Divagation
/ˌdaɪ.vəˈɡeɪ.ʃən/noun
The act of wandering away from a path, subject, or line of thought; a digression.
Did you know?In rhetoric, divagation describes a speaker’s departure from the main subject, preserving an ancient image of thought as a traveler that can stray from the road.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Latin
Latin
vagus
“Wandering, roaming, unsettled, or without a fixed direction.”
Classical Latin
Latin
vagari
“To wander, roam, or move about without a settled destination.”
Late Latin
Late Latin
divagari
“To wander away or stray from a course; formed with dis-/di-, expressing separation.”
Late Latin
Late Latin
divagatio
“A wandering away, deviation, or digression.”
Medieval French
Old French
divagation
“Digression or wandering from a proper course or subject.”
17th Century
English
divagation
“A departure from the subject in speech or writing, or physical wandering.”
Modern English
English
divagation
“Wandering, deviation, or digression from a path, topic, or train of thought.”