English
divinity
Divinity comes from Latin divinitas ‘divinity, Godhead, godhood’, from Proto-Italic *deiwos ‘god, deity’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dyew- ‘to be bright, to shine’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dyew-‘to be bright, to shine’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*deywós‘god’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*deiwos‘god, deity’reconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*deiwīnos‘divine’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdīvīnus‘divine, of a god’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdivinitas‘divinity, Godhead, godhood’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400divinité
- Englishearliest quotation a. 1598divinity
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dyew-‘to be bright, to shine’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*deywós‘god’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*deiwos‘god, deity’reconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*deiwīnos‘divine’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdīvīnus‘divine, of a god’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdivinitas‘divinity, Godhead, godhood’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400divinité
- Englishearliest quotation a. 1598divinity
Earliest quotation: a. 1598, William Shakespeare, The Merry Wives of Windsor: “They say there is divinity in odd numbers.”
Formed from divine + -ity
Proto-Indo-European *dyew- ‘to be bright, to shine’
…
Old Latin deivos
Latin divus ‘god’
Latin dīvīnus ‘of a god’
Old French divin
English divine
The story
Composed of divine + -ity.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dyew- ‘to be bright, to shine’
die, journal, journey, diary, dev, dial, meridian, sojourn, jovial, diurnal, deism, deist, 32 more
through Proto-Indo-European *deywós ‘god’
through Proto-Italic *deiwos ‘god, deity’
Today it means
noun The state, position, or fact of being a god or God.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dyew- / divinity