*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of div

Clipping of division.

5 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 5 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

A function, implemented in many programming languages, that returns the result of a division of two integers. · A section of a web page, or the div element that represents it in HTML code. · A division; a lesson. · division; a subject with multidisciplinary scope.

verb

Abbreviation of divide.

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

Clipping of division.

This page abbreviates 1 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "clipping",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "division"
      },
      "expansion": "Clipping of division"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "division",
      "division#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A function, implemented in many programming languages, that returns the result of a division of two integers.",
        "A section of a web page, or the div element that represents it in HTML code.",
        "A division; a lesson.",
        "division; a subject with multidisciplinary scope."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ],
      "recordId": "00c076341243eb8a26ef93367db3aa130c9686a93fee4e4954a07c18a551c6bc",
      "rawRecordSha256": "4a85e4b6be9bd65a484af254f852af88558961811bf0df3c934e55178ed689a9",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 484078
    },
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "Abbreviation of divide."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "abbreviation",
        "alt-of"
      ],
      "recordId": "3c25677e8b9f2e33c19cff71b2899f1fca9768ad420e24b85754231d9284a5f7",
      "rawRecordSha256": "900d6eea9939e211ac50cea300de1000aa0a37347d2c94844c31954ef1578a07",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 484079
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 1,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

Divergence; a kind of differential operator.

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

Clipping of divergence.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "clipping",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "divergence"
      },
      "expansion": "Clipping of divergence"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "divergence",
      "divergence#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Divergence; a kind of differential operator."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "573311344618d57ed3fc836f7a25d9e4889d614313c990983d1c027d266d8656",
      "rawRecordSha256": "15d80e435e477bf89ca031be4ff4b0c03939d80bf4b63ad95ef27baa1e0a1cf3",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 484080
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
noun

Divinity, as a school subject.

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

Clipping of divinity.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "clipping",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "divinity"
      },
      "expansion": "Clipping of divinity"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "divinity",
      "divinity#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Divinity, as a school subject."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Ireland",
        "UK",
        "slang",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "recordId": "cc0a6f7a8cfd951adc79dbc189179cdd172099a0471dd16e5bcf114b9ef7e526",
      "rawRecordSha256": "99b44d9d76a123b684252d9207a2584918c3ac80194184e1ed22e061e956f98b",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 484081
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗
noun

A foolish person; an idiot.

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

UK, 1980s. Clipping of divvy (“a foolish person”).

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "clipping",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "divvy",
        "t": "a foolish person"
      },
      "expansion": "Clipping of divvy (“a foolish person”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "divvy",
      "divvy#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A foolish person; an idiot."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Ireland",
        "UK",
        "slang"
      ],
      "recordId": "b119f502c72487f985076f5acfd88fba0916fcd2fc4cf1af283d95a3cd61a836",
      "rawRecordSha256": "0ab2a23740f15f8adaf2ab5ef385ab2697f3da35636c68db16773a4f69b28a4d",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 484082
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 5

Original entry ↗
noun

Alternative form of daeva.

