Where does “obey” come from?
obey (English) comes from Middle English obeyen, from Anglo-Norman obeir, from Old French obeïr, from Latin oboedio, from Latin ob-, from Latin obolus, from Ancient Greek ὀβολός, from Ancient Greek ὀβελός — to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing.
obey (English): To do as ordered by (a person, institution etc), to act according to the bidding of
Definitions
- To do as ordered by (a person, institution etc), to act according to the bidding of
Ancestry of “obey”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | obeyen | — |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | obeir | to obey |
| 3 | Old French | obeïr | Alternative form of obeir |
| 4 | Latin | oboedio | to obey, yield obedience to; to be subject to, to... |
| 5 | Latin | ob- | towards; against |
| 6 | Latin | obolus | obolus (Greek coin) |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | ὀβολός | obol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and... |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | ὀβελός | a spit, rod; a horizontal line |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | βέλος | missile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷélHos | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷelH- | to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing |