dei

Dei is primarily a Latin term meaning "of God" or "God's." It is the genitive singular form of Deus (God) and is used to indicate possession or association in Latin phrases and titles. In ecclesiastical and scholarly Latin, Dei appears in expressions such as Dei Verbum (the Word of God) and Dei gratia (By the grace of God). The phrase Dei Verbum is notably the title of a 1965 document from the Second Vatican Council, and the form commonly occurs in biblical and liturgical contexts to attribute actions, titles, or writings to God (e.g., Verbum Dei, the Word of God).

In Italian, dei is a separate word formed from the preposition di plus the plural definite article i. It has different functions from the Latin possessive; it can mean "of the" before a plural noun or serve as a partitive meaning "some." For example, dei libri can mean "some books" or, in a broader sense, "of the books," depending on context. This usage is unrelated to the Latin deity but reflects a shared root in Romance languages.

As a name, Dei can appear as a surname or given name in various cultures, reflecting the historical influence of Latin and religious terminology on personal naming. In modern usage, Dei may also appear in titles, organizations, or artistic works that invoke classical or religious language.

Overall, Dei is best known as a Latin genitive tied to divine attribution, with separate, distinct usage in Italian grammar and occasional presence in personal names.