dekadent (German)

Where does "dekadent" come from?

The German adjective 'dekadent' comes from the French 'décadent'[1]. This French term arose as a back-formation from 'décadence'[2], which was borrowed from Medieval Latin or Late Latin 'decadentia'[3]. That Latin formation traces back to the present participle 'decadēns', derived from the verb 'decadō', combining 'de-' with 'cadō', meaning 'to fall'[3].

Open questions

• The French form décadent is analyzed as a back-formation from décadence. [2]

Full etymology tree

• dekadent (German), 'decadent'
  • borrowed décadent (French), 'decaying, deteriorating, in decline'
    • derived décadence (French), 'decadence (state of moral or artistic decline or deterioration)'
      • borrowed decadentia (Medieval Latin)
        • derived decadēns (Latin)
          • derived decadō (Latin)

Ancestors

• décadent (French)

Sources

1. dekadent (German) - Wiktionary
2. décadent (French) - Wiktionary
3. décadence (French) - Wiktionary

Updated September 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris