derisory

The word 'derisory' has a clear lineage from the Latin verb deridēre, meaning "to laugh down at" or "to mock." This verb is a compound of de-, an intensifying prefix meaning "down" or "completely," and ridēre, the fundamental Latin verb for "to laugh." The adjective-forming suffix -ory was attached to create a Late Latin form, which entered English via French. Thus, the literal meaning "characterized by mocking laughter" evolved into its modern dual sense: either describing something that is itself mockingly scornful, or, more commonly, something so pitifully small or inadequate that it invites scornful laughter.

Structure: deris (mock, laugh at) + ory (adjective suffix) - deris: From Latin deridēre (to laugh scornfully at, mock), itself from de- (down, completely) + ridēre (to laugh). Its functional role is the core semantic root. - ory: A suffix of Latin origin (-orius) used to form adjectives meaning "of, relating to, or characterized by" the action of the root.