Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “detach” come from?

Detach comes from Old French destachier, formed from the prefix des- (from Latin dis-) and a root ultimately from Frankish stakka, which traces to Proto-Indo-European dwóh₁ and (s)teg-, meaning to stick or fasten.

detach (English): To take apart from; to take off; To separate for...

Definitions

  1. To take apart from; to take off; To separate for...

Ancestry of “detach”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchdestachierto detach; to separate
2Old Frenchdes—
3Old Frenchdeof; from
4Latindatumgift, present; accusative supine of dō;...
5Latindatusgiven; offered; yielded
6Latindāre—
7Proto-Italicdidōgive
8Proto-Indo-Europeandédeh₃tito be giving
9Proto-Indo-Europeandeh₃-to give

Words derived from “detach”

  • detachable
  • detachability
  • undetachable
  • nondetachable
  • detacher
  • detachably
  • nondetachability
  • undetachability
  • undetachably
  • detachableness
  • redetach
  • detacheth
  • detachest
Every word from Proto-Indo-European deh₃- →