owe
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owe
- /əʊ/ UK
- /oʊ/ US
Sounds like o, O, oh (toe–tow merger) · Rhymes with -əʊ
Where it comes from
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₂eyḱ-
Proto-Indo-European *h₂eh₂óyḱe
Proto-Germanic *aiganą
Proto-West Germanic *aigan
Old English āgan
Middle English owen
English owe
From Middle English owen, from Old English āgan, from Proto-West Germanic *aigan (“to own”), from Proto-Germanic *aiganą, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eh₂óyḱe (“to possess, own”), reduplicated stative of *h₂eyḱ- (“to own”). See also own, ought.
Cognate with Sanskrit ईष्टे (īṣṭe, “to own, possess”).
verb owes · owing · owed · ought
- To be under an obligation to give something back to someone or to perform some action for someone. We owe it to our children to make our nation a better place to live in the future.
- To have debt; to be in debt.
- To have as a cause; used with to. The record owes its success to the outstanding guitar solos.
