Delapse
/dɪˈlæps/noun
To slip or fall downward; to descend.
Did you know?Delapse comes from Latin *dēlābī*, a verb meaning “to slip down” or “fall away,” built from the same root that produced *lapse* and *relapse*.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leǵʰ- / *lab-
“To slip, slide, or fall away; the reconstructed root underlying Latin *lābī*.”
Classical Latin
Latin
lābī
“To slip, slide, fall, or glide away.”
Classical Latin
Latin
dēlābī
“To slip or fall down; to descend, formed with *dē-* meaning “down” or “away.””
Late Latin
Latin
dēlāpsus
“Slipped down or descended; the past participle of *dēlābī*.”
17th Century
English
delapse
“To slip down or descend; a rare learned borrowing from Latin.”
Modern English
English
delapse
“To fall or move downward, usually in technical or highly formal usage.”