Endow
/ɪnˈdaʊ/noun
To provide with money, property, or a quality or talent.
Did you know?The word comes through Old French from a Latin root tied to dowry and marriage settlement, so its earliest sense was less “blessing” and more a formal transfer of wealth.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*deh₃-
“to give”
Latin
Latin
dotare
“to furnish, endow; especially to provide a dowry”
Old French
Old French
endouer
“to provide with a dowry; to endow”
Middle English
English
endowen
“to furnish or provide, especially with property or a gift”
Modern English
English
endow
“to furnish with a source of income, property, or a quality”