Where does “disarray” come from?
Disarray comes from Middle English disareyen, from Middle French desarroyer, from Old French desareer, formed with the prefix des- from Latin dis- (meaning "apart") and ex, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European de and dwóh₁.
disarray (English): To throw into disorder; to break the array of; To...
Definitions
- To throw into disorder; to break the array of; To...
Ancestry of “disarray”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | disareyen | to disarray |
| 2 | Middle French | desarroyer | — |
| 3 | Old French | desareer | — |
| 4 | Old French | areer | to array; to put in order |