Why do negative words begin with the letter D.

I am sure there is a simple answer to this. I was wondering why so many negative words begin with the letter D. I cannot think of another letter you can do it with...

Examples: death, decay, demon, devil, dismiss, dispersions, defecate, depressed, dismal, disgusting, devious, devastated, destitute, despicable, deplorable, down hearted etc...

reply to post by purplemer


Destiny....not negative. But, I do see your point of view.....

I could pick out any alphabet letter, post examples of only negative words that start with that letter. It's all a matter of perspective, and frame of mind. jmoho....

Interesting thread.....

Des

Originally posted by Destinyone
reply to post by purplemer

 

Destiny....not negative. But, I do see your point of view.....

I could pick out any alphabet letter, post examples of only negative words that start with that letter. It's all a matter of perspective, and frame of mind. jmoho....

Interesting thread.....

Des

Yeah you're right... I was able to come up with a few just off the top of my head, if I actually spent time I'm sure I could do it with many other letters..

delicious delightful daring dreamy delectable diplomatic darling

It goes both ways, OP. But interesting question, nevertheless....

reply to post by Destinyone



I did try picking other letters and could not think of any that had as many negatives as D. Maybe you are right though and it is just a matter of perspective.

reply to post by purplemer


Don't forget DOWNING ST. One of the most negative words in the universe

reply to post by purplemer


Dandy, delightful, daffodil, dessert, doll, dream, dancing, daisy, dolphin, dog

There are some nice words that begin with d. But yeah trying to think of d words that are "pleasant" is way frickin harder than thinking of negative words

The letter S is far more negative!

Sad, sinister, sorrowful, spooky, savage, satanic, sick, strangle, subjugate, severe, ect.

My vote has to go with N, since it contains the one word that sets my palms to sweating and my knees to quivering:

Normal

Originally posted by purplemer
I am sure there is a simple answer to this. I was wondering why so many negative words begin with the letter D. I cannot think of another letter you can do it with...

Examples: death, decay, demon, devil, dismiss, dispersions, defecate, depressed, dismal, disgusting, devious, devastated, destitute, despicable, deplorable, down hearted etc...

Wow, very observant of you. There are some positive words beginning with 'D' (delightful, determined...), but you have shown how important that letter is.

I must assume that you have a really HUGE 'D'ic-tion-ar-y.

De and di the common prefix of most of those words. a

de- a prefix occurring in loanwords from Latin ( decide ); also used to indicate privation, removal, and separation ( dehumidify ), negation ( demerit; derange ), descent ( degrade; deduce ), reversal ( detract ), intensity ( decompound ). Compare di-2 , dis-1 .

dictionary.reference.com...

dis- 1 a Latin prefix meaning “apart,” “asunder,” “away,” “utterly,” or having a privative, negative, or reversing force ( see de-, un-2 . ); used freely, especially with these latter senses, as an English formative: disability; disaffirm; disbar; disbelief; discontent; dishearten; dislike; disown.

dictionary.reference.com...

They start with d because de and dis are prefixes that denote negatives.

Originally posted by purplemer
reply to post by Destinyone

 

I did try picking other letters and could not think of any that had as many negatives as D. Maybe you are right though and it is just a matter of perspective.

I'm thinking 'M' is good for being negative.

Mad, miserable, malady, moron, misfortune, mistake, murder, malaise, melancholy, mischief, malevolent... I'd do more, but I need to roll a smoke.

reply to post by purplemer


As an above poster mentioned :

They start with d because de and dis are prefixes that denote negatives.

Interesting though really.. Apparently the Chinese are very superstitious about the letter D..

The letter D is perhaps the most negative letter in the alphabet, especially when followed by the letters E, I, or IS. The letter D corresponds to the number 4, and the planet Saturn or Pluto, and the principles of matter and death.

The Chinese consider 4 to be the most unfortunate number and avoid it at all costs because it sounds like "death" when pronounced in Cantonese, and actually helps bring it about. It is perhaps our version of the unlucky 13 which adds up to 4(1+3) in numerology. Do you have a D somewhere in your name? If you do you may be carrying a heavy burden.

www.librarising.com...

I had made a list of "d" words with negative connotation a month before you started this thread, and here it is
( alphabetized by an ASCII algorithm):

D(grade)
dacnomania
dacoitage
damage
damnation
damnification
danger
dapocaginous
darkness
dasyure
deadhouse
dealate
death
debel
debris
debunk
decarnate
decay
deceased
deception
decession
decline
decollate
decumbiture
dedition
deduction
defalcate
degredation
deicide
deitune
delay
delenda
delete
deleterious
deliration
delirium
demagouge
dementia
demisang
demise
demolish
demolition
demon
demonetise
dentagra
dentiloquy
deny
deordination
departure
depaysé
depeculation
depotentiate
depravity
deprecation
deprive
derail
derange
desacralise
desipient
desolation
despotocracy
destruction
detach
detritus
devil
diablerie
diabolical
diabolocracy
diabrotic
diacope
diarrhea
diaspora
dichotomy
diesis
digladiate
digress
dilacerate
dilute
diogenic
dippydro
dipsetic
dipsomnia
dipsosis
dire
diremption
dirt
discomfort
disconsert
discountennance
discourage
disease
disembark
disgregation
disjoint
disjuction
dismiss
disorganize
dispersion
dispose
dispurvey
dispute
disseize
dissepiment
dissident
dissimulate
dissolute
distant
distract
dittography
dittology
divest
division
divorce
divulsion
dodoism
dol
doleful
dolent
dolorific
done
doom
doomster
dormition
doulocracy
drabe
draffish
dragonnade
dragoon
drank
drapetomania
dread
dririmancy
dromophobia
drone
drought
drygulch
dubiety
ducdame
dudegon
dulosis
duncical
dungeon
dust
dygenics
dysaesthesia
dysania
dysbulia
dyschora
dyschromatopic
dysentery
dysgenesis
dysmorphophobia
dysphagia
dysphesim
dysphoria
dystocia
dystopia
dégringolade
démenti

I can think of a few negatives beginning with C...

Capitalism
Cash
Credit
Cop
Cars
Constipated
Crabs
Crazy
Christian
Cabals
Cannibal
Creep
Cheating
Clodpates
Caught
Cuffs, as in hand
Corrections facility
Crass
Conflicting
Chords on
Cheap
Crap guitars
Caitiff
Chess players
Corporate tax breaks
Cheating
C&*(s

reply to post by ANOK


Whoa, whoa! What do you have against chess players?

Just kidding. This is a interesting thread. I like how different people see various words have negative meanings. Everyone one is different.

reply to post by Phoenix267


Caitiff
Chess players

reply to post by MythCaster


Thank you for the list.. that a good list you compiled there.. and welcome to ATS...