Distinguish
/dɪˈstɪŋ.ɡwɪʃ/noun
To recognize or mark the difference between things; to make something stand out as separate or notable.
Did you know?Its deepest Latin ancestor is tied to the same root as *stigma* and *instinct*, a family of words originally linked to a sharp point or mark that singles something out.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*steig-
“to prick, pierce, or stick”
Latin
Latin
stinguere
“to prick or pierce”
Latin
Latin
distinguere
“to separate by pricking; to mark off, divide”
Old French
Old French
distinguer
“to distinguish, separate, discern”
Middle English
English
distinguishen
“to differentiate or make known”
Modern English
English
distinguish
“to recognize as different or make conspicuously separate”