Where does “defamation” come from?
Defamation comes from Old French diffamacion, from Latin diffamatio, derived from the Latin verb diffamo, combining the prefix dis- with a root from Proto-Indo-European bheh₂meh₂-, ultimately from bʰeh₂- meaning to speak.
defamation (English): The act of injuring another person's reputation...
Definitions
- The act of injuring another person's reputation...
Ancestry of “defamation”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | diffamacion | — |
| 2 | Latin | diffāmātiō | — |
| 3 | Latin | diffāmō | to spread an unfavorable report |
| 4 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 5 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 6 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |