Where does “disguise” come from?

Disguise comes from Middle English disgisen, from Old French desguiser, combining the prefix des- with guiser, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning to change or alter appearance.

disguise (English): Material used to alter one’s visual appearance...

Definitions

  1. Material used to alter one’s visual appearance...

Ancestry of “disguise”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishdisgisen—
2Old FrenchdesguiserAlternative form of desguisier
3Old Frenchdes-de-; dis-
4Latindis-asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;...
5Latincalceusshoe
6Latincalxlimestone; chalk; the finish line
7Ancient Greekχάλιξsmall stone, pebble; gravel, rubble

Words derived from “disguise”

Every word from Ancient Greek χάλιξ →Every word from Latin dis- →Every word from Latin calx →