divide
UK[dɪˈvaɪd]US[dɪˈvaɪd]
v
To separate something into two or more parts or groups.
v
To cause disagreement or make people feel separate.
n
A difference or separation between two groups of people, especially one caused by a disagreement.
Etymology
The verb 'divide' entered English in the late 14th century from the Latin 'dividere', meaning "to force apart, cleave, distribute." This Latin term itself is thought to be a compound of 'dis-', meaning "apart," and the root of 'vidua', meaning "widow," suggesting a primal sense of separation. The semantic journey from the literal act of physical separation to the abstract concepts of mathematical division and social or ideological separation is a clear and logical progression. The modern meanings retain the core idea of creating a distinction or partition between entities.
Analysis
The word 'divide' is a simplex word derived as a whole from Latin. It does not contain separable morphemes in its modern English spelling that can be independently analyzed for sense.
Examples
The river divides the city into two distinct districts.
The controversial issue threatened to divide the community.
The children were asked to divide the candies equally among themselves.