'compartmentalize' originates from the word 'compartment,' which comes from the French word 'compartiment,' where 'com-' meant 'together' and 'partir' meant 'to divide.'

'compartiment' transformed into the English word 'compartment,' and eventually led to the formation of the verb 'compartmentalize.'

Initially, it meant 'to divide into parts,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.