Where does “disarm” come from?
Disarm comes from Middle English desarmen, from Anglo-Norman desarmer, composed of Old French des- (from Latin dis-, meaning "apart") and Latin arma, "weapons," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂er-, "to fit together."
disarm (English): To deprive of weapons; to deprive of the means of...
Definitions
- To deprive of weapons; to deprive of the means of...
Ancestry of “disarm”, step by step
disarm traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English desarmen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | desarmen | to divest of arms |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | desarmer | to disarm |
| 3 | Old French | armer | to arm |
| 4 | Latin | armō | to furnish with weapons, arm, equip; fit out; mobilize |
| 5 | Latin | arma | defensive arms, armor/armour, shields, weapons of... |
| 6 | Late Latin | armistitium | — |
| 7 | Latin | sistere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | stísteh₂ti | to be standing up, to be getting up |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | steh₂- | to stand |