Etymology

div

D2I1V4

Today it means: A function, implemented in many programming languages, that returns the result of a division of two integers. Full definition →

Iranian Persian دیوْ (div) ← Middle Persian 𐫅𐫏𐫇 (dyw /⁠dēw⁠/) ← Old Persian 𐎭𐎡𐎺 (d-i-v /⁠daivaʰ⁠⁠/)
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div · noun, verb1

Clipping of division.

div · noun2

Clipping of divergence.

div · noun3

Clipping of divinity.

div · noun4

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

div · noun5

  1. Proto-Indo-European*dyew-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*deywós
  3. Proto-Indo-Iranian*daywás
  4. Proto-Iranian*daywáh
  5. Old Persian𐎭𐎡𐎺 (d-i-v /⁠daivaʰ⁠⁠/)
  6. Middle Persian𐫅𐫏𐫇 (dyw /⁠dēw⁠/)
  7. Iranian Persianدیوْ (div)
  8. English todaydiv

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.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.