Where does “distress” come from?
Distress derives from Middle English distressen, from Old French destrecier meaning to constrain or afflict, from Latin distringo meaning to pull apart, combining the prefix dis- with a root ultimately descended from Proto-Indo-European dwóh₁.
distress (English): discomfort; Serious danger; An aversive state of...
Definitions
- discomfort; Serious danger; An aversive state of...
Ancestry of “distress”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | distressen | — |
| 2 | Old French | destrecier | to distress |
| 3 | Latin | distringō | to stretch out or apart |
| 4 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 5 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 6 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |