Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “disorder” come from?

Disorder comes from Middle English dis- (prefix meaning "apart") combined with English order, which derives from Latin ordō (arrangement), itself from Proto-Indo-European h₂er- (to fit together).

disorder (English): Absence of order; state of not being arranged in...

Definitions

  1. Absence of order; state of not being arranged in...

Ancestry of “disorder”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishdisordeine—
2Old Frenchdesordainer—
3Medieval Latindisordinare—

Words derived from “disorder”

  • disordereth
  • quasidisorder
  • disorderest
  • separation anxiety disorder
Every word from Medieval Latin disordinare →