English
dement
Dement comes from Vulgar Latin dementare ‘to deceive’, from Latin dēmēns ‘demented, mad’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *men- ‘to think, mind’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*men-‘to think, mind’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*méntis‘thought’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*mentis‘mind, thought’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmēns‘mind’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēmēns‘demented, mad’
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CEdementare‘to deceive’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600dement
- Englishearliest quotation 1921same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*men-‘to think, mind’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*méntis‘thought’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*mentis‘mind, thought’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmēns‘mind’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēmēns‘demented, mad’
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CEdementare‘to deceive’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600dement
- Englishearliest quotation 1921same form
Earliest quotation: 1921, Montagu Lomax, The Experiences of an Asylum Doctor: “The patients are more or less chronic dements, sufficiently…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *men- ‘to think, mind’
money, music, amount, mouth, museum, remain, mountain, monster, auto, min, monitor, comment, mount, permanent, monetary, mention, monk, maya, demonstration, monastery, amnesty, mint, muse, mosaic, summon, ming, mas, mandarin, mindful, mania, monte, muster, monstrous, prominence, amnesia, manic, monument, imminent, mantra, mentor, 124 more
through Proto-Indo-European *méntis ‘thought’
through Latin mēns ‘mind’
Today it means
adj Demented.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *men- / dement