Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “oath” come from?

Oath comes from Middle English ooth, from Old English oþ, from Proto-Germanic aiþaz, from Proto-Indo-European oyt-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₁ey-.

oath (English): A solemn pledge or promise, appealing to a deity,...

Definitions

  1. A solemn pledge or promise, appealing to a deity,...

Ancestry of “oath”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishooth—
2Old Englishāþoath
3Proto-West Germanicaiþoath
4Proto-Germanicaiþazoath
5Proto-Indo-Europeanoyt-—

Words derived from “oath”

  • oathtaking
  • oathbound
  • oathbreaker
  • oathbreaking
  • oathless
  • oathable
  • oathlike
  • oaths
  • oath-ring
Every word from Proto-Indo-European oyt- →