Bifid
/ˈbaɪ.fɪd/noun
Divided or cleft into two parts, lobes, or branches.
Did you know?Bifid comes from Latin bifidus, a term used in natural-history description for structures cleft into two, turning ancient imagery of splitting into precise scientific language.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bheid-
“To split, cleave, or break apart”
Classical Latin
Latin
findere
“To split, cleave, or divide”
Classical Latin
Latin
bi-
“Two or twice”
Classical Latin
Latin
bifidus
“Split into two or cleft in two”
17th Century
New Latin
bifidus
“A scientific descriptive term for something divided into two parts”
Modern English
English
bifid
“Divided or cleft into two parts”