deal
/diːl/
noun
Origin
Proto-Germanic
*dailiz — a portion, share, or division
Overview
Meaning Now
- A business transaction or agreement.
- A significant amount or quantity (often used with 'a great').
- The act of distributing playing cards to players.
Literal older meaning
a division, a part, or a portion
Language path
Proto-Germanic → Old English → English
Earliest form
dāl
Earliest period
Old English period
Journey
The word originally related to the act of dividing things into shares. Through the Middle Ages, it evolved from representing a literal portion or heap to describing abstract agreements or the specific act of dealing cards in games.
Evolution
- Proto-Germanic
*dailiz
“a share or portion”
- Old English
dāl
“part, portion, or distribution”
- Middle English
del
“a share, part, or bit”
- Modern English
deal
“agreement, quantity, or card distribution”
Connections
Word parts
deal
root
to divide or portion
Related across languages
Dutch
deel
part
German
Teil
part
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Related to deal
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.