Word of the Day : May 25, 2019

disparage \dih-SPAIR-ij\ verb

Definition

1 : to depreciate by indirect means (such as invidious comparison) : to speak slightingly about

2 : to lower in rank or reputation : degrade

Did You Know?

In Middle English, to "disparage" someone meant causing that person to marry someone of inferior rank. Disparage derives from the Anglo-French word desparager, meaning "to marry below one's class." Desparager, in turn, combines the negative prefix des- with parage (meaning "equality" or "lineage"), which itself comes from per, meaning "peer." The original "marriage" sense of disparage is now obsolete, but a closely-related sense (meaning "to lower in rank or reputation") survives in modern English. By the 16th century, English speakers (including William Shakespeare) were also using disparage to mean simply "to belittle."

Aired May 25, 2019

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