- divergent (adj.)[divergent 词源字典]
- 1690s, from Modern Latin divergentem (nominative divergens), present participle of divergere (see diverge). Related: Divergently.[divergent etymology, divergent origin, 英语词源]
- divers (adj.)
- mid-13c., "not alike" (sense now in diverse); late 13c., "separate, distinct; various," from Old French divers (11c.) "different, various, singular, odd, exceptional, wretched, treacherous, perverse," from Latin diversus "turned different ways," in Late Latin "various," past participle of divertere (see divert).
Sense of "several, numerous" is recorded from c. 1300, referring "originally and in form to the variety of objects; but, as variety implies number, becoming an indefinite numeral word expressing multiplicity" [OED], a sense that emerged by c. 1400. - diverse (adj.)
- c. 1300, spelling variant of divers (q.v.), perhaps by analogy with converse, traverse, etc. In some cases directly from Latin diversus, and since c. 1700 restricted to the meaning "different in character or quality." Related: Diversely.
- diversification (n.)
- c. 1600, noun of action from Medieval Latin diversificare (see diversify). Economic sense is from 1939.
- diversify (v.)
- late 15c., from Old French diversifier (13c.) "to make diverse," from Medieval Latin diversificare, from Latin diversus (see diverse). Economic sense is from 1939. Related: Diversified; diversifying.
- diversion (n.)
- early 15c., "diverse condition;" c. 1600 "act of diverting," from Middle French diversion, from Late Latin diversionem (nominative diversio), noun of action from past participle stem of Latin divertere (see divert).
Sense of "amusement, entertainment" is first recorded 1640s. Hence, divertimento (1823), from the Italian form; originally "a musical composition designed primarily for entertainment." - diversity (n.)
- mid-14c., "quality of being diverse," mostly in a neutral sense, from Old French diversité (12c.) "difference, diversity, unique feature, oddness:" also "wickedness, perversity," from Latin diversitatem (nominative diversitas) "contrariety, contradiction, disagreement;" also, as a secondary sense, "difference, diversity," from diversus "turned different ways" (in Late Latin "various"), past participle of divertere (see divert).
Negative meaning, "being contrary to what is agreeable or right; perversity, evil" existed in English from late 15c. but was obsolete from 17c. Diversity as a virtue in a nation is an idea from the rise of modern democracies in the 1790s, where it kept one faction from arrogating all power (but this was not quite the modern sense, as ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, etc. were not the qualities in mind):
The dissimilarity in the ingredients which will compose the national government, and still more in the manner in which they will be brought into action in its various branches, must form a powerful obstacle to a concert of views in any partial scheme of elections. There is sufficient diversity in the state of property, in the genius, manners, and habits of the people of the different parts of the Union, to occasion a material diversity of disposition in their representatives towards the different ranks and conditions in society. ["Federalist" #60, Feb. 26, 1788 (Hamilton)]
Specific focus (in a positive sense) on race, gender, etc. is from 1992. - divert (v.)
- early 15c., from Middle French divertir (14c.), from Latin divertere "to turn in different directions," blended with devertere "turn aside," from dis- "aside" and de- "from" + vertere "to turn" (see versus). Related: Diverted; diverting.
- diverticulum (n.)
- "blind tube" (anatomical), 1819, Modern Latin, from Latin deverticulum "a bypath," from devertere "to turn aside" (see divert).
- Dives
- traditional name for a rich man, late 14c., from Latin dives "rich (man);" see Dis. Used in Luke xvi in Vulgate and commonly mistaken as the proper name of the man in the parable. Related to divus "divine," and originally meaning "favored by the gods" (see divine (adj.)).
- divest (v.)
- 1560s, devest (modern spelling is c. 1600), from Middle French devester "strip of possessions," from Old French desvestir, from des- "away" (see dis-) + vestir "to clothe" (see vest (v.)).
The figurative sense of "strip of possessions" is earliest in English; reflexive sense of "to strip oneself of" is from c. 1600. Economic sense (implied in divestment) is from 1955. Related: Divested; divesting. - divestiture (n.)
- c. 1600, from divest on analogy of investiture. Economics sense is from 1961.
- divide (v.)
- early 14c., from Latin dividere "to force apart, cleave, distribute," from dis- "apart" (see dis-) + -videre "to separate," from PIE root *weidh- "to separate" (see widow; also see with).
Mathematical sense is from early 15c. Divide and rule (c. 1600) translates Latin divide et impera, a maxim of Machiavelli. Related: Divided; dividing. - divide (n.)
- 1640s, "act of dividing," from divide (v.). Meaning "watershed, separation between river valleys" is first recorded 1807, American English.
- dividend (n.)
- late 15c., from Middle French dividende "a number divided by another," from Latin dividendum "thing to be divided," neuter gerundive of dividere (see divide). Mathematical sense is from 1540s. Meaning "portion of interest on a loan, stock, etc." is from 1620s. Related: Dividends.
- divider (n.)
- 1520s, agent noun from divide (v.). Meaning "partition or screen," especially in a room, is from 1959.
- divination (n.)
- late 14c., from Old French divination (13c.), from Latin divinationem (nominative divinatio) "the power of foreseeing, prediction," noun of action from past participle stem of divinare, literally "to be inspired by a god" (see divine (adj.)).
- divine (adj.)
- c. 1300, from Old French devin (12c.), from Latin divinus "of a god," from divus "a god," related to deus "god, deity" (see Zeus). Weakened sense of "excellent" had evolved by late 15c.
- divine (v.)
- "to conjure, to guess," originally "to make out by supernatural insight," mid-14c., from Old French deviner, from Vulgar Latin *devinare, dissimilated from *divinare, from Latin divinus (see divine (adj.)), which also meant "soothsayer." Related: Divined; diviner; divining. Divining rod (or wand) attested from 1650s.
- divine (n.)
- c. 1300, "soothsayer," from Old French devin, from Latin divinus (adj.); see divine (adj.). Meaning "ecclesiastic, theologian" is from late 14c.