English
defame
Defame comes from Anglo-Norman defamer, from Latin diffāmō ‘to defame, malign, decry’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- ‘to speak’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeh₂-‘to speak’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰéh₂meh₂reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fāmā‘something said about another’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfāma‘fame’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdiffāmō‘to defame, malign, decry’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400defamer
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500defamen
- Englishearliest quotation 1613defame
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeh₂-‘to speak’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰéh₂meh₂reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fāmā‘something said about another’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfāma‘fame’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdiffāmō‘to defame, malign, decry’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400defamer
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500defamen
- Englishearliest quotation 1613defame
Earliest quotation: 1613, John Marston, William Barksted: “And all the sparks that may bring unto flame…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- ‘to speak’
phone, focus, professor, fuel, ben, phase, ban, favourite, favor, fantasy, photographer, emphasis, profession, bee, fancy, fate, abandon, phenomenon, confession, fabulous, fatal, confess, fairy, phantom, symphony, infant, beacon, beck, boon, bane, prophetic, epiphany, foyer, banish, eff, fab, buoy, fay, profess, bene, 126 more
through Proto-Italic *fāmā ‘something said about another’
through Latin fāma ‘fame’
Today it means
verb To disgrace; to bring into disrepute.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- / defame