disfranchise
UK[dɪsˈfræntʃaɪz]US[dɪsˈfrænˌtʃaɪz]
v
To deprive (someone) of a right or privilege, especially the right to vote.
v
To deprive (a place, such as a borough or city) of a franchise or privilege.
Morpheme Breakdown
dis
franchise
dis
apart/away
franchise
right/privilege
Etymology
The word 'disfranchise' is a direct English formation built upon the existing noun 'franchise'. The prefix 'dis-', of Latin origin, is a prolific negator in English, here meaning "to deprive of." The core element 'franchise' has a journey from a concept of freedom: it entered English from Old French, tracing back to the Germanic root frank, meaning "free." Historically, a franchise was a legal immunity or privilege granted to a person or town. Therefore, 'disfranchise' logically constructs its meaning through a reversal: to take away (dis-) that specific legal right or privilege (franchise), most concretely applied to the right of suffrage.
Analysis
Structure: dis (apart/away) + franchise (right/privilege)
- dis: A Latin prefix meaning "apart," "asunder," "away," or having a negative, reversing force.
- franchise: From Old French franchir (to free), ultimately from a Germanic root related to freedom. In this compound, it functions as the core noun meaning a right or privilege, especially a legal one.
Examples
The law was used to disfranchise poor citizens by imposing a poll tax.
Several counties were disfranchised as a penalty for corruption.
Efforts to disfranchise minority voters were challenged in the courts.