*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of divvy

Clipping of dividend + -y.

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 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 ↗
verb

To divide into portions.

noun

A dividend; a share or portion.

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

Clipping of dividend + -y.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "clipping",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "dividend"
      },
      "expansion": "Clipping of dividend"
    },
    {
      "name": "suffix",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "",
        "3": "y"
      },
      "expansion": "+ -y"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "dividend",
      "dividend#English"
    ],
    [
      "-y",
      "-y#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To divide into portions."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal",
        "transitive"
      ],
      "recordId": "7d750bad883cc2a10b47cb53eb5d1ba47ebfdb37f7d581e382ac4d69e443d4c7",
      "rawRecordSha256": "ce6ce52409c12518de42eabbc19f47eb2ed67343e5f9b38898a884598f29d5ea",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 816144
    },
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A dividend; a share or portion."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ],
      "recordId": "e04411c46f0de3be1d5ca302035ccd834e21a7352c5f01285271d05ccf8a4f4d",
      "rawRecordSha256": "62e08ddd71c4ff0527663a614e30fd1d22ac485f1847998addd4fbfa6793a816",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 816143
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A foolish person.

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

Unclear. Suggested sources include a corruption of Davy lamp as used by miners; dividend as an unemployment benefit; or divot meaning "turf", used euphemistically in place of the vulgar sod.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
      "Davy lamp",
      "Davy lamp#English"
    ],
    [
      "dividend",
      "dividend#English"
    ],
    [
      "divot",
      "divot#English"
    ],
    [
      "sod",
      "sod#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A foolish person."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "derogatory",
        "slang"
      ],
      "recordId": "36cf35bbe0c7d29241f15780a3c595f941d5240fddaf5eaa102541c7c7b40f4d",
      "rawRecordSha256": "cbf4fadcd255dc66f54e1c705ea635cb52a8032a997c37f5f80db93695937dc9",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 816145
    }
  ],
  "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 divvy →

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-ZGl2dnk