Where does “derail” come from?
Derail comes from French dérailler, formed from the prefix dé- (from Latin dis- and ex-) and railler (from Latin rego, meaning to rule or direct, via the diminutive -ulus), originally referring to running off the rails.
derail (English): A device placed on railway tracks causing a train...
Definitions
- A device placed on railway tracks causing a train...
Ancestry of “derail”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | dérailler | to derail, be derailed; to be off one's rocker |
| 2 | French | dé- | used to make antonyms |
| 3 | Middle French | dés- | de-; dis |
| 4 | Latin | dē- | of; from |
| 5 | Latin | dē | of; concerning; about |
| 6 | Latin | post | behind; after, since, besides, except; behind,... |
| 7 | Latin | poste | ablative singular of postis |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | posti | behind, after |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pósti | after |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pós | afterwards, post; by, at |