English
obeisance
Obeisance comes from Old French obeïssant ‘obedient’, and goes back to obeïr ‘to obey’.
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400obeïr‘to obey’
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400obeïssant‘obedient’participle of obeïr
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400obeïssance
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500obeisaunce‘obedience, obeisance’
- Englishearliest quotation 1845obeisance
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400obeïr‘to obey’
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400obeïssant‘obedient’participle of obeïr
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400obeïssance
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500obeisaunce‘obedience, obeisance’
- Englishearliest quotation 1845obeisance
Earliest quotation: 1845, — Quarles pseudonym; Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven: “In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly…”
A compound of oboediō ‘to obey, yield obedience to’ + audiō ‘to hear’
Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew- ‘to see, perceive’
Proto-Indo-European *h₂ewis ‘clearly, manifestly’
Proto-Italic *awizdiō ‘to hear’
Latin audiō ‘to hear’
Linked words
through Old French obeïr ‘to obey’
Today it means
noun Demonstration of an obedient attitude, especially by bowing deeply; a deep bow which demonstrates such an attitude.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Old French obeïr / obeisance