derive

/dəˈaɪv/dur-EYEV
/dɚˈaɪv/dur-EYEV

Meaningto draw off from a brook

Common meaning: to obtain from a source

‘down, away, off’ + ‘a brook, channel’ → derive

Journey through time

  1. Latinrīvus‘a brook, channel’
  2. Frenchderiver
  3. Middle Englishderiuensource
  4. Englishderive‘to obtain from a source’ · today

de- also in: deterdecampdecidededucedefame

riv also in: rivalrivulet

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin rīvus ‘a brook, channel’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry rīvus, p. 1597 · dictionary scan

Roots

  • rīvus Latin “a brook, channel”

Related words

rivalrivulet

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