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

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dyew- Proto-Indo-European *-ós Proto-Indo-European *deywós Proto-Indo-Iranian *daywás Proto-Iranian *daywáh Old Persian 𐎭𐎡𐎺 (d-i-v /⁠daivaʰ⁠⁠/) Middle Persian 𐫅𐫏𐫇 (dyw /⁠dēw⁠/) Iranian Persian دیوْ (div)bor. English div Borrowed from Iranian Persian دیوْ (div). Doublet of daeva and deva, and (via PIE) related to Tiw, Zeus, and deus. Compare the root *div- in divine and diva as well as *dei- in deity, deism etc.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Doublet mentiondaevaen
  • Doublet mentiondevaen
  • Doublet mentionTiwen
  • Doublet mentionZeusen
  • Doublet mentiondeusen
Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "fa-ira:دیوْ<id:demon>",
        "id": "daeva",
        "tree": "1",
        "text": "+"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *dyew-\nProto-Indo-European *-ós\nProto-Indo-European *deywós\nProto-Indo-Iranian *daywás\nProto-Iranian *daywáh\nOld Persian 𐎭𐎡𐎺 (d-i-v /⁠daivaʰ⁠⁠/)\nMiddle Persian 𐫅𐫏𐫇 (dyw /⁠dēw⁠/)\nIranian Persian دیوْ (div)bor.\nEnglish div\n[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"demon\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"demon\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"foreign god\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"demon\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"god\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"god\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"be bright\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*dyew-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"vrddhi\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-ós\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*deywós\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-Iranian\", \"term\" : \"*daywás\", \"lang\" : \"iir-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Iranian\", \"term\" : \"*daywáh\", \"lang\" : \"ira-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"transcription\" : \"daivaʰ\\u2060\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old Persian\", \"term\" : \"𐎭𐎡𐎺\", \"lang\" : \"peo\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"transcription\" : \"dēw\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle Persian\", \"term\" : \"𐫅𐫏𐫇\", \"lang\" : \"pal\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Iranian Persian\", \"term\" : \"دیوْ\", \"lang\" : \"fa-ira\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"div\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-id=\"daeva\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"div\" id=\"English:_daeva\">\nBorrowed from Iranian Persian دیوْ (div)."
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "daeva",
        "3": "deva"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of daeva and deva"
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "Tiw",
        "3": "Zeus",
        "4": "deus",
        "notext": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Tiw, Zeus, and deus"
    },
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "fa-ira:دیوْ<id:demon>",
        "id": "daeva",
        "tree": "1",
        "text": "+"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *dyew-\nProto-Indo-European *-ós\nProto-Indo-European *deywós\nProto-Indo-Iranian *daywás\nProto-Iranian *daywáh\nOld Persian 𐎭𐎡𐎺 (d-i-v /⁠daivaʰ⁠⁠/)\nMiddle Persian 𐫅𐫏𐫇 (dyw /⁠dēw⁠/)\nIranian Persian دیوْ (div)bor.\nEnglish div\nBorrowed from Iranian Persian دیوْ (div)."
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*dyew-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/dyew-#Proto-Indo-European:_be_bright"
    ],
    [
      "*-ós",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-ós#Proto-Indo-European:_vrddhi"
    ],
    [
      "*deywós",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/deywós#Proto-Indo-European:_god"
    ],
    [
      "*daywás",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-Iranian/daywás#Proto-Indo-Iranian:_god"
    ],
    [
      "*daywáh",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Iranian/daywáh#Proto-Iranian:_demon"
    ],
    [
      "𐎭𐎡𐎺",
      "𐎭𐎡𐎺#Old_Persian:_foreign_god"
    ],
    [
      "𐫅𐫏𐫇",
      "𐫅𐫏𐫇#Middle_Persian:_demon"
    ],
    [
      "دیوْ",
      "دیو#Persian:_demon"
    ],
    [
      "دیوْ",
      "دیو#Persian:_demon"
    ],
    [
      "daeva",
      "daeva#English"
    ],
    [
      "deva",
      "deva#English"
    ],
    [
      "Tiw",
      "Tiw#English"
    ],
    [
      "Zeus",
      "Zeus#English"
    ],
    [
      "deus",
      "deus#English"
    ],
    [
      "divine",
      "divine#English"
    ],
    [
      "diva",
      "diva#English"
    ],
    [
      "deity",
      "deity#English"
    ],
    [
      "deism",
      "deism#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative form of daeva."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ],
      "recordId": "42d2045b1def98b9f0b6545de6e9569b5ee3a39d3557e278852408a65b299247",
      "rawRecordSha256": "2dbb2588a23f9e68e49956eb5446b66998f25c67f967910154a2f9ec11eac68a",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 484083
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

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 div →

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-ZGl2