Where does “dividend” come from?
Dividend comes from Middle French dividende, from Latin dividendum, the gerundive of divido meaning "to divide," with the prefix dis- combined with a root from Proto-Indo-European dwóh₁ meaning "two."
dividend (English): A number or expression that is to be divided by...
Definitions
- A number or expression that is to be divided by...
Ancestry of “dividend”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | dividende | — |
| 2 | Latin | dividendum | nominative neuter singular of dīvidendus;... |
| 3 | Latin | divido | I divide, separate; I distribute, apportion; I... |
| 4 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 5 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 6 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |