English
devout
Devout comes from Ecclesiastical Latin dēvōtus ‘vowed, promised, dedicated, having been vowed,…’, from Latin dēvoveō ‘to vow, offer’, and ultimately from 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‘to vow, promise’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēvoveō‘to vow, offer’
- Ecclesiastical Latinc. 200–1500dēvōtus‘vowed, promised, dedicated, having been vowed, devoted’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400devot
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500devout
- Englishearliest quotation 1611same form
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‘to vow, promise’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēvoveō‘to vow, offer’
- Ecclesiastical Latinc. 200–1500dēvōtus‘vowed, promised, dedicated, having been vowed, devoted’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400devot
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500devout
- Englishearliest quotation 1611same form
Earliest quotation: 1611, The Holy Bible, London: […] Robert Barker: “a devout man, and one that feared God”.
Linked words
through Proto-Italic *woɣʷeō ‘to vow, promise’
through Latin voveō ‘to vow, promise’
through Latin dēvoveō ‘to vow, offer’
through Ecclesiastical Latin dēvōtus ‘vowed, promised, dedicated, having been vowed,…’
Today it means
adj Devoted to religion or to religious feelings and duties; pious; extremely religious; godly.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₁wegʷʰ- / devout