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Where does the word "deter" come from? It comes from Latin deterrere, and was adopted directly into English (1570s).
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Where does the word "deter" come from? It comes from Latin deterrere, and was adopted directly into English (1570s).
Deter’s story begins in Latin: deterrere meant “to frighten off.” 'de-' plus 'terrere', to frighten. It reached English by 1570s as deter. 'nuclear deterrent' dates from the 1950s. Today, deter means to discourage.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient deterrere "to frighten off", 'de-' plus 'terrere', to frighten.
- Stage 2 · English · 1570s deter "to frighten off", 'nuclear deterrent' dates from the 1950s.