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Where does the word "demolish" come from? It comes from Latin demoliri, passing through French before entering English (1560s).
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Where does the word "demolish" come from? It comes from Latin demoliri, passing through French before entering English (1560s).
Demolish’s story begins in Latin: demoliri meant “to pull down.” 'de-' plus 'moliri', to build. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in French as demolir. Its stem 'demoliss-' gave the English form. It reached English by 1560s as demolish. 'demolition derby' dates from the 1950s. Today, demolish means to pull or knock down.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient demoliri "to pull down", 'de-' plus 'moliri', to build.
- Stage 2 · French · 1500s demolir "to demolish", its stem 'demoliss-' gave the English form.
- Stage 3 · English · 1560s demolish "to pull down", 'demolition derby' dates from the 1950s.