English
dowry
Dowry comes from Middle English dowarye ‘a gift given by the bride's family to the…’, from Proto-Indo-European *déh₃tis ‘giving’, and ultimately from *deh₃- ‘give’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deh₃-‘give’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*déh₃tis‘giving’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*dōtisreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdōs
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500dōtārium
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400douaire
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400dowarie
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500dowarye‘a gift given by the bride's family to the groom or his relatives’
- Englishearliest quotation 1911dowry
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deh₃-‘give’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*déh₃tis‘giving’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*dōtisreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdōs
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500dōtārium
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400douaire
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400dowarie
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500dowarye‘a gift given by the bride's family to the groom or his relatives’
- Englishearliest quotation 1911dowry
Earliest quotation: 1911, Aida Rodman De Milt, Ways and Days Out of London: “1976, Graham Anderson, Studies in Lucian's Comic Fiction, Page…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *deh₃- ‘give’
data, date, add, die, addition, rent, tradition, delicious, surrender, dose, treason, vent, render, donate, donation, donor, vendor, rendition, additive, rendezvous, antidote, anecdote, condone, addendum, perdition, dative, dacha, dati, sconce, 39 more
through Latin dōs
through Medieval Latin dōtārium
Today it means
noun Payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *deh₃- / dowry