Desaise

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. An obsolete term for unease, trouble or discomfort, especially the lack of ease that a person or situation causes
2. A archaic noun for a state of discomfort, distress or uneasiness, found in older English and borrowed from Anglo-French
3. Old-fashioned word meaning distress, hardship or a troubled condition, used in medieval and early modern English writing

Etymology: Before "disease" meant an illness, it meant plain discomfort or unease. The archaic spelling "desaise" comes from Old French, where "des-" marked a lack or reversal and "aise" meant "ease" or comfort. English borrowed the sense and spelling in the Middle Ages, and the illness sense developed later from the same idea of a body or mind that is not at ease. The French "aise" traces back to Latin "adjacens," meaning "lying near" or "adjoining," and the sense of comfort grew from the idea of something conveniently close at hand. So a word for a lack of ease is built on a root that once meant nearness.