## Etymology
From Medieval Latin distemperare ('to mix badly, disturb the balance of humors'), from dis- ('un-') + temperare ('to mingle in proper proportion, regulate'). The animal-disease and house-paint senses both descend from the notion of disordered or mixed proportions.

## AI Etymology
Distemper is from Medieval Latin distemperare ('to mix badly, disturb the balance of humors'), from dis- ('un-') + temperare ('to mingle in proper proportion, regulate'). The animal-disease and house-paint senses both descend from the notion of disordered or mixed proportions. The ancestry passes through Latin distemperare and Latin temperare. The prefix dis- often marks separation, reversal, or negation in Latin and English formations, helping to explain the word's surface structure. In present use as noun and verb, it means "a contagious viral disease of animals; also a water-based paint", keeping the historical formation close to the word's ordinary semantic work. Related words include temper, temperament, and temperate; derived forms include distempered.

## Topics
- Food & Drink
- Word Formation & Derivatives

markdown

distemper

Meanings

Thesaurus

Etymology

Topics

External links

Keyboard Shortcuts

General

Send feedback