The Explanatory Toolbreaks Down Anglo-Saxon Expressions - "The focus here is on 'These' and Aldi's involvement."
Starting with three letters originating from Latin's ancient past, one often ponders. For over 20 centuries, the syllable "dis-" has significantly impacted European languages. It's a constant in our lives, whether referring to someone as "discredited" or likening a debate to an "earthquake-like tremor". As we seek understanding, people have a tendency to shake up perspectives. This is evident in today's discussions.
To fully grasp the essence of "dis-", originally meaning "division" and leading to "distinction" and "distribution" in Latin, consider the term "disruption". While "disruption" denotes real-world processes of change and disintegration, the prefix "dis" bears a similar destructive influence in language. One can refer to a "discrepancy": a lack of agreement, opposition, or even negation of words, such as "disharmony", "discontinuity", and "disqualification". In English, there are phrases like "disability", "disbelief", and "dismantle".
Now in our predominantly English-speaking era, whenever the term "dis" or "diss" is used or complained about, it signifies the abbreviation of "disrespect". It refers to the act of disrespecting (as a verb) or delivering a clear insult (as a noun). The Oxford English Dictionary's first recorded instance of this was in 1980.
In 1986, the Los Angeles Times' author still felt it necessary to explain: "Censure the Long Beach Police Department for not fulfilling its duty and cease the 'dis' (disrespect) on rap music once and for all."
This practice of "dis-ing" as an insult is a relatively recent phenomenon. Originating from the African-American rap scene, it has swiftly spread beyond its origin: to youth and elders, to corporations and their critics, politicians and their adversaries, and vice versa. Is the term more than just a linguistic trend? Given its origins, the solo performance of the super syllable could fulfill an age-old predestination: dividing people with three letters.
In the 19th century, "dis" emerged as a short form of "distribute". It was a slang term for distributing type in a line of text. Soon, "dis" evolved to mean "disconnected", a fashionable term in telegraphic language. According to the OED, in the 1920s it meant "broken" and "mentally unsound": "The circuit is dis."; "Her telephone line is dis."; "The poor old chap’s brain's going dis." Additionally, the American dictionary Merriam Webster lists three common abbreviations: for "discharge", "distance", and "discount". With the latter – the price reduction, i.e., a discount – a German trading company adopted it into its name in 1962: "Albrecht Discount". As part of the general anglicization, "discounters" emerged. Aldi and Lidl adopted this term for their international expansion, becoming known as "the discounters" worldwide, including in Britain. As late as the beginning of the millennium, such stores in the English-speaking world were called "discount (grocery) shops" or "stores". The food market as a "discounter" is now truly an "English interpretation of German".
Although the Duden included "Discountgeschäft" and "Discountpreis" as early as 1967, the "Discounter" as "a store selling goods at high discounts" was not added until 2000. In the same year, "dissen" was added as a verb, meaning "to insult", "discredit", "slander", or "polemicize". The dictionary also lists "diss victim", but not yet "the diss". Perhaps that would be too much competition for the venerable "diss". It continues to be a source of academic interest.
The European Union has been instrumental in promoting unity and cohesion across its member states, serving as a contrast to the destructive influence of the "dis" prefix in language. In the context of international trade, the European Union has also adapted the term "discount" from English, with notable companies like Aldi and Lidl adopting the term "discounters" for their expansion.
