disloquer

Disloquer is a French verb meaning to move something away from its proper place. Its primary use is anatomical, describing the displacement of a bone or joint. It can also refer to separating or misaligning components in mechanical or organizational contexts, and, figuratively, to disrupt or destabilize a system or arrangement.

Etymology: disloquer comes from Latin dislocare, formed from dis- meaning apart and locus meaning place.

Senses and usage: In anatomy, disloquer denotes dislocating a joint or bone, for example when a finger or shoulder is displaced. The reflexive form is common: Le doigt s’est disloqué. In technical language, disloquer can mean to detach or misalign parts within a mechanism, for instance disloquer une pièce or disloquer un système. Figuratively, it can describe disrupting established order or networks, as in disloquer l’ordre social ou économique. In everyday speech, more specialized terms such as luxer or luxation are also used for medical dislocations, while déboîter is another common synonym for joint dislocation.

Conjugation and forms: Disloquer is a regular -er verb. Present indicative: je disloque, tu disloques, il disloque, nous disloquons, vous disloquez, ils disloquent. Passé composé: j’ai disloqué. Imparfait: disloquais, futur: disloquerai, conditional: disloquerais. Subjunctive: que je disloque. Imperative: disloque, disloquons, disloquez. Se disloquer is used for bodily dislocations in a reflexive sense, and can also appear in intransitive formulations when describing a system or plan falling apart.

See also: luxation (anatomy), déboîtement, désorganisation.