Where does “misdemean” come from?
misdemean (English) comes from English demean, from Middle English demenen, from Anglo-Norman demener, from Old French demener, from Old French dé-, from Latin dē-, from Latin dē, from Latin post — afterwards, post; by, at.
misdemean (English): To behave badly; with a reflexive pronoun, i.e....
Definitions
- To behave badly; with a reflexive pronoun, i.e....
Ancestry of “misdemean”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | demean | To debase; to lower; to degrade; To humble,... |
| 2 | Middle English | demenen | — |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | demener | to lead |
| 4 | Old French | demener | to lead |
| 5 | Old French | dé- | — |
| 6 | Latin | dē- | of; from |
| 7 | Latin | dē | of; concerning; about |
| 8 | Latin | post | behind; after, since, besides, except; behind,... |
| 9 | Latin | poste | ablative singular of postis |
| 10 | Proto-Italic | posti | behind, after |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | pósti | after |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | pós | afterwards, post; by, at |