differ

differ · verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European*dwóh₁
2. Proto-Indo-European*trísinflu.
3. Proto-Indo-European*d(w)is-
4. Proto-Italic*dis-
5. Latindis-
6. Proto-Indo-European*bʰer-
7. Proto-Indo-European*bʰéreti
8. Proto-Italic*ferō
9. Latinferō
10. Latindifferō
11. Old Frenchdifferer
12. Middle Englishdifferren
13. English todaydiffer

From Middle English differren, from Old French differer, from Latin differō (“carry apart, put off, defer; differ”), from dis- (“apart”) + ferō (“carry, bear”). Compare Ancient Greek διαφέρω (diaphérō). Doublet of defer and dilate, see also infer, confer and collate, refer and relate, as well as prefer and prelate among others.

differ · noun²

From diff + -er.

Words from the same roots