English
owe
Owe comes from Middle English owen ‘to own, possess, have control over, have…’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₂eyḱ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eyḱ-‘to own’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eh₂óyḱe‘to possess, own’reconstructedreduplicated stative of *h₂eyḱ-
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*aiganą‘to possess, to own, to have’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*aigan‘to own’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150āgan‘to own, possess’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500owen‘to own, possess, have control over, have authority over’
- Englishearliest quotation 1593owe
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eyḱ-‘to own’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eh₂óyḱe‘to possess, own’reconstructedreduplicated stative of *h₂eyḱ-
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*aiganą‘to possess, to own, to have’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*aigan‘to own’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150āgan‘to own, possess’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500owen‘to own, possess, have control over, have authority over’
- Englishearliest quotation 1593owe
Earliest quotation: 1593, anonymous author, The Life and Death of Iacke Straw […]: “VVe owe God a death, and we can but…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eyḱ- ‘to own’
through Proto-Germanic *aiganą ‘to possess, to own, to have’
through Proto-West Germanic *aigan ‘to own’
through Old English āgan ‘to own, possess’
Today it means
verb To be under an obligation to give something back to someone or to perform some action for someone.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.