Dis-
/dɪs-/noun
A prefix meaning separation, reversal, negation, or an unfavorable condition.
Did you know?English dis- combines two historically related ideas—“apart” and “bad”—which is why it can signal both separation, as in divide, and negation, as in dislike.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dus-
“Bad, difficult, or ill-fated”
Ancient Greek
Greek
dys-
“Bad, difficult, abnormal, or impaired”
Classical Latin
Latin
dis-
“Apart, away, asunder, or in an unfavorable direction”
Old French
Old French
des-
“Apart, away, or reversing an action”
Old English
English
dis-
“A borrowed prefix expressing separation, negation, or opposition”
Modern English
English
dis-
“A prefix meaning not, opposite of, apart, or badly”