Akademik

var. of dis-¹ before f: differ.

dif-,

prefix. the form of dis-² (Cf. ↑dis-) before f, as in diffuse.

1) variant spelling of dis-

2) assimilated before f (as in diffraction, diffuse.)

prefix of L. origin, being the assimilated form of dis- before f, as in dif-ferre, dif-fūsio. In Romanic it became def-, which in OF. was subsequently reduced to de-; this occasionally appears in Eng., as defer from L. differre, OF. defferer, mod.F. déférer, defy from L. type diffīdāre, It. diffidare, disfidare, OF. desf-, deff-, defier, mod.F. défier. Usually, however, the Latin form of the prefix is used in Eng.: cf. differ, difficult, diffidence, diffuse. For its force, see dis-: it is not, like the latter, a living prefix.