English
devote
Devote comes from Latin dēvōtus ‘vowed, promised, dedicated, having been vowed,…’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₁wegʷʰ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁wegʷʰ-‘to promise, to vow’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁wogʷʰéyetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*woɣʷeō‘to vow, promise’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvoveō‘vow, promise’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēvoveō‘dedicate by a vow, sacrifice oneself, promise solemnly’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēvōtus‘vowed, promised, dedicated, having been vowed, devoted’past participle of dēvoveō
- Englishearliest quotation 1667devote
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁wegʷʰ-‘to promise, to vow’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁wogʷʰéyetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*woɣʷeō‘to vow, promise’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvoveō‘vow, promise’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēvoveō‘dedicate by a vow, sacrifice oneself, promise solemnly’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēvōtus‘vowed, promised, dedicated, having been vowed, devoted’past participle of dēvoveō
- Englishearliest quotation 1667devote
Earliest quotation: 1667, John Milton, (please specify the page number): “A world devote to universal wrack”.
Linked words
through Latin voveō ‘vow, promise’
through Latin dēvōtus ‘vowed, promised, dedicated, having been vowed,…’
Today it means
verb to give one's time, focus one's efforts, commit oneself, etc. entirely for, on, or to a certain matter; to consecrate.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₁wegʷʰ- / devote