The prefix dis- has several senses, but its basic meaning is “not, not any.” Thus disbelieve means “to refuse to believe” and discomfort means “a lack of comfort.” Dis- came into English from the Old French prefix des-, which in turn came from the Latin prefix dis-, which came from the adverb dis-, meaning “apart, asunder.” Dis- is an important prefix that occurs very frequently in English in words such as discredit, disrepair, and disrespect.
