Etymology, English, Dis

Etymology

From Middle English dis-, borrowed from Latin dis-, from Proto-Indo-European *dwís.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɪs/

Prefix

dis-

1. reversal or removal

   disassociate; disarray

2. apart

   disconnect

3. Used as an intensifier of words with negative valence.

   disembowel; disannul; disgruntled

Usage notes

When attached to a verbal root, prefixes often change the first vowel (whether initial or preceded by a consonant/consonant cluster) of that verb. These phonological changes took place in Latin and usually do not apply to words created (as in Modern Latin) from Latin components since Latin became a ‘dead’ language. Note: the combination of prefix and following vowel did not always yield the same change. (see examples below at con- + -a-) Also, these changes in vowels are not necessarily particular to being prefixed with dis- (i.e. other prefixes sometimes cause the same vowel change- see con-, ex-).