Deprecations

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Expressions of disapproval or criticism directed towards someone or something
2. instances of diminishing the importance or value of an idea or action
3. statements or remarks showing a lack of approval or favor towards certain behaviors or practices

Etymology: "Deprecations" is simply the plural of "deprecation," so the history belongs to the singular. The noun comes from Middle French "déprécation," which in turn came from Latin "dēprecātiōnem," the accusative form of "dēprecātiō," meaning a prayer or invocation to avert something. Its root verb, "dēprecor," meant to avert or ward off by prayer, and it is built from "dē-," meaning "away" or "down," and "precor," meaning "to pray" or "to beg." That original sense is the surprise. A deprecation was once a plea to turn away misfortune, not a complaint. The Latin meaning shifted from praying something off to pleading for mercy, and then to the sense of appealing against something, and eventually to expressing disapproval. The modern meaning of disapproval, the one the plural now carries, is a long way from its roots in supplication.