Etymology Map
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Demolish

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means to pull or knock down

Where does the word "demolish" come from? It comes from Latin demoliri, passing through French before entering English (1560s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
demoliri
Latin · ancient
"to pull down"
'de-' plus 'moliri', to build
2
Stage 2 of 3
demolir
French · 1500s
"to demolish"
its stem 'demoliss-' gave the English form
3
Stage 3 of 3
demolish
English · 1560s
"to pull down"
'demolition derby' dates from the 1950s
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Read the full story

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.