dis-

See also: Appendix:Variations of "dis"

English

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-).

Derived terms

English words prefixed with dis-

Translations

NOTE: Words using the prefix dis- do not necessarily use the prefixes given here when translated. See individual words for more accurate translations.

reversal or removal

• Armenian: ապ- (ap-)
• French: dé- (fr)
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can
• German: ent- (de)
• Greek: απο- (el) (apo-)

• Ido: des-
• Malay: nyah- (ms)
• Middle English: dis-, de-
• Russian: без(ъ)- (ru) (bez()-), бес(ъ)- (ru) (bes()-), не- (ru) (ne-), дис- (ru) (dis-), де- (ru) (de-)
• Scottish Gaelic: di-, eas-

apart

• Dutch: ont- (nl)
• French: dé- (fr)
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can
• German: ent- (de)

• Greek: απο- (el) (apo-)
• Ido: dis-
• Russian: от(ъ)- (ru) (ot()-), с(ъ)- (ru) (s()-)

See also

• de-
• dys-
• un-
• di-
• dif-

References

• dis- at OneLook Dictionary Search
• dis- in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• DSI, I.D.s, IDS, IDs, ISD, SDI, SID, Sid, ids, sid, sid'

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Catalan

Etymology 1

From Ancient Greek δυσ- (dus-).

Prefix

dis-

1. dys- (bad)

   disfàsia ― dysphasia

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Latin dis-. Compare the inherited des-.

Prefix

dis-

1. Indicates negation.

   ‎dis- + ‎sort (“luck”) → ‎dissort (“misfortune”)

Derived terms

Catalan words prefixed with dis-

Further reading

• “dis-” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “dis-” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
• “dis-” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.

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Dutch

Etymology

Ultimately from Latin dis-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɪs/

• Audio

  (file)

Prefix

dis-

1. dis-

Dutch words prefixed with dis-

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Esperanto

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin dis-, from Proto-Indo-European *dwís.

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Prefix

dis-

1. shows separation, dissemination, e.g. semi (“sow”) > dissemi (“disseminate”) ; ŝiri (“tear”) > disŝiri (“tear to pieces”).

Derived terms

Esperanto words prefixed with dis-

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French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin dis-. Compare the inherited dé-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dis/

Prefix

dis-

1. dis-

Derived terms

French words prefixed with dis-

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Gothic

Romanization

dis-

1. Romanization of 𐌳𐌹𐍃-

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Ido

Etymology

Borrowed from Esperanto dis-, from Latin dis-, from Proto-Indo-European *dwís.

Prefix

dis-

1. shows separation or dissemination

Derived terms

Ido words prefixed with dis-

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Irish

Prefix

dis-

1. Alternative form of dios-

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
dis-	dhis-	ndis-
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

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Italian

Etymology

From Latin dis-, from Proto-Indo-European *dwís. See also s-.

Prefix

dis-

1. dis-

   ‎dis- + ‎fare (“do”) → ‎disfare (“undo”)

   ‎dis- + ‎organizzare (“organize”) → ‎disorganizzare (“disorganize”)

Derived terms

Italian words prefixed with dis-

See also

• s-
• in-

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Latin

Alternative forms

• dī-
• dif-
• dir-

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *dwis-, from Proto-Indo-European *dwís. Cognate with Ancient Greek δίς (dís), Sanskrit द्विस् (dvis).

Prefix

dis-

1. asunder, apart, in two

   dīmittō ― dismiss, disband

   discēdō ― part, separate

2. reversal, removal

   dissimulō ― disguise, conceal

3. utterly, exceedingly

   differtus ― stuffed full

Usage notes

• Before b, d, g, l, m, n, r, sc, sp, st and v, the prefix becomes dī-.
• Before f, the prefix becomes dif-.
• Before a consonantal i, the prefix may become dī- or remain as dis-.
• Before a vowel or h, the prefix becomes dir-.

Derived terms

Latin words prefixed with dis-

Related terms

• bis
• duo

Descendants

• Albanian: z-
• Catalan: des-; → dis-
• → English: dis-
• → Esperanto: dis-
• French: dé-, dés-; → dis-
• → Gothic: 𐌳𐌹𐍃- (dis-)
• Italian: dis-, s-

• Norman: des-
• Occitan: des-
• Portuguese: des-; → dis-
• Romanian: des-, dez-
• Spanish: des-; → dis-

References

• dis- in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press

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Middle English

Alternative forms

• des-, dys-

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French des- and its source Latin dis-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dis-/, /dɛs-/

Prefix

dis-

1. Forms words denoting reversal or removal; dis-, de-.

   Synonym: de-

2. Intensifies words with a negative connotation; dis-, de-.

   Synonym: de-

Usage notes

• Sometimes used interchangeably with de-; see that entry for more.

Derived terms

Middle English words prefixed with dis-

Descendants

• English: dis- (obsolete des-)

References

• “des-, pref.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
• “dis-, pref.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

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Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin dis-. Compare the inherited des-.

Prefix

dis-

1. dis-

Derived terms

Portuguese words prefixed with dis-

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Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin dis-. Compare the inherited des-.

Prefix

dis-

1. dis-

Derived terms

Spanish words prefixed with dis-

Further reading

• “dis-” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.

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Welsh

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɪs/

Prefix

dis-

1. intensifying prefix

   ‎dis- + ‎taw (“quiet, silent”) → ‎distaw (“silent, noiseless”)

   ‎dis- + ‎pwyll (“consideration”) → ‎disbwyll (“discretion, prudence”)

2. negative prefix

   ‎dis- + ‎cloff (“lame”) → ‎disgloff (“sure footed, agile”)

   Synonyms: af-, an-, di-

Derived terms

Welsh words prefixed with dis-

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
dis-	ddis-	nis-	unchanged
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.