Vow
/vaʊ/noun
A solemn promise or pledge, especially one made in a religious or formal setting.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from a root meaning “to speak,” showing how ancient cultures treated spoken words as acts with real power, not just sounds.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wekw-
“to speak, to say”
Latin
Latin
vōtum
“a vow, solemn promise; a thing vowed to a deity”
Old French
Old French
vou
“a vow, pledge”
Middle English
English
vowe
“a solemn promise or religious pledge”
Modern English
English
vow
“a solemn promise or pledge”