divide
/dɪˈvaɪd/
verb
Origin
Latin
dividere — to force asunder, distribute
Overview
Meaning Now
- To separate or be separated into parts.
- To perform the mathematical operation of determining how many times one number is contained within another.
Literal older meaning
to force asunder
Language path
Latin → Old French → English
Earliest form
dividere
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The word stems from the Latin 'dividere', which shares its root with 'vidua' (widow), referring to someone 'parted' from her husband.
Evolution
- Latin
dividere
“to separate, distinguish”
From dis- (apart) + iduare (to distribute).
- Old French
diviser
“to divide”
- Middle English
dividen
“to part, split”
- Modern English
divide
“to separate or distribute”
Connections
Word parts
di-
prefix
apart
-vide
root
to separate (from vidua)
Related across languages
French
diviser
to divide
Spanish
dividir
to divide
Related words
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Related to divide
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.