Dividend
/ˈdɪv.ɪ.dend/noun
A sum of money paid regularly by a company to its shareholders from profits.
Did you know?Dividend comes from Latin dividendum, a gerundive tied to dividere, the same ancient root behind words for splitting, separating, and even “individual,” so the idea of being cut apart is built into the word itself.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dʰeh₁-
“to set, place, put”
Latin
Latin
dividere
“to divide, separate, apportion”
Late Latin
Latin
dividendum
“that which is to be divided”
16th Century
English
dividend
“a share or portion of profits or revenue to be divided among recipients”
Modern English
English
dividend
“a payment made by a company to its shareholders from profits”
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