Devout
/dɪˈvaʊt/noun
Having or showing deep religious feeling or commitment.
Did you know?Devout comes from the same Latin root as vow and devote, because in the Roman world devotion was originally about binding yourself by a sacred promise.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*u̯eh₁-
“to speak a solemn word, to call upon, to promise”
Latin
Latin
vovere
“to vow, promise, dedicate by a sacred pledge”
Late Latin
Latin
devotus
“vowed, dedicated, consecrated; also devoted to a deity”
Old French
Old French
devot
“pious, reverent, religiously earnest”
Middle English
English
devoute
“pious, religious, earnest in faith”
Modern English
English
devout
“deeply religious or earnest in belief or practice”