undivided
Meaning
not separated into parts or shared with others; complete or whole.
not distracted; giving full attention.
Structure
Usage
she gave the project her undivided attention.
the land was passed down as an undivided estate to the heirs.
his loyalty to the cause remained undivided.
Etymology
The word 'undivided' is a straightforward English formation built upon the verb 'divide,' which traces back to the Latin 'dividere,' meaning "to force apart, separate." This Latin root itself is thought to derive from the Proto-Indo-European compound dis- "apart" and weidh- "to separate." The Old English negative prefix 'un-' was attached to the past participle 'divided' to create an adjective expressing the state of not being separated. The logic is transparent: from the literal sense of a physical whole not split into pieces, the meaning extended metaphorically to describe complete, exclusive possession or focused, undistracted attention.
Analysis
- un: a prefix of germanic origin (old english) meaning "not," used to form negatives. - divided: from the verb 'divide,' of latin origin (dividere), meaning "to separate into parts." here it functions as the adjectival base.