Where does “discern” come from?
Discern comes from Middle English discernen, from Old French discerner, from Latin discernere, combining the prefix dis- with cernere, ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning to separate or distinguish.
discern (English): To detect with the senses, especially with the...
Definitions
- To detect with the senses, especially with the...
Ancestry of “discern”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | discernen | — |
| 2 | Old French | discerner | — |
| 3 | Latin | discernere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 4 | Latin | cernō | — |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | krinō | sift, separate; distinguish, discern; decide |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | krey- | to sift, separate, divide |
Words derived from “discern”