Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “deal” come from?

Deal comes from Middle English del, from Old English dǣlan, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dʰol- meaning to divide or separate.

deal (English): A division, a portion, a share; An indefinite...

Definitions

  1. A division, a portion, a share; An indefinite...

Ancestry of “deal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishdelA part, proportion or section of something; The...
2Old Englishdǣlpart, share, portion; part, distribution
3Proto-West Germanicdailipart
4Proto-Germanicdailizpart, portion, deal
5Proto-Indo-Europeandʰayl-part, watershed

Words derived from “deal”

  • dealing
  • dealmaker
  • dealmaking
  • dealest
  • misdeal
  • postdeal
  • slavedealing
  • predeal
  • dealy
  • megadeal
  • redeal
  • dealie
  • dealable
  • underdealing
  • misdealer
  • dealwood
  • overdeal
  • underdeal
  • interdeal
  • a good deal
  • dealer
  • Deal
  • dealt
  • dealen
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰayl- →