defer

Where does the word "defer" come from? It comes from Latin differre, and was adopted directly into English (1400s).

Defer’s story begins in Latin: differre meant “to carry apart, to postpone.” To carry away, to put off, from dis- (apart) and ferre (to carry). It reached English by 1400s as defer. Settled as the English word for postponing something, or yielding to another's judgment. Today, defer means to postpone an action, or to yield respectfully to another's opinion or decision.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient differre "to carry apart, to postpone", to carry away, to put off, from dis- (apart) and ferre (to carry).
2. Stage 2 · English · 1400s defer "to postpone something, or to yield to another's judgment", settled as the English word for postponing something, or yielding to another's judgment.