*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of demi

From Middle English demi, from Anglo-Norman demi, from Latin dimidius. Literally, “half”.

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
noun

Alternative spelling of demy. · A fifty pence piece. · A bottle of wine containing 0.375 liters of fluid, half the volume of a standard bottle; a split. · A small glass used chiefly in France (especially for beer) holding 250 milliliters.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English demi, from Anglo-Norman demi, from Latin dimidius. Literally, “half”.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "demi"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English demi"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "xno",
        "3": "demi"
      },
      "expansion": "Anglo-Norman demi"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "dimidius"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin dimidius"
    },
    {
      "name": "yesno",
      "args": {
        "1": "",
        "2": "l",
        "3": "L"
      },
      "expansion": "L"
    },
    {
      "name": "m-g",
      "args": {
        "1": "half"
      },
      "expansion": "“half”"
    },
    {
      "name": "lit",
      "args": {
        "1": "half"
      },
      "expansion": "Literally, “half”"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "demi",
      "demi#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "demi",
      "demi#Old_French"
    ],
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      "dimidius",
      "dimidius#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "half",
      "half#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative spelling of demy.",
        "A fifty pence piece.",
        "A bottle of wine containing 0.375 liters of fluid, half the volume of a standard bottle; a split.",
        "A small glass used chiefly in France (especially for beer) holding 250 milliliters."
      ],
      "tags": [
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}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A member of the demimonde; a woman maintained by a wealthy man.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clipping of demimonde.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    [
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      "demimonde"
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  ],
  "references": [],
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  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A member of the demimonde; a woman maintained by a wealthy man."
      ],
      "tags": [],
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
adj

Demisexual.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clipping of demisexual.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    [
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  "references": [],
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      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Demisexual."
      ],
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        "informal"
      ],
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for demi →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-ZGVtaQ