Advertisement

Origin and history of defer

defer(v.1)

"to delay, put off, postpone," late 14c., differren, deferren, from Old French diferer (14c.) and directly from Latin differre "carry apart, scatter, disperse;" also "be different, differ;" also "defer, put off, postpone," from assimilated form of dis- "away from" (see dis-) + ferre "to bear, carry" (from PIE root *bher- (1) "to carry").

Etymologically identical to differ; their spelling and pronunciation were differentiated from 15c., perhaps partly by association of this word with delay. Related: Deferred; deferring. 

defer

defer(v.2)

"yield, offer, render," mid-15c., "leave to another's judgment or determination," from Old French deferer "to yield, comply" (14c., Modern French déférer), from Latin deferre "carry away, transfer, grant," from de "down, away" (see de-) + ferre "to carry," from PIE root *bher- (1) "to carry." Sense of "refer (a matter) to someone" also was in the Latin verb. Related: Deferred; deferring.

defer

also from mid-15c.

Entries linking to defer

differ(v.)

late 14c., "be unlike, dissimilar, distinct, or various," from Old French differer (14c.) and directly from Latin differre "to set apart, differ," from assimilated form of dis- "apart, away from" (see dis-) + ferre "to bear, carry," from PIE root *bher- (1) "to carry." Meaning "disagree, be of contrary opinion" is from 1560s.

Two senses that were present in Latin have gone separate ways in English in sense and spelling (probably based on different stress) since c. 1500, with defer (v.1) taking one set of meanings and differ (intransitive) the rest. Related: Differed; differing.

deference(n.)

"a yielding in opinion, submission to the judgment of another," 1640s, from French déférence (16c.), from déférer "to yield, comply" (see defer (v.2)).

Advertisement

More to explore

prorogue
early 15c., prorogen, "to prolong, extend" (a truce, agreement, etc.), a sense now obsolete, from Old French proroger, proroguer (14c.) and directly from Latin prorogare, literally "to ask publicly," from pro "before" (see pro-) + rogare "to ask, inquire, question; ask a favor,"
table
Middle English, from Old French table, tabel "board, square panel, plank; writing table; picture; food, fare" (11c.), and also a survival of late Old English tabele "flat and relatively thin surface of some hard material," especially "writing tablet (of slabs of wood, etc.,), gam
remit
late 14c., remitten, "to forgive, pardon," from Latin remittere "send back, slacken, let go back, abate," from re- "back" (see re-) + mittere "to send" (see mission). Secondary senses predominate in English. From c. 1400 as "refer for consideration or performance from one person
procrastinate
"to put off till another day, defer to a future time," 1580s, a back formation from procrastination or else from Latin procrastinatus..., past participle of procrastinare "to put off till tomorrow; defer, delay."...
procrastination
procrastinatio) "a putting off from day to day," noun of action from past-participle stem of procrastinare "put off till tomorrow, defer...
specialization
The people that the magazines refer to You'll find that they are naturally soignée The special ones that all of us defer...
expect
1550s, "wait, defer action," from Latin expectare/exspectare "await, look out for; desire, hope, long for, anticipate; look...
merit
c. 1200, "spiritual credit" (for good works, etc.); c. 1300, "spiritual reward," from Old French merite "wages, pay, reward; thanks; merit, moral worth, that which assures divine pity" (12c.) and directly from Latin meritum "a merit, service, kindness, benefit, favor; worth, valu
mitre
mid-14c., "bishop's tall hat," from Old French mitre and directly from Latin mitra "headband, turban," from Greek mitra "headband, turban," earlier a belt or cloth worn under armor about the waist, perhaps from PIE root *mei- "to bind, attach" (source also of Sanskrit mitra- "fri
scratch
c. 1400, scracchen, transitive, "mark or wound slightly on the surface by a scraping or tearing action with something rough, sharp, or pointed," probably a fusion of Middle English scratten and crachen, both meaning "to scratch," both of uncertain origin. Also compare scr-. Relat

Share defer

Advertisement
Trending
Dictionary entries near defer
Advertisement