Etymograph

English

vow

Vow comes from Old French vut ‘wish’, from Latin vōtum ‘a promise, dedication, vow’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁wegʷʰ-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁wegʷʰ-‘to promise’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁wogʷʰéyetireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*woɣʷeō‘to vow, promise’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvoveōas vovēre‘to promise, vow’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEvōtum‘a promise, dedication, vow’
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400vut‘wish’
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500vowe
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1611vow

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁wegʷʰ-‘to promise’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁wogʷʰéyetireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*woɣʷeō‘to vow, promise’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvoveōas vovēre‘to promise, vow’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEvōtum‘a promise, dedication, vow’
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400vut‘wish’
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500vowe
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1611vow

Earliest quotation: 1611, The Holy Bible, London: […] Robert Barker: “And Moses spake vnto the heads of the tribes,…”

The story

Not related to avow.

Linked words

through Latin voveō ‘to promise, vow’

devotion, devote, devout, 1 more

through Latin vōtum ‘a promise, dedication, vow’

vote, votive

Today it means

noun A solemn promise to perform some act, or behave in a specified manner, especially a promise to live and act in accordance with the rules of a religious order.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₁wegʷʰ- / vow

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