Where does “yow” come from?
Yow is an English dialectal or obsolete variant of you, ultimately deriving from Proto-Indo-European h₂ówis through Middle English yow and you.
yow (English): Alternative form of yowe; Expression of pain;...
Definitions
- Alternative form of yowe; Expression of pain;...
Ancestry of “yow”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | yowe | A ewe; a female sheep; Obsolete form of you |
| 2 | Middle English | yowe | Alternative form of ewe; Alternative form of yow |
| 3 | Old English | ēowu | ewe |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | awiz | ewe; sheep in general |
| 5 | French | avis | opinion; piece of advice; notice |
| 6 | Middle French | advis | opinion |
| 7 | Dutch | advies | advice |
| 8 | Middle Dutch | avijs | — |
| 9 | Old French | avis | opinion |
| 10 | Old French | a | to; towards; belonging to |
| 11 | Latin | A | — |
| 12 | Etruscan | 𐌀 | and, also |
| 13 | Ancient Greek | ᾱ̔ | — |
| 14 | Phoenician | 𐤀 | ox; aleph; alef |
| 15 | Egyptian | 𓃾 | — |