'disincentive' originates from the prefix 'dis-' meaning 'opposite of' and the word 'incentive', which comes from Latin 'incentivus', meaning 'setting the tune'.

'incentivus' transformed into the English word 'incentive', and with the addition of the prefix 'dis-', it became 'disincentive'.

Initially, it meant 'opposite of incentive', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.