How is it that 'approve' has two p's and 'disprove' has one? They must be less related than I had thought.
Approve Middle English: from Old French aprover, from Latin approbare (see approbate). The original sense was ‘prove, demonstrate’, later ‘corroborate, confirm’, hence ‘pronounce to be satisfactory’ (late Middle English).
Disprove late Middle English: from Old French desprover .
They have different origins. It seems I haven't caught up from the 15th century (or 16th century depending on source) usage of the word.
Disapprove late 15c., "disprove, prove to be untrue," a sense now obsolete; as the reverse of approve, "regard with moral condemnation, think wrong or reprehensible," it is attested from 1640s. See dis- + approve. Related: Disapproved; disapproving.
Disprove is the more interesting word of the two. I can find the 10 paranormal ideas that skeptics have failed to disprove? On toptenopia.com they include: Alien civilizations exist There is Life after death Mental telepathy allows us to read minds Bigfoot and similar creatures exist around the world Demons can possess living people
Toptenopia has no list for the top things to disapprove of. There is only one site with things to disapprove of - it is HERE - 10 things that will make your rabbit disapprove. The website demonstrates in its pictures that rabbits are very cute. And what about this retrieval - a list of things that God hates - this comes from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. There are also top 10 things that Pharisees say today. (I didn't know we had Pharisees today.)
Here's a model full of signs - the Old Canal Swill sign says -
OLDE CANAL SWILL The swellest swill you will ever swallow SOLD HERE
