Regarding an antithesis to 'promote,' the word universally in use in Cambridge, in Harvard College, is drop. The same word is in use in the leading schools here (Boston). I hope I may be counted every time against such barbarisms as 'demote' and 'retromote.' [Edward Everett Hale, 1892, letter to the publishers of "Funk & Wagnalls' Standard Dictionary"]
Related: Demoted; demoting.de-, 向下。-mot, 移动，词源同motive, promote. 即向下移动，降职。
该词的英语词源请访问趣词词源英文版：demote 词源，demote 含义。
词根词缀： de-向下 + -mot-移动 + -e动词词尾 → 使向下移动