disgrace English · revision 39923

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1549, Sternhold & Hopkins, Psalms|origins=la grātus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * UK: /dɪsˈɡɹeɪs/, /dɪzˈɡɹeɪs/^(Wiktionary)

+ * US: /dɪsˈɡɹeɪs/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The verb is [[bor|frm|disgracier]], recorded in French from 1552,^(OED 2026)^(Barnhart 1988)^(SOED 2002) from [[m|it|disgraziare]], formed on [[m|it|disgrazia|t=misfortune, deformity]];^(OED 2026)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) the noun was taken from French [[m|fr|disgrâce]], from the same Italian noun.^(OED 2026)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(Klein 1966) The Italian noun is formed with the prefix [[m|it|dis-]], from [[m|la|dis-]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(AHD 2024) and [[m|it|grazia|t=grace, favour]], from [[m|la|grātia|t=favour, esteem, charm]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Klein 1966)^(AHD 2024) itself from [[m|la|grātus|t=pleasing]], the source of [[grace]].^(AHD 2024)^(Etymonline) The OED compares [[m|es|desgracia|t=misfortune]] and [[m|la-med|disgratia]] (15th century).^(OED 2026) Weekley notes that its first sense, loss of favour, is still the one in French.^(Weekley 1921)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The verb meant to spoil the grace or outward beauty of something, to disfigure: 1549, in Sternhold and Hopkins's ''Psalms'',^(OED 2026)^(Barnhart 1988) the 1550s in Etymonline.^(Etymonline) The noun, recorded from 1581 in George Pettie's translation of Guazzo's ''Civile Conversation'', meant the disfavour of a powerful person and the loss of honour that went with it.^(OED 2026)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The words kept close to the sense of [[m|it|disgrazia]] at first: the noun meant also misfortune (1590–1697) and disfigurement (1581–98),^(OED 2026) and the verb's sense "to disfigure" lasted into the late 18th century, as in Cowper's "Withered stumps disgrace the sylvan scene".^(OED 2026)^(SOED 2002) The sense "to dismiss from favour" is recorded from 1593,^(OED 2026)^(Etymonline) and Shakespeare's ''Macbeth'' has "I hear Macduff lives in disgrace", that is, out of favour.^(Weekley 1921) The stronger sense, shame or dishonour in public opinion, followed: for the noun from 1597, in ''Richard II'',^(OED 2026)^(Etymonline) and for the verb, to bring shame on, from 1594, in ''Lucrece'',^(OED 2026) 1593 in Barnhart.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Barnhart 1995) Weekley compares the strengthening of [[disease]] and [[disgust]].^(Weekley 1921) A thing or person that brings shame has been ''a disgrace'' since 1590, in Spenser's ''Faerie Queene''.^(OED 2026) Johnson (1755) gave "shame; ignominy; dishonour" first, and "state of dishonour" second.^(Johnson 1755)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1549 – verb, to disfigure (obsolete).^(OED 2026)^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1581 – noun, the disfavour of a powerful person.^(OED 2026)

+ * 1586 – the state of being out of favour.^(OED 2026)

+ * 1590 – a cause of shame.^(OED 2026)

+ * 1593 – verb, to dismiss from favour.^(OED 2026)

+ * 1594 – verb, to bring shame on.^(OED 2026)

+ * 1597 – noun, public dishonour, shame.^(OED 2026)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Loss of [[respect]] or [[honour]]; [[shame]]: ''He resigned in disgrace after the scandal.''^(Collins 2023)^(MWU 2024)

+ # A person or thing that is shameful or that brings shame: ''The state of these trains is a disgrace.''^(Collins 2023)^(OED 2026)

+ # The condition of being out of favour with someone: ''After breaking the vase she was in disgrace with her aunt.''^(Collins 2023)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To bring shame or discredit on: ''Their behaviour disgraced the whole team.''^(Collins 2023)^(MWU 2024)

+ # To put out of favour or dismiss from a position with dishonour.^(Collins 2023)^(OED 2026)

+ # (archaic) To make something look poor by comparison.^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[disgracer]]

+ * [[disgraceful]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[grace]]

+ * [[gracious]]

+ * [[grateful]]

+ * [[gratis]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}