English
demented
Demented comes from Latin demento ‘to make mad or crazy, drive crazy’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *men-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*men-root as named
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdementoas dēmentāre‘to make mad or crazy, drive crazy’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1990demented
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*men-root as named
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdementoas dēmentāre‘to make mad or crazy, drive crazy’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1990demented
Earliest quotation: c. 1990, How to Play Super C, Konami: “One of these new recruits is Jagger Froid, a…”
Formed from dement + -ed
Proto-Indo-European *men- ‘to think, mind’
…
Latin mēns ‘mind’
Latin dēmēns ‘demented, mad’
Vulgar Latin dementare ‘to deceive’
Middle French dement
English dement
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *men-
money, music, mind, amount, mouth, museum, remain, mountain, auto, min, monitor, comment, monster, mount, permanent, mental, mention, monetary, monk, maya, demonstration, mint, amnesty, muse, mosaic, summon, ming, mas, mandarin, monastery, mania, monstrous, prominence, monument, amnesia, mentor, imminent, manic, mantra, monte, 127 more
Today it means
adj Insane; mentally ill.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *men- / demented