Where does “owe” come from?
Owe comes from Middle English owen, from Old English āgen, from Proto-Germanic aiganą, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂eyḱ-, a root meaning to possess or own.
owe (English): To be under an obligation to give something back...
Definitions
- To be under an obligation to give something back...
Ancestry of “owe”, step by step
owe traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English owen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | owen | To own, possess, have control over, have... |
| 2 | Old English | āgan | to own, possess |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | aigan | to possess, to own, to have; own |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *aiganą | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eh₂óyḱe | to possess, to own |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eyḱ- | to possess, to own |