Where does “defame” come from?
Defame comes from Anglo-Norman defamer, meaning to harm someone's reputation through false statements or disgrace.
defame (English): To disgrace; to bring into disrepute; To charge;...
Definitions
- To disgrace; to bring into disrepute; To charge;...
Ancestry of “defame”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | defamen | — |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | defamer | — |
| 3 | Latin | diffāmō | — |
| 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 |
Words derived from “defame”