Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *de
Proto-Indo-European *-h₁
Proto-Indo-European *déh₁
Proto-Italic *dē
Latin dē
Latin dē-
Proto-Indo-European *men-
Proto-Indo-European *-tis
Proto-Indo-European *méntis
Proto-Italic *mentis
Latin mēns
Latin dēmēns
Proto-Indo-European *-h₂
Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂
Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti
Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu.
Proto-Italic *-ājō
Proto-Italic *-āō
Latin -ō
Vulgar Latin dēmentōder.
English dement
Borrowed from Middle French dement, from Latin demens; verb from Vulgar Latin dementare (“to deceive; to drive mad”), also from Latin dēmēns (“demented, mad”).
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *de
Proto-Indo-European *-h₁
Proto-Indo-European *déh₁
Proto-Italic *dē
Latin dē
Latin dē-
Proto-Indo-European *men-
Proto-Indo-European *-tis
Proto-Indo-European *méntis
Proto-Italic *mentis
Latin mēns
Latin dēmēns
Proto-Indo-European *-h₂
Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂
Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti
Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu.
Proto-Italic *-ājō
Proto-Italic *-āō
Latin -ō
Vulgar Latin dēmentōder.
English dement
Borrowed from Middle French dement, from Latin demens; verb from Vulgar Latin dementare (“to deceive; to drive mad”), also from Latin dēmēns (“demented, mad”).
Meanings
(archaic) Someone afflicted with dementia.
The patients are more or less chronic dements, sufficiently harmless and trustworthy to be employed in farm labour and sufficiently intelligent to be of use. 1921, Montagu Lomax, The Experiences of an Asylum Doctor, London: Allen & Unwin, page 115:
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *de
Proto-Indo-European *-h₁
Proto-Indo-European *déh₁
Proto-Italic *dē
Latin dē
Latin dē-
Proto-Indo-European *men-
Proto-Indo-European *-tis
Proto-Indo-European *méntis
Proto-Italic *mentis
Latin mēns
Latin dēmēns
Proto-Indo-European *-h₂
Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂
Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti
Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu.
Proto-Italic *-ājō
Proto-Italic *-āō
Latin -ō
Vulgar Latin dēmentōder.
English dement
Borrowed from Middle French dement, from Latin demens; verb from Vulgar Latin dementare (“to deceive; to drive mad”), also from Latin dēmēns (“demented, mad”).
Meanings
(transitive) To make (someone) demented; to drive mad.
(intransitive) To show signs of dementia; to develop dementia.