moiety

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a part or share, especially one of two roughly equal parts

   One moiety of the customs revenue was assigned to repayment of the loan.

2. 2
   noun

   in anthropology, one of two major descent or social divisions of a community

   Each clan belonged to one of the tribe's two moieties.

From Old French meitie and Middle French moytie (modern moitié, 'half'), from Late Latin medietas ('middle, half'), based on Latin medius ('middle'). It is a doublet of mediety.

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