Where does “dev” come from?
Dev is a shortened form of develop, which derives from French développer, itself from Middle French desveloper, ultimately from Latin roots combining ex- with -arius and -are.
dev (English): developer; development; device
Definitions
- developer; development; device
Ancestry of “dev”, step by step
dev traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Armenian դեւ
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Armenian | դեւ | dev, demon, evil spirit |
| 2 | Old Armenian | դեւ | spectre, ghost, spirit; good spirit, angel; evil... |
| 3 | Old Armenian | դէւ | — |
| 4 | Proto-Iranian | daywáh | demon; malevolent being |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | daywás | god |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | deywós | god |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dyew- | to be bright; sky, heaven |
via Hindi देव
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hindi | देव | deity, god, deva; demon; jinn, genie |
| 2 | Sanskrit | देव | heavenly, divine, also said of terrestrial things... |
via English Devonshire
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Devonshire | A placename |