"That's a great deal to make one word mean," Alice said in a thoughtful tone. "When I make a word do a lot of work like that," said Humpty Dumpty, "I always pay it extra."
Showing posts with label Moiety. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Moiety. Show all posts

Tuesday, 7 April 2009

Moiety

Moiety (pronounced MOY-i-tee) means one of two (approximately) equal parts though it is also loosely used to mean any share or portion. The term seems to crop up most when referring to a portion of someone's treasure or the objects in their will.

In anthropology it means one of two units into which a tribe or community is divided on the basis of unilineal descent.