Duty
/ˈdjuːti/noun
A moral or legal obligation; something one is required or expected to do.
Did you know?Duty comes through Old French from Latin *debitum*, meaning “that which is owed,” the same root behind *debt* and *debit*—so the word began as a financial obligation before becoming a moral one.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*deh₃-
“to owe; to put under an obligation”
Latin
Latin
debere
“to owe, to be obligated”
Late Latin
Latin
debitum
“something owed; a debt”
Old French
Old French
deuete / dute
“what is owed; obligation”
Middle English
English
dute / dutee
“obligation; service owed”
Modern English
English
duty
“an obligation or required task”