www.alphadictionary.com

This was accidentlly sent to me personally (RB)
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Hello!

This is my first post so bear with me, please!

There is a word that has driven me insane since the first time I heard it used by John Madden during a Packer football game. Because I detest John Madden for his constant mangling of the English language, I immediately assumed he had made up the word. Yesterday I found the word in the dictionary and almost had a stroke...it was (and is) a perfectly normal word, but I have decided that I still hate it because I first heard the word come out of John Madden's mouth. Would you be interested in discussing this word? It is (dare I write it?): Disrespecting!

I don't know if this is the proper forum for asking about the origin of words. Please forgive me if it is not.

Thank you,

Carol A. Kopp

According to the on-line etymology dictionary, the verb is attested in 1614 and the noun in 1631. The noun appears in John Dryden's "Discourses on Satire and Epic Poetry":

Somewhat of laziness was in the case, and somewhat too of modesty; but nothing of disrespect or of unthankfulness.

I'm not sure of the date of Dryden's "Discourses," but it has to be after 1631 as he was born that year. Well, I suppose he could have been exceptionally precocious.

Anyway both the noun and the verb have a long and illustrious history.

Someone needs to merge the two threads.