The Prefix “dis”
The prefix “dis” has a Latin origin and became productive in English around the 16th century. It is typically attached to words of Latin origin, but can occasionally be used with Germanic words as well. “Dis” has three possible meanings:
Depriving of Something
One of the meanings of “dis” is to deprive of something, turning a noun into a transitive verb. For example, “dismasted” means to break off the mast or masts of a sailing vessel.
Lacking a Desirable Quality
“Dis” can also signify lacking a desirable quality when used with adjectives, nouns, and transitive verbs. For instance, “dishonest” denotes a lack of honesty, while “disadvantage” indicates a lack of advantage.
Reversing a State or Process
The third meaning of “dis” is to reverse a state or process, or to perform the opposite action. An example of this is “discolor,” which means to change or lose color. If you wash your jeans with bleach, it will discolor them.
The Prefix “mis”
Now let’s turn our attention to the prefix “mis.” Unlike “dis,” “mis” does not have a Latin origin but is instead of Germanic descent. “Mis” is used to form negative words with slightly different connotations compared to “dis.”
Incorrectly or Badly
One of the main meanings of “mis” is to signify something being done incorrectly or badly. For example, “mistreat” means to treat someone or something badly or incorrectly.
Erroneously
“Mis” can also indicate doing something erroneously. An example is “misunderstand,” which means to interpret something wrongly or incorrectly.
Badly Behaving or Defective
Another meaning of “mis” is to describe something behaving badly or being defective. “Misbehave” refers to behaving badly or inappropriately, while “misfire” denotes a defective firing or failure to fire.
Dis- Prefix
It’s used with transitive verbs and with nouns derived from transitive verbs. Here are some examples:
Disconnect: to stop a connection. Push the ‘Off’ button to disconnect from the online meeting.
Disengage: to separate, to reverse the state of being engaged. Captain Jones decided to disengage the autopilot and fly the plane manually.
Mis- Prefix
The meaning of “mis” has an interesting history. It was present in Old English words like “mislead” and “misstime” date from this period. In Old French, there was a prefix “me” that had a similar meaning. The two prefixes ended up merging, and the modern meaning of “mis” is to do something wrongly or improperly. It is used mainly with transitive verbs. You can see it used with some nouns and adjectives that are derived from verbs. Here are some examples:
Mispronounce: to pronounce incorrectly. If a word has an unusual spelling and is not commonly used, even native speakers might mispronounce it.
Misunderstand: to understand incorrectly. If you don’t present your data clearly, your audience might misunderstand what you did.
Comparison of “Dis-” and “Mis-“
To understand how using “dis” or “mis” changes the meaning of a word, let’s look at some pairs of words that use the two prefixes:
Displace versus Misplace
The first definition of “dis” applies to “displace.” It means a person or a thing is deprived of its place. An example would be the hurricane displacing 2000 people. On the other hand, “misplace” means to put something or someone in the wrong place.
Disinformation versus Misinformation
The second definition of dis applies to disinformation. Disinformation is false information deliberately and often covertly spread to hide the truth. An example would be, Carlson has been spreading lies and disinformation on Fox News for years, much to the delight of viewers who would rather have their beliefs confirmed than be presented with the truth (drawn from Bill Goody, the Arizona Republic, April 24th, 2023).
Misinformation is incorrect information; unlike disinformation, misinformation does not have the implication that the information was deliberately wrong. It was simply incorrect. An example would be, misinformation on Covid-19 is so pervasive that even some patients dying from the disease still say it’s a hoax (Zarah Abrams, Monitor on Psychology, Volume 52, Number 2).
Disused versus Misused
The third definition of dis applies to disused, meaning something is abandoned. An example would be a group of homeless people took shelter in a disused warehouse.
Misused means to use something in the wrong way. An example would be John misused his company’s money and ended up in jail.
Summary
In summary, adding “mis-” to a word changes the meaning to doing something wrongly or improperly. Adding “dis-” to a word can change the meaning to one of three things. It can mean to deprive of something like discolour. It can also mean to lack a desirable quality like dishonest, or it can mean the reverse or opposite of an action like disconnect.
The Prefix Dis-
The prefix dis- is used to create negative words in English. It is added to the beginning of a word to give it the opposite meaning. For example, appear becomes disappear when the prefix dis- is added. This prefix is often used to indicate a reversal or removal of a particular action or state. Words with the prefix dis- are very common in English vocabulary.
Examples of Words with the Prefix Dis-
Some common words that use the prefix dis- include disapprove, disbelieve, disconnect, and dislike. These words all convey the idea of negation or reversal. By adding the prefix dis- to these words, the opposite meaning is created. It is important to note that the spelling of the word may change slightly when the prefix is added, such as in the case of appear and disappear.
The Prefix Mis-
Unlike the prefix dis-, the prefix mis- is used to indicate a wrong or incorrect action. It is added to the beginning of a word to imply a mistake or error. For example, understand becomes misunderstand when the prefix mis- is added. Words with the prefix mis- often convey a sense of confusion or misunderstanding.
Examples of Words with the Prefix Mis-
Common words that use the prefix mis- include misinform, mislead, misconstrue, and misinterpret. These words all suggest an incorrect or mistaken action. By adding the prefix mis- to these words, the idea of misunderstanding or error is emphasized. Similar to words with the prefix dis-, the spelling of the word may change slightly when the prefix is added.
Understanding the differences between the prefixes “dis” and “mis” can help you grasp the nuances of negative words in English. By knowing their distinct meanings, you can enhance your vocabulary and even make educated guesses about the definitions of unfamiliar words. So, the next time you come across a word with either prefix, you’ll be better equipped to decipher its meaning!
