to separate or disentangle something that has been mixed or combined together into distinct parts.
From Old French 'demeler,' combining 'de-' (to reverse) and 'meler' (to mix), from Latin 'miscere.' The meaning evolved from physical untangling to separating any intertwined things.
This word captures the action of untangling — whether rope, hair, or complicated situations — and shows how medieval French recognized that some problems require patient separation rather than force.
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