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déguiser

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Etymology and origin of the French word déguiser

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1155 Wace, Brut More words from the 12th century
Ultimate origin
Frankish *wīsa

Pronunciation

Forms

déguiser[1]

Etymology

It is Old French desguiser, formed from French dé- + guise (“manner of being”) with the verbal ending -er, properly meaning to change one's manner of being.[2][3][4][5] The prefix comes from Latin dis-.[3] guise is of Germanic origin, from Frankish *wīsa (“manner, way”), compare Old High German wīsa and German Weise.[2][1][4]

Cognate with Old Occitan desguisar.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found as soi desguiser in Wace's Brut (1155), meaning to change one's clothes or appearance so as not to be recognized.[2][3] The 12th-century Rois has que ele de sa vesture se deguisast (“that she should disguise herself in her clothing”).[6]

Semantic evolution

From changing one's manner of being, the verb came to mean making oneself different, especially by clothing.[4] It soon spread to things: in the 13th century the Roman de la Rose says that Fortune se desguise.[6] From 1549 it meant “to hide, conceal”,[7] and after 1559 “to alter in order to deceive” and “to dissimulate”, as in déguiser la vérité.[3][7] Ronsard used it metaphorically of disguising one's life in 1553.[2]

In classical French it could also mean “to disfigure” (1690, Furetière).[7] In confectionery, fruits déguisés are fruits coated with sugar.[3] The BHVF also records psychoanalytic uses of the verb.[8]

Timeline

  • 1155 – Wace's Brut has soi desguiser “to disguise oneself”.[2][5]
  • c. 1200 – The derivative déguisement is recorded.[4][3]
  • 13th century – The Roman de la Rose says Fortune se desguise.[6]
  • 1549 – Robert Estienne records the sense “to conceal”.[7]
  • 1553 – Ronsard uses it metaphorically.[2]
  • 1559 – Amyot uses it for altering something in order to deceive.[7][3]
  • 1611 – Cotgrave records the transitive sense “to dress someone up so as to be unrecognizable”.[7]
  • 1690 – Furetière records the sense “to disfigure”.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To disguise, to dress someone so as to make them unrecognizable: déguiser une fillette en sorcière.[9][10][1]
  2. Se déguiser: to disguise oneself, to dress up in costume.[9][1]
  3. To alter something in order to deceive: déguiser sa voix, déguiser son écriture.[9][7]
  4. (literary) To hide under a false appearance, conceal: déguiser la vérité.[9][3]
  5. (classical) To disfigure.[7]

Word family

  • déguisement
  • guise

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  8. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  9. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  10. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
Cite this entry

“Déguiser.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/d%C3%A9guiser. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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