Category: Word of the Day – D

ETYMOLOGY
from French discutable,
from discuter (to discuss),
(from Latin discutere (to discuss) + -able)

EXAMPLE
“… A definite and complete study of all literary works of the period inspired by the event would be not only an enterprise worthy of an inquisitive erudition, but also a useful help in tracing a line of demarcation between legend and history, and would throw a flood of light on many insoluble or discutable points. …”

From: The Saturday Review of Politics, Literature, Science and Art, 1893
Christopher Columbus and Lope de Vega

ETYMOLOGY
from Anglo-Norman delitous, Middle French deliteux;
from delit (delight) + ‑ous 

EXAMPLE
“… For sich solace sich ioie and play
I trowe that neuere man ne say 
As was in that place delytous
The gardeyn was not daungerous
To herberwe briddes many oon
So riche a yeer was neuer noon …”

From: The Romaunt of the Rose
By Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun
Translated by Geoffrey Chaucer, a1425

Note: the obsolete adjective definition is a general sense.
In mathematics, it is applied to the proportion of two quantities one of which is double of the other; 
in music, it is applied to ‘time’ or rhythm having two beats in the bar.

ETYMOLOGY
Adj. and n.:  from Latin duplus (double), from duo (two) + -plus, from root ple- (to fill);
Vb.:  from Latin duplare (to double), from dupl-us (duple)

EXAMPLE (for vb.)
“… She mixd of Quick-silver a deadly weight,
That dupled force his murder hasten might.
Then while those baneful pots betwixt them strov,
The helpful swaying the hurtfuls bane out drov. …”

From: Enchiridium epigrammatum Latino-Anglicum:
An epitome of essais,
Englished out of Latin by Robert Vilvain, 1654

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin deblaterare transitive (to prate of, blab out), from de- + blaterare (to prate)

EXAMPLE
“… Robert Louis Stevenson, the traveler and author, writes: I conceived a great prejudice against missions in the South Seas, and I had no sooner come there than that prejudice was first reduced and then annihilated. Those who deblaterate against missions have only one thing to do, to come and see them on the spot. They will see a great deal of good done, and I believe, if they be honest persons, they will cease to complain of mission work and its effect. …”

From: What is a Christian and A Talk on Books,
By Henry Drummond, 1891
Thomas E. Watson “exposed”; an examination of his “Foreign missions exposed”.

ETYMOLOGY
from Greek δίλογος (dilogos) (doubtful), διλογία (repetition) + -ic + -al, after logical

EXAMPLE
“… Therefore some of the subtler, haue deliuered their opinions in such spurious, enigmaticall, dilogicall termes, as the Diuell gaue his Oracles; that since Heauen will not follow their Instructions, their Constructions shall follow Heauen. And because the Weather hath not fallen out, as they haue before tolde, they will now tell as the weather falles out. …”

From: The Sacrifice of Thankefulnesse 
By Thomas Adams, 1616

ETYMOLOGY
apparently  a shortened form of dedeignous (disdainous), French dédaigneux, Old French desdeignous 

EXAMPLE
“… Boste & deignouse pride & ille avisement
Mishapnes oftentide, & dos many be schent.
þe proude kyng Pharaon, þat chaced Israel, [Exempla viciorum, quibus gra|tia extin|guitur.]
Dronkeld euerilkon, & Gode’s folk went wel.
Sodom & Gomor fulle vile synne þat stank,
Boþe for euer more doun tille helle þei sank. …”

From: Robert Mannyng of Brunne, The Chronicle, c1330

ETYMOLOGY
of unknown origin

EXAMPLE
Most of Janine’s friends were aware that when she lied she had a tendency to drote.

ETYMOLOGY
from dure (to last, continue in existence) + -ful

EXAMPLE
“… Be nought dismayd that her vnmoued mind,
doth still persist in her rebellious pride:
such loue not lyke to lusts of baser kynd,
the harder wonne, the firmer will abide.
The durefull Oake, whose sap is not yet dride,
is long ere it conceiue the kindling fyre:
but when it once doth burne, it doth diuide
great heat, and makes his flames to heauen aspire. …”

From: Amoretti vi, in Amoretti and Epithalamion 
By Edmund Spenser, 1595

ETYMOLOGY
Middle English from Old French destrobler, ‑troubler, from des-, Latin dis- + trobler, troubler (to trouble)

EXAMPLE
“… Debonairly, and nothing loude,
He sayde, `I prey thee, be not wrooth,
I herde thee not, to sayn the sooth,
Ne I saw thee not, sir, trewely.’
`A! goode sir, no fors,’ quod I,
`I am right sory if I have ought
Destroubled yow out of your thought;
Foryive me if I have mistake.’
`Yis, th’amendes is light to make,’
Quod he, `for ther lyth noon ther-to;
Ther is nothing missayd nor do,’
Lo! how goodly spak this knight,
As it had been another wight; …”

From: The Book of the Duchesse
By Geoffrey Chaucer, c1369

ETYMOLOGY
possibly from dialect drumble (to talk meaninglessly or monotonously, to blather or ramble)

EXAMPLE
“… This before remēbred ſupplicatiō was attentiuely noted & much feared, amongſt ye curſed companie of drouſie dreaming Dromos, I mean Baals Baldons yt mungrel Maſſalians & cruel churchrobbers whome it touched moſt in effect, in ſo muche that the groſſe Goſpeller, Ethnike Epicures, beaſtly bellygods, wicked worldlyngs and ſpirituall ſhauelyngs, were fallen in a pelting chafe, the bloudy Biſhoppes broyled, the cullionly Cardinalles coured, the proude Priours frouned, the fat Abbots ſwet, the pore Friers curſed, the white Chanons chafed, the poore Nunnes puled like Puttockes, in concluſion, all the ſectarie Sathaniſts were ſore diſpleaſed …”

From: Polybius
The Hystories of the most Famous and Worthy Cronographer Polybius discoursing of the Warres betwixt the Romanes and Carthaginenses
Translated by C. Watson, 1568