Etymograph

English

derogation

Derogation comes from Latin dērogātiō ‘a partial abrogation of a law’, from rogō ‘ask’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *preḱ-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*preḱ-1‘to ask’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*prokos1reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprocus1‘wooer, suitor’
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprocō1‘to ask, urge, demand’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CErogō1‘ask’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdērogō2‘repeal or modify part of a law’
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdērogātiō3‘a partial abrogation of a law’
  8. Old Frenchc. 842–1400derogacion3
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1941derogation3

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin derogo
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Latin derogatio
  3. 3 Wiktionary, English derogation
  4. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1941, George Ryley Scott, London: T. Werner Laurie: “Always have the greatest excesses and the most reprehensible…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*preḱ-Wiktionary, Latin derogo‘to ask’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*prokosWiktionary, Latin derogoreconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprocusWiktionary, Latin derogo‘wooer, suitor’
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprocōWiktionary, Latin derogo‘to ask, urge, demand’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CErogōWiktionary, Latin derogo‘ask’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdērogōWiktionary, Latin derogatio‘repeal or modify part of a law’
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdērogātiōWiktionary, English derogation‘a partial abrogation of a law’
  8. Old Frenchc. 842–1400derogacionWiktionary, English derogation
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1941derogationWiktionary, English derogation. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1941, George Ryley Scott, London: T. Werner Laurie: “Always have the greatest excesses and the most reprehensible…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *preḱ- ‘to ask’

pray, precarious, postulate, deprecation, 28 more

through Latin rogō ‘ask’

rogue, arrogant, arrogance, interrogation, prerogative, 15 more

Today it means

noun An act which belittles; disparagement.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “derogation”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Latin derogo, Latin derogatio. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *preḱ- / derogation

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