disown
UK[dɪsˈəʊn]US[dɪsˈoʊn]
v
to refuse to accept any longer that someone is a member of your family or is connected to you.
v
to state that you no longer have any connection with something, or that you are not responsible for it.
Morpheme Breakdown
dis
own
dis
away, apart
own
to possess
Etymology
the word 'disown' is a relatively modern english formation, emerging in the late 16th century. it is a transparent compound of the native english verb 'own,' meaning to possess or acknowledge as one's own, and the latin-derived prefix 'dis-,' which conveys reversal or removal. the literal, morphemic meaning is "to reverse the state of owning or acknowledging." this construction logically evolved from the concrete idea of renouncing property to the more abstract social and familial sense of refusing to acknowledge a relationship or connection, thereby severing the figurative "possession" or bond.
Analysis
Structure: dis (away, apart) + own (to possess)
dis- is a prefix of latin origin meaning "apart, away, having a negative or reversing force." own is a verb of old english origin (āgnian) meaning "to possess, to have as property."
Examples
after the scandal, the politician's family threatened to disown him.
the company moved quickly to disown the unauthorized statements made by the junior employee.
he decided to disown his previous writings, claiming they no longer reflected his views.