Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “disengagement” come from?

Disengagement comes from Middle English dis- and Latin -mentum combined with Latin dis-, ex, in, and the Proto-Indo-European negation ne, ultimately tracing the sense of separation or detachment through layers of prefix negation and nominal formation.

disengagement (English): Release or detachment from a physical situation...

Definitions

  1. Release or detachment from a physical situation...

Ancestry of “disengagement”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishDis—
2EnglishdisrespectA lack of respect, esteem or courteous behaviour;...
3Englishrespectan attitude of consideration or high regard; good...
4Middle Englishrespect—
5Old Frenchrespect—
6Latinrespectusrespected; looking back; regard, consideration,...
7Latinrespiciō—
8Latinrĕ-—
9Latinprōdūcō—
10Latinprō-—
11Proto-Italic*pro-—
12Proto-Indo-Europeanpro-toward, forward
13Proto-Indo-Europeanpor-to give birth; forward, through; going, passage
14Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
15Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós →