vilipend

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*(s)pend-“to stretch”
2. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*wes-“to buy, sell”
3. Latin · derived fromvilipendō
4. Old French · derived fromvilipender
5. Middle English · inherited fromvilipenden“to treat (something) as contemptible”
6. English todayvilipend

From Middle English vilipenden (“to treat (something) as contemptible”) [and other forms], from Old French vilipender (modern French vilipender (“to condemn, despise, revile, scorn, vilipend, vilify”)), or its etymon Latin vilipendō, from vīlis (“cheap, inexpensive; base, mean, vile, worthless”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wes- (“to buy, sell”)) + pendō (“to hang, suspend; to weigh, weigh out; (figuratively) to consider, ponder”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pend- (“to stretch”)). The English word is cognate with Italian vilipendere (“to despise, scorn, vilipend”), Portuguese vilipendiar (“to vilify”), Spanish vilipendiar (“to vilify”).

Words from the same roots