Etymology

devise

de·vise
D2E1V4I1S1E1

Today it means: To use one’s intellect to plan or design (something). Full definition →

Middle English devisen ← Old French deviser ← Vulgar Latin devisō
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devise · verb1

  1. Latin · derived fromdīvisō
  2. Vulgar Latin · derived fromdevisō
  3. Old French · derived fromdeviser
  4. Middle English · inherited fromdevisen
  5. English todaydevise

PIE word *dwóh₁ From Middle English devisen, devysen, from Old French deviser, from Vulgar Latin devisō, from Latin dīvisō, frequentative of dīvidō.

devise · noun2

  1. Middle French · borrowed fromdevise
  2. English todaydevise

From Middle French devise. Doublet of device.

Words from the same roots

Old Frenchdeviser all →

vise

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.