Where does “dismember” come from?
Dismember comes from Old French desmembrer, formed from the prefix des- and Old French membrer, ultimately deriving from Latin membrum meaning limb or member.
dismember (English): To remove the limbs of; To cut or otherwise...
Definitions
- To remove the limbs of; To cut or otherwise...
Ancestry of “dismember”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | desmembrer | to dismember; to dismantle; to destroy; to rip to... |
| 2 | Old French | des | — |
| 3 | Old French | de | of; from |
| 4 | Latin | datum | gift, present; accusative supine of dō;... |
| 5 | Latin | datus | given; offered; yielded |
| 6 | Latin | dāre | — |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | didō | give |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dédeh₃ti | to be giving |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | deh₃- | to give |
Words derived from “dismember”