diaspora n.

before vowels, di-, word-forming element meaning "through, in different directions, between," also often merely intensive, "thoroughly, entirely," from Greek dia "through; throughout," probably cognate with bi- and related to duo "two" (from PIE root *dwo- "two") with a base sense of "twice."

1727, from Latin sparsus "scattered," past participle of spargere "to scatter, spread, shower," from Proto-Italic *sparg-, from PIE *sp(e)rg- "to strew," extended form of root *sper- "to spread, sow" (source also of Hittite išpar- "to spread out, strew;" Greek speirein "to strew, to sow," spora "a scattering, sowing," sperma "sperm, seed," literally "that which is scattered"). The word is found earlier in English as a verb, "to scatter abroad" (16c.). Related: Sparsely; sparseness.

late 14c., dispersioun, "the Jewish diaspora," from Old French dispersion (13c.), from Latin dispersionem (nominative dispersio) "a scattering," noun of action from past-participle stem of dispergere "to scatter," from dis- "apart, in every direction" (see dis-) + spargere "to scatter" (see sparse). Meaning "act of scattering, state of being dispersed" is from early 15c.