

dis-

1. shows separation or dissemination

Derived terms

[+] Ido words prefixed with dis-

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Irish

Prefix

dis-

1. Alternative form of dios-.

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
dis-	dhis-	ndis-
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

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Latin

Alternative forms

• dī-
• dif-
• dir-

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *dwis. Cognates include Ancient Greek δίς (dis) and Sanskrit द्वीह् (dvíḥ).

Prefix

dis-

1. asunder, apart, in two

   dīmittō — "dismiss, disband"

   discēdō — "part, separate"

2. reversal, removal

   dissimulō — "disguise, conceal"

3. utterly, exceedingly

   differtus — "stuffed full"

Usage notes

The spelling changes to di- before b, d, g, l, m, n, r, and v, and it changes to dif- before f. When prefixed to a word beginning with consonantal i, the spelling may be dis- or di-.

Derived terms

[+] Latin words prefixed with dis-

Related terms

• bis
• duo

Descendants

English: dis- Esperanto: dis- French: de-, dé-, dés-, dis- Italian: dis-

Portuguese: des- Romanian: des-, dez- Spanish: des-, dis-

References

• dis- in Charlton T. Lewis & Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1879

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Spanish

Prefix

dis-

1. dis-

Derived terms

[+] Spanish words prefixed with dis-