Editor's Corner

Feeling a little dissed by the weather gods? Well, I have 15 more disses for you! From DailyWritingTips.com, the first few “dis-” words from the article 15 “Dis-” Words and Their Relations, by Mark Nichol.

Oh, and a quick refresher:

Synonym – a word that means the same thing as another word. For example, some synonyms for the word “quiet” are silent, tranquil, and inaudible.

Antonym – a word that means the opposite of another word. For example, some antonyms for the word “quiet” are loud, noisy, or piercing.

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Words with the antonymic prefix dis- are easily confused with similar-looking terms starting with mis- or un- that usually have differing connotations or entirely distinct senses. Here are comparative definitions of some of these terms, along with etymological identification:

1-2. Disassemble/Dissemble/Misassemble
The first two words have a shared etymology but distinct meanings. To disassemble originally meant “to disperse” and now means “to take apart,” but to dissemble is to conceal or simulate. The Latin root they share is simulare, which means “to make like or to compare.” (Resemble, semblance, and the like also stem from this word, and similar is closely related.) Dissimulation is dissemble’s more directly descended synonym. To misassemble, meanwhile, is to assemble incorrectly.

3-4. Disassociate/Dissociate
These interchangeable words mean “to separate,” either literally, as in withdrawing from a social group, or figuratively, as in diverging from past behavior. (The common root stems from the Latin term sociare, which means “to join,” from which English derives social, society, and similar words.)

5. Discharge/Mischarge
Discharge means “to release,” “to unload,” or “to perform one’s duties.” Mischarge is a rare word meaning “to make a mistake in charging,” as in loading a weapon. (The root word, charge, is from the Latin term carricare, meaning “to load.”)

Kara Church | Senior Technical Editor

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