Where does “devise” come from?
Devise comes from Middle English devysen, from Old French deviser, from Vulgar Latin devisare, from Latin diviso, ultimately from Latin divido meaning "to divide," with the prefix dis- and root from Proto-Indo-European dwís.
devise (English): To use one's intellect to plan or design; To...
Definitions
- To use one's intellect to plan or design; To...
Ancestry of “devise”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | devisen | Alternative form of devysen |
| 2 | Old French | deviser | to divide |
| 3 | Vulgar Latin | devisare | — |
| 4 | Latin | divisāre | — |
| 5 | Latin | dīvīsum | — |
| 6 | Latin | dīvidō | — |
| 7 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 8 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 9 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 10 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |
Words derived from “devise”