distinguish

The story

1. Latin · derived fromdistinguere“to separate, divide, distinguish, set off, adorn, literally mark off”
2. Old French · derived fromdistinguer
3. Middle English · inherited fromdistingwen
4. English todaydistinguish

From Middle English distingwen, from Old French distinguer, from Latin distinguere (“to separate, divide, distinguish, set off, adorn, literally mark off”), from di-, dis- (“apart”) + stinguere, related to English stink. Compare extinguish.