dis-

See also: Appendix:Variations of "dis"

English

Alternative forms

• di-, dif-

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, disconnect, disafforest

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

   disembowel, disannul, disgruntled

3. incorrect

   disadaptation, disalign

4. to fail (to)

   disagree, disanalogy, disremember

5. not

   discontinue, disaccordant, discoherent, disacknowledge

6. against

   dissuade, disadvise, disrecommend

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-).

Synonyms

• (reversal): un-, de-
• (incorrect): para-, dys-, mis-, mal-
• (to fail): dys-, mis-
• (not): a-, an-, i-/ig-/il-/im-/in-/ir-, mal-, non-, un-
• (against): anti-, counter-, contra-, ob-

Derived terms

English terms 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-)
• Hungarian: el- (hu), le- (hu), ki- (hu)
• Ido: des-
• Indonesian: dis-
• Malay: nyah- (ms)
• Middle English: dis-, de-
• Polish: de- (pl), dez-, roz- (pl), od- (pl)
• 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-)
• Hungarian: szét- (hu)
• Ido: dis-
• Indonesian: dis-
• Russian: от(ъ)- (ru) (ot()-), с(ъ)- (ru) (s()-)

See also

• dys-

References

• dis- at OneLook Dictionary Search
• “dis-”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Anagrams

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

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 terms 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, 2023
• “dis-” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.

Dutch

Etymology

Ultimately from Latin dis-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɪs/

• Audio

  (file)

Prefix

dis-

1. dis-

Dutch terms prefixed with dis-

Esperanto

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

• IPA^(key): /dis/

Prefix

dis-

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

Derived terms

Esperanto terms prefixed with dis-

French

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dis/

Prefix

dis-

1. dis-

Derived terms

French terms prefixed with dis-

Friulian

Etymology

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

Prefix

dis-

1. dis-

   ‎dis- + ‎sglonfâ (“to inflate”) → ‎disglonfâ (“to deflate”)

   ‎dis- + ‎florî (“to bloom”) → ‎disflorî (“to wither”)

2. as intensifier

   ‎dis- + ‎sfidâ (“to challenge”) → ‎disfidâ (“to compete”)

   ‎dis- + ‎scuvierzi (“to discover, to uncover”) → ‎discuvierzi (“to find out, to unveil”)

Derived terms

Friulian terms prefixed with dis-

Gothic

Romanization

dis-

1. Romanization of 𐌳𐌹𐍃-

Ido

Etymology

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

Prefix

dis-

1. shows separation or dissemination

Derived terms

Ido terms prefixed with dis-

Indonesian

Etymology

From Dutch dis-, from Latin dis-, from Proto-Indo-European *dwís.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [dɪs]
• Hyphenation: dis

Prefix

dis-

1. dis- (“reversal, removal; apart”)

Derived terms

Indonesian terms prefixed with dis-

Further reading

• “dis-” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Language Development and Fostering Agency — Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic Indonesia, 2016.

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.

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 terms prefixed with dis-

See also

• s-
• in-

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). Doublet of bis.

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- in the two verbs diribeō and dirimō, which arose early enough to be subject to rhotacism, but from Classical Latin onwards, dis- is used (see, for example, dishiascō in Cato).

Derived terms

Latin terms prefixed with dis-

Related terms

• bis
• duo

Descendants

• Catalan: des-; → dis-
• → English: dis-
  • ⇒ English: disrespect, disparage
    • ⇒ English: diss
      • → Chinese: diss
      • → Dutch: diss, dissen
      • → German: dissen
      • → Polish: diss
      • → Swedish: diss
• → Esperanto: dis-
• French: dé-, dés-; → dis-
• Friulian: dis-
• → Gothic: 𐌳𐌹𐍃- (dis-)
• Italian: dis-, s-
• Norman: des-
• Occitan: des-
• Portuguese: des-; → dis-
• Romanian: des-, dez-
• Sicilian: sdi-, s-
• Spanish: des-; → dis-

References

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

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 terms 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.

Portuguese

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒis/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒis/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒiʃ/

Etymology 1

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

Prefix

dis-

1. dis- (indicates separation)

Derived terms

Portuguese terms prefixed with dis-

Etymology 2

Borrowed from New Latin dys-, from Ancient Greek δυσ- (dus-, “bad, hard”).

Alternative forms

• dys- (obsolete)

Prefix

dis-

1. (medicine) dys- (forms the names of conditions characterised by difficult or inadequate function)
2. dys- (bad or wrong)

Spanish

Etymology

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

Prefix

dis-

1. dis-

Derived terms

Spanish terms prefixed with dis-

Further reading

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

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 terms 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.