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Origin and history of diaspora

diaspora(n.)

1825 in reference to Moravian protestants; 1869 in reference to the dispersion of the Jews; from Greek diaspora "dispersion," from diaspeirein "to scatter about, disperse," from dia "about, across" (see dia-) + speirein "to scatter" (see sparse). The Greek word was used in Septuagint in Deuteronomy xxviii.25. A Hebrew word for it is galuth "exile." The earlier word for it in English was Latinate dispersion (late 14c.). Related: Diasporic.

also from 1825

Entries linking to diaspora

dispersion(n.)

late 14c., dispersioun, "the Jewish diaspora," from Old French dispersion (13c.), from Latin dispersionem (nominative dispersio) "a scattering," noun of action from past-participle stem of dispergere "to scatter," from dis- "apart, in every direction" (see dis-) + spargere "to scatter" (see sparse). Meaning "act of scattering, state of being dispersed" is from early 15c.

sparse(adj.)

"thinly scattered, existing at considerable intervals, widely spaced between," 1727, from Latin sparsus "scattered," past participle of spargere "to scatter, spread, shower." This is, according to de Vaan, from Proto-Italic *sparg-, from PIE *sp(e)rg- "to strew," extended form of root *sper- "to spread, sow" (source also of Hittite išpar- "to spread out, strew;" Greek speirein "to strew, to sow," spora "a scattering, sowing," sperma "sperm, seed," literally "that which is scattered").

Sparse has been regarded, falsely, as an Americanism, and has been objected to as being exactly equivalent to scattered, and therefore unnecessary. As a merely qualifying adjective, however, it is free from the possible ambiguity in the participial form and consequent verbal implication of scattered. [Century Dictionary, 1895] 

The word is found earlier in English as a verb, "to scatter abroad" (16c.). Related: Sparsely; sparseness; sparsity.

dia-

before vowels, di-, word-forming element meaning "through, in different directions, between," also often merely intensive, "thoroughly, entirely," from Greek dia "through; throughout," probably cognate with bi- and related to duo "two" (from PIE root *dwo- "two") with a base sense of "twice."

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    1300, transmigracioun, "the removal of the Jews into the Babylonian captivity," from Old French transmigracion "exile, diaspora...
    body
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    mid-14c., distribucioun, "act of dividing or parceling out," from Old French distribution (13c.) and directly from Latin distributionem (nominative distributio) "a division, distribution," noun of action from past-participle stem of distribuere "to divide, deal out in portions,"
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