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Origin and history of divisible

divisible(adj.)

"capable of being separated or disunited," early 15c., from Late Latin divisibilis "divisible," from divis-, past-participle stem of Latin dividere "to divide" (see divide (v.)). Related: Divisibility.

also from early 15c.

Entries linking to divisible

divide(v.)

early 14c., "separate into parts or pieces," from Latin dividere "to force apart, cleave, distribute," from assimilated form of dis- "apart" (see dis-) + -videre "to separate," which, according to de Vaan, is from PIE *(d)uid- "to separate, distinguish" (source also of Sanskrit avidhat "allotted," Old Avestan vida- "to devote oneself to"). He writes: "The original PIE verb ... (which became thematic in Latin) meant 'to divide in two, separate'. It lost initial *d- through dissimilation in front of the next dental stop, and was reinforced by dis- in Latin ...." Also compare devise.

It is attested from late 14c. as "sever the union or connection with," also "disunite, cause to disagree in opinion." Intransitive sense of "become separated into parts" is from 1520s. Mathematical sense "perform the operation of division" is from early 15c. Divide and rule (c. 1600) translates Latin divide et impera, a maxim of Machiavelli. Related: Divided; dividing.

indivisible(adj.)

early 15c., from Old French indivisible (14c.) and directly from Late Latin indivisibilis "not divisible," from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + divisibilis (see divisible). Related: Indivisibly. Undividable is attested from 1540s.

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