disentangle
UK[ˌdɪs.ɪnˈtæŋ.ɡl̩]US[ˌdɪs.ɪnˈtæŋ.ɡl̩]
v
to separate something from something else that it has become joined or mixed with
v
to make a complicated subject or problem simpler by removing the parts that are not important or that are causing confusion
Morpheme Breakdown
dis
en
tangle
dis
apart
en
cause to be
tangle
twist together
Etymology
the word disentangle is a layered construction from the late 16th century. its core is the middle english word 'tangle', likely from old norse 'þǫngull', meaning "seaweed" or "something twisted," which evolved to mean a confused mass. the latin-derived prefix 'en-' was added to form 'entangle', meaning "to cause to be in a tangle." finally, the negating or reversing prefix 'dis-' was attached, creating a verb that literally means "to cause to be apart from a tangle." this logical progression from a physical state of twisted confusion to the abstract act of separating and clarifying is a clear example of english's compounding nature.
Analysis
Structure: dis (apart) + en (cause to be) + tangle (twist together)
dis- (latin origin, a prefix meaning "apart" or "away"), en- (latin origin via french, a verb-forming prefix meaning "cause to be" or "put into"), tangle (middle english, of scandinavian origin, meaning a twisted, knotted state).
Examples
it took me an hour to disentangle the knots from the old fishing net.
the historian tried to disentangle fact from legend in the ancient texts.
the new software helps to disentangle the complex web of financial regulations.