pejor- +
(Latin: worse)
impair, impairing, impaired
1. To make or to cause to become worse; to diminish in ability, value, excellence, etc.; to weaken or to damage; such as, to impair one's health; to impair negotiations.
2. To grow or to become worse; to lessen.
3. Etymology: from about 1374, it was ampayre, apeyre, from Old French empeirier, from Vulgar Latin impejorare, "to make worse"; from Latin in-, "into" + Late Latin pejorare, "to make worse", from pejor, "worse".
impairer
Someone who, or that which, impairs.
impairment
1. Damage which results in a reduction of strength or quality.
2. A symptom of reduced quality or strength.
3. The act of making something futile and useless (as by routine).
4. The occurrence of a change for the worse.
5. The condition of being unable to perform as a consequence of physical or mental unfitness; for example, a hearing impairment.
6. A physical or mental defect at the level of a body system or organ.
The official WHO (World Health Organization) definition is: any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological, or anatomical structure or function.
pejorate (PEJ oh rayt)
To make worse, to deteriorate, and to worsen.
pejoration (pej" uh RAY shuhn)
1. A worsening deterioration, or decline in quality, status, or value.
2. Made less tolerable, disdainful, or contemptuous.
3. A change over time in the meaning of a word so that it becomes less favorable or more negative; for example, the English word "cunning" formerly meant "learned" but now it is used to mean "cleverly deceitful".
4. Semantic changes in words to a lower, less approved, or less respectable meaning.
5. In linguistics, a change of meaning for the worse; the process by which the meaning of a word becomes negative or less elevated over a period of time; such as,
silly, which formerly meant "deserving sympathy, helpless or simple," has come to mean "showing a lack of good sense, frivolous".
6. Changes over time in the meanings of words so that they become less favorable or more negative.
An example is the English word cunning, formerly used to mean "learned" but now it is used to mean "cleverly deceitful".
pejorative (pi JOR uh tiv)
1. A reference to words whose basic meanings are depreciated either by a suffix or with semantic applications or association; as with knave, from Anglo Saxon, a youth.
2. Tending to make worse; derisive, derisory, demeaning, disparaging, derogatory; depreciatory; uncomplimentary.
Here are a few examples of words that have become pejorative over time:
- curt, although a synonym for concise, laconic, pithy, succinct, and terse; now it is most often used to mean "brusque, discourteously short" (as in a curt reply or curt refusal). To curtail means to shorten.
- diatribe, from the Greek diatribe, a short ethical discourse, now means only "a long abusive" or "bitter speech".
- doctrinaire, related to Latin doctrina, learning; has come to characterize someone who maintains "a stubborn, intransigent attitude toward his own views".
The word docile, from the same Latin element, on the other hand; means "easily taught, submissive, obedient, amenable".
- epithet, although still used as a descriptive term, a name added; like Homer’s “rosy-fingered dawn, wine-dark sea”; it is now more often used as an abusive characterization. When we wish to be abusive, we hurl an epithet at someone.
- erudite, erudition are used in both a favorable and an unfavorable way.
A learned man, a scholar can be praised for his erudition, his great knowledge. On the other hand, erudite may be used in a derogatory way to mean "bookish", "devoted to very specialized learning", "knowing more and more about less and less".
Erudite comes from Latin rudis, "untutored, ignorant"; rude in the sense used by some former writers when they refer to the “rude forefathers” who sleep in the village cemetery. The prefix e- removes the ignorance.
Rudiments are the elementary, basic principles or skills; rudimentary means "elementary, basic, fundamental".
pejoratively (puh JOR uh tiv" li)
1. Descriptive of a word, expression, or affix that expresses criticism or disapproval.
2. A designation which tends to make something worse; depreciatory; applied especially to a derivative word in which the meaning of the root word is lowered by the addition of an affix; disparaging.
pejorism (PEJ or riz'm)
1. The belief that the world is becoming worse.
2. The opinion or doctrine that everything in nature is growing worse.
pejorist (PEJ or rist)
One who believes that the world is becoming worse.
pejority (puh JOR i ti)
The state or condition of being worse.
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