disperse

Where does the word "disperse" come from? It comes from Latin spargere, passing through Latin before entering English (1400s).

Disperse’s story begins in Latin: spargere meant “to scatter.” To scatter, combined with dis- (apart). Within Latin, it grew into dispergere by ancient. To scatter apart, from dis- and spargere. It reached English by 1400s as disperse. Settled as the English word for scattering people or things over a wide area. Today, disperse means to scatter or distribute people or things over a wide area.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient spargere "to scatter", to scatter, combined with dis- (apart).
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient dispergere "to scatter apart", to scatter apart, from dis- and spargere.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1400s disperse "to scatter people or things over a wide area", settled as the English word for scattering people or things over a wide area.