- divine (adj.)
- c. 1300, from Old French devin (12c.), from Latin divinus "of a god," from divus "a god," related to deus "god, deity" (see Zeus). Weakened sense of "excellent" had evolved by late 15c.
- divine (v.)
- "to conjure, to guess," originally "to make out by supernatural insight," mid-14c., from Old French deviner, from Vulgar Latin *devinare, dissimilated from *divinare, from Latin divinus (see divine (adj.)), which also meant "soothsayer." Related: Divined; diviner; divining. Divining rod (or wand) attested from 1650s.
- divine (n.)
- c. 1300, "soothsayer," from Old French devin, from noun use of Latin divinus "of a god" (see divine (adj.)). Meaning "ecclesiastic, theologian" is from late 14c.
