Etymology: Originally < Anglo-Norman descomford, descomfort, desconforte, descounfort, descumfort, discomfort, Anglo-Norman and Middle French desconfort (French (now archaic or literary) déconfort ) distress, desolation, discouragement, pain (late 12th cent. in Old French; the precise sense is often difficult to determine), in Anglo-Norman also hardship, trouble (c1400 or earlier) < desconforter discomfort v. In later use (in sense 4) perhaps partly a new formation < dis- prefix + comfort n. Compare slightly earlier discomfort v.Compare Old Occitan desconfort , Catalan desconfort (13th cent.), Spanish †desconforte (c1414), Portuguese desconforto (13th cent.). In sense 3 by confusion with discomfit n.; compare earlier discomfort v. 2.

Etymology: < Anglo-Norman descunforter, discunforter, Anglo-Norman and Old French, Middle French descomforter, desconforter (compare Anglo-Norman and Middle French deconforter ; French déconforter ) to discourage, dismay (a person) (11th cent. in Old French), to sadden, grieve (a person) (second half of the 12th cent.), to distress oneself, grieve, lament (second half of the 12th cent.; in Middle French chiefly reflexive), in Anglo-Norman also to destroy (something) (first half of the 12th cent.) < des- , dis- dis- prefix + conforter , conforter , etc. comfort v. Compare post-classical Latin disconfortare (15th cent. in British sources), Old Occitan desconfortar, Catalan desconfortar (1490), Spanish desconfortar (first quarter of the 14th cent.), Portuguese desconfortar (13th cent.), Italian disconfortare (second half of the 13th cent.).In sense 2 apparently by confusion with discomfit v., although compare Anglo-Norman desconforter, descunforter in its specific sense ‘to destroy’